Solid State Electrolysis in Yttrium Metal

Yttrium metal rods of commercial purity (3300 ppm O₂) were heated to 1230–1370°C for 200 hr in static argon by passage of direct current. Chemical and metallographic examination indicated that oxygen and several metallic impurities (Fe, Mn, Ni, B, Ti, Co) had migrated extensively to the anode with the oxygen content near the cathode being reduced by 80%. The metal near the cathode was ductile and could be cold rolled to 65% reduction without edge cracking. These experiments are the first successful attempt to utilize electrolysis of a solid metal as a purification technique. The results indicate a marked potential for the method, and confirm the belief that pure yttrium is a ductile metal.