Direct Electroreduction of Indium and Tin Oxides in Molten Salts

Abstract

Indium is a rare metal. The largest end use for indium is in thin-film coatings as indium oxide combinined with 10 percent tin oxide (ITO). However, indium has recycling rates less than 1%. Indium and tin are especially well suited for fused salt electrolysis because their low melting points. The electrochemical behaviour of indium and tin oxides was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in molten LiCl-KCl. The direct deoxidation of indium and tin oxides was investigated. A new design of direct eletrolytic reduction was proposed taking into the low melting points of indium and tin.