Effect of reaction temperature on the chlorination of a Sm2O3-CeO2-C mixture

The chlorination of a Sm2O3-CeO2-C mixture with gaseous chlorine was studied by thermogravimetry (TG). The effect of the reaction temperature between 400 and 950 °C on the reaction rate was analyzed. The reaction products were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Compared to the results previously found in the individual systems, it was concluded that each oxide evolves as being an individual in the mixture. Combined with TG results along with observations done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the stoichiometries of the reactions involved were obtained. From these results, a two-stage separation method for both oxides was proposed.