Cathode preparation of electrochemical reduction process of TiO₂ to titanium

The sintering parameters of cathode preparation for the process of electrochemical reduction of TiO₂ to titanium such as the temperature and the time were investigated. The SEM and EDS methods were used to study the influences of sintering temperature and time on the microstructure and porosity of the TiO₂ compacts; moreover, the influences on the microstructure and oxygen content of the electrochemical reduction products were studied. The sintering parameters mainly affect the particle size, porosity and pore distribution of the cathodes. The compact with coarser grain size can be obtained when sintered at higher temperature and for longer time; while the change of the porosity in the compact is complex under different sintering conditions. The oxygen content of the electrochemical-reduced products depends on the grain size and the porosity of the sintered compacts. The compacts with small grains, used as cathode samples can be fully reduced; both open pores and closed pores in the samples are favorable to the electro-reduction process. The proper cathode preparation condition is that the greens are sintered at 1000-1100°C for 4 h according to the results of the experiments.