The Current Progress of the Titanium Preparation by Electrolysis in the Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

Abstract

Titanium is a beneficial metallic material due to its excellent properties. However, the large-scale application of titanium is inhibited by the high production cost of the Kroll process. To address this challenge, researchers have proposed many new strategies based on electrochemical technology over the past decades. Those electrochemical methods show potential practical value to replace the Kroll process. Nevertheless, many of them are conducted in high-temperature melts, limiting the rapid development of those methods. Accordingly, room-temperature electrolysis in ionic liquid electrolytes was employed in titanium production. At present, there is no systematic and in-depth summary on room-temperature titanium electrolysis, although many pathways in room-temperature melts have been reported. In this review, we briefly outline the development of the titanium electrolysis methods firstly and summarize the room-temperature titanium electrolysis in ionic liquid electrolytes. Furthermore, we have discussed the fundamental mechanisms and key challenges occurring in room-temperature titanium electrolysis. Finally, we proposed the opportunities and research direction on room-temperature titanium electrolysis. We hope this review will be a valuable roadmap for room-temperature titanium electrolysis.