Stability of lanthanide oxides in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt

Hayashi, Hirokazu; Minato, Kazuo

Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 66(2-4), p.422 - 426, 2005/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2004.06.054

Stability of lanthanide sesquioxides (LnO; Ln=La, Nd, Gd) in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt is studied. Some lanthanide oxides have been pointed out to form oxide chlorides (LnOCl) in the chloride melts, according to the reaction, LnO + 2Cl = 2LnOCl +O. Equilibrium of the reaction for Ln = La, Nd, Gd in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt were studied. Entire LaO and a part of NdO converted to LaOCl and NdOCl respectively, though GdO remained with a trace amount of GdOCl for 2wt % of LnO in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt. The equilibrium depends on the free energies of formation of the solid compounds, LnO and LnOCl, and that of oxide ion (O) in the melt. We derive the chemical potential of the oxide ion from the equilibrium using the reported thermochemical data of LnO and LnOCl.