Electrolytic Properties and Element Migration Behavior of Fe-TiB2 Composite Cathode

Abstract

Fe-TiB2 composite cathode materials were prepared by cold pressing sintering in which metal Fe was added as sintering aids. The electrolysis performance was studied in a 20 A electrolysis test, and the composition phase analyses of the composite cathode materials before and after the electrolysis test were carried out by using an energy spectrometer (EDS), and the migration behavior of various elements in the electrolysis process was studied. The results showed that the Fe could effectively fill the gap between the aggregate during the sintering process and improve the sintering density of the composite cathode material significantly. The voltage of the 20 A electrolysis test is stable. The impurity of the aluminum is 0.81%. The surface of the composite cathode is wetted obviously by the aluminum liquid. In the process of electrolysis, the alkali metal is main. In the permeation of the liquid electrolyte into the cathode material, the permeation of K element was more deeply than that of Na element; the Al produced on the cathode surface and the Fe in the cathode material will diffuse to each other until the relative equilibrium is reached.