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Reduction of cerium oxide into metal


sugarflywings

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One method that i found was by electrochemical reduction. Is there any other ways?

 

If you could find a more active metal than cerium (if I could make a guess, aluminum or magnesium), you might be able to come up with a thermite-like reaction reducing the cerium.

 

CeOx(s) + Al(s) => Ce(l) + Al2O3 (unbalanced)

 

OR

 

CeOx(s) + Mg(s) => Ce(l) + MgO (unbalanced)

 

My best guess is that magnesium is more likely to work because it is a slightly stronger reducer than aluminum. You will have to do some research and see whether or not magnesium and aluminum are stronger reducers than cerium, I couldn't find out right away. If they are, then I believe this may work a little like a thermite reaction.

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If you could find a more active metal than cerium (if I could make a guess, aluminum or magnesium), you might be able to come up with a thermite-like reaction reducing the cerium.

 

CeOx(s) + Al(s) => Ce(l) + Al2O3 (unbalanced)

 

OR

 

CeOx(s) + Mg(s) => Ce(l) + MgO (unbalanced)

 

My best guess is that magnesium is more likely to work because it is a slightly stronger reducer than aluminum. You will have to do some research and see whether or not magnesium and aluminum are stronger reducers than cerium, I couldn't find out right away. If they are, then I believe this may work a little like a thermite reaction.

 

There's a thread on this already. It has some useful stuff, use the search engine.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Have any sodium metal? Otherwise, just do the same for (almost) anything: mix it with magnesium and light it on fire.

 

Magnesium is not reactive enough for cerium; I tried this with stochiometric quantities, and all I got was an odd green powder (this was white ceria, very pure, too. Not mine, though). Unfortunately, I did not have access to argon at the time, so it could be that all the cerium produced immediately burned away.

I would suggest lithium, or as you said, sodium. Potassium is overkill... but worth a shot if the others fail.

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