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

The direct electrochemical reduction of a TiO₂ cathode in a molten CaCl₂ bath to produce titanium metal invariably results in the formation of CaTiO₃ as an intermediate product. To obtain even more insight into the formation of CaTiO₃, 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 TiO₂ to CaTiO₃ in the molten CaCl₂ bath. Prolonged electrolysis experiments are conducted and the newly transformed phases are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The formation of CaTiO₃ and its subsequent transformation to different species during reduction is discussed. An approach for preparing CaTiO₃ chemically by treating the TiO₂ electrode in CaCl₂ bath and subsequently reducing it by electrochemical means to produce titanium metal has been proposed.