US 11,970,782 B2
Method of aluminum-scandium alloy production
Adam Clayton Powell, Newton, MA (US); Matthew R. Earlam, Lakewood, CO (US); Salvador A. Barriga, Cambridge, MA (US); Richard Salvucci, Stoughton, MA (US); and Brian Hunt, Woburn, MA (US)
Assigned to FEA Materials LLC, New York, NY (US)
Appl. No. 16/980,957
Filed by INFINIUM, INC., Natick, MA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 15, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/022575
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 15, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/178537, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/643,301, filed on Mar. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0407863 A1, Dec. 31, 2020
Int. Cl. C25C 3/00 (2006.01); C22C 21/00 (2006.01); C25C 3/36 (2006.01); C25C 7/02 (2006.01); C25C 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC C25C 3/36 (2013.01) [C22C 21/00 (2013.01); C25C 7/02 (2013.01); C25C 7/06 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing an aluminum-scandium (Al—Sc) alloy comprising a combination of metallothermic and electrolytic reactions, comprising:
(a) providing an electrolyte bath comprising a first portion of ScF3, AlF3, and at least one of LiF, NaF, or KF;
(b) providing a cathode in contact with the electrolyte bath, wherein the cathode comprises aluminum;
(c) providing an anode in contact with the electrolyte bath;
(d) adding a first portion of Sc2O3 into the electrolyte bath;
wherein the metallothermic reactions comprise:
(e) reacting an aluminum ion and a scandium ion at the cathode to produce the Al—Sc alloy; and
wherein the electrolytic reactions comprise:
(f) applying an electric current to the cathode, wherein an aluminum ion and a scandium ion react at the cathode to produce the Al—Sc alloy, and wherein after reacting the scandium ion at with the cathode:
the electrolyte bath comprises ScF3, AlF3, and at least one of LiF, NaF, or KF, and
the cathode comprises the Al—Sc alloy.