New copper-coated titanium diboride electrodes are disclosed. The copper-coated titanium diboride electrodes may be used in an aluminum electrolysis cell. In one embodiment, a method includes installing the copper-coated titanium diboride electrode in the aluminum electrolysis cell and operating the aluminum electrolysis cell. During start-up, the aluminum electrolysis cell may be preheated and a bath may be formed from a molten electrolyte. Alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) may in the added to the bath and reduced to aluminum metal. At least some of the copper film of the copper-coated titanium diboride electrode may be replaced by an aluminum film, thereby forming an aluminum-wetted titanium diboride electrode.

Disclosed is a device for efficiently recycling nickel from wastewater and a method. The device includes a housing, and an extraction unit and an electro-deposition unit which are respectively arranged inside the housing. The device is reasonable in overall structural design. An oscillating and floating component and a rotating component in an extraction cavity are used to fully and uniformly mix a solution to maximize the extraction strength. A mixing component in an electro-deposition cavity is used to accelerate ion dispersion, to better recycle nickel. The device is easy to operate, low in cost and suitable for mass promotion.

Disclosed is a device for efficiently recycling nickel from wastewater and a method. The device includes a housing, and an extraction unit and an electro-deposition unit which are respectively arranged inside the housing. The device is reasonable in overall structural design. An oscillating and floating component and a rotating component in an extraction cavity are used to fully and uniformly mix a solution to maximize the extraction strength. A mixing component in an electro-deposition cavity is used to accelerate ion dispersion, to better recycle nickel. The device is easy to operate, low in cost and suitable for mass promotion.

Layered Period Four transition metal oxide materials composed of lithium transition metal oxides and sodium transition metal oxides, in which the transition metal oxide is cobalt, manganese, nickel, or a combination of two or more thereof or provided. Also provided are electrochemical cells incorporating the layered transition metal oxides as electrode materials and methods for extracting dissolved lithium from solution using the electrochemical cells. In the materials a lithium transition metal oxide phase and a sodium transition metal oxide phase exist as separate phases connected by a transition region of intermediate composition and layer spacing to form a stable structure.

Layered Period Four transition metal oxide materials composed of lithium transition metal oxides and sodium transition metal oxides, in which the transition metal oxide is cobalt, manganese, nickel, or a combination of two or more thereof or provided. Also provided are electrochemical cells incorporating the layered transition metal oxides as electrode materials and methods for extracting dissolved lithium from solution using the electrochemical cells. In the materials a lithium transition metal oxide phase and a sodium transition metal oxide phase exist as separate phases connected by a transition region of intermediate composition and layer spacing to form a stable structure.

A method for selectively recovering a rare earth element (REE) from an alloy includes applying a potential of from -3.5 V to 0 V to an electrochemical cell comprising a anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein (i) the anode comprises an alloy comprising a REE, (ii) the cathode comprises a noble metal, and (iii) the electrolyte comprises an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt and a nonaqueous solvent. Under the applied potential, at least some of the REE is oxidatively dissolved from the anode and is electrodeposited onto the cathode to form an REE deposit.

A method for selectively recovering a rare earth element (REE) from an alloy includes applying a potential of from -3.5 V to 0 V to an electrochemical cell comprising a anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein (i) the anode comprises an alloy comprising a REE, (ii) the cathode comprises a noble metal, and (iii) the electrolyte comprises an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt and a nonaqueous solvent. Under the applied potential, at least some of the REE is oxidatively dissolved from the anode and is electrodeposited onto the cathode to form an REE deposit.

A method for preparing a filling material includes: dissolving FeCl.sub.3.Math.6H.sub.2O and an imprinted molecule in water to form a reaction solution; adding DMF to the reaction solution and stirring for dissolution; adding BDC to the reaction solution and stirring for dissolution; soaking PC into the reaction solution and stirring; and treating the reaction solution by a hydrothermal method to remove a molecule of an additive decomposition product and prepare the filling material imprinted with a casting structure of the molecule of additive decomposition product. The present invention can effectively and selectively adsorb the additive decomposition products and achieve the effects of effectively removing the additive decomposition products, preventing the decomposition products from being mixed in an electrodeposition film of the copper, realizing the uniform distribution of current on the cathode and the anode, improving the quality and preparing an electrolytic copper foil for high-frequency signal transmission.

Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe.sup.3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe.sup.3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe.sup.2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe.sup.2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe.sup.2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.

Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe.sup.3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe.sup.3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe.sup.2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe.sup.2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe.sup.2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.