Abstract
The dissolution behavior of Dy2O3 and Nd2O3 powders under the control of the O2− activity of fused Na2SO4 by electrochemical polarization of platinum electrode was investigated. The solubility of Dy2O3 and Nd2O3 in fused Na2SO4 increased in the anodic potential region, while their solubility did not increase in the cathodic potential region. The both oxides were subject to acid dissolution. The cathodic current density in the molten salt after the acid dissolution of both the oxides was higher than that in the molten salt without the oxide dissolution. Therefore, it was found that the cathodic reduction reaction of dissolving metal ion occurred. It was observed that Dy and Nd were deposited on electrode surface by potentiostatically cathodic polarization using the molten salt after the oxide dissolution experiment.
