Formation of Calcium Titanate During Electroreduction of TiO2 in Molten CaCl2 Bath

The direct electrochemical reduction of a TiO 2 cathode in a molten CaCl 2 bath to produce titanium metal invariably results in the formation of CaTiO 3 as an intermediate product. To obtain even more insight into the formation of CaTiO 3 , experiments are performed in open-circuit conditions as well as at a cell voltage of 2 V for different time periods. In this study, we examine the conversion of TiO 2 to CaTiO 3 in the molten CaCl 2 bath. Prolonged electrolysis experiments are conducted and the newly transformed phases are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The formation of CaTiO 3 and its subsequent transformation to different species during reduction is discussed. An approach for preparing CaTiO 3 chemically by treating the TiO 2 electrode in CaCl 2 bath and subsequently reducing it by electrochemical means to produce titanium metal has been proposed.