PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RARE EARTH METALS

摘要

A process for producing rare earth metals such as rare earths or alloys containing the same, which comprises electrolyzing a raw material containing rare earth carbonates as the principal ingredient in a molten-salt electrolytic bath containing rare earth fluorides, lithium fluoride and barium fluoride at a bath temperature of 750 to 950 DEG C while ajdusting the anode potential to the electrolytic potential of fluorides. This process assures long service lives of an electrolytic furnace and electrode by conducting the electrolysis at low bath temperature and permits the production of rare earth metals with a high current density and a high current efficiency while suppressing the generation of harmful fluorine-containing gas.