Applicability of nonaqueous electrolytes for electrolytic extraction of inclusion particles containing Zr, Ti, and Ce

The estimation of fine inclusion particles is required in order to clarify its effect on the miniaturization of steel grain. In this study, the stability of ZrO₂, Ti₂O₃, TiAl₂O₅, Ce₂O₃, and CeS particles during extraction was examined using acid, halogen-methanol, and nonaqueous electrolytes. ZrO₂, Ti₂O₃, and TiAl₂O₅ particles hardly dissolved in 4%MS (4 v/v% methylsalicylate-1 w/v% tetramethylammonium chloride-methanol) and 10%AA (10 v/v% acetylacetones-1 w/v% tetramethylammonium chloride-methanol) electrolytes, while Ce₂O₃ and CeS particles did not dissolve in a 2%TEA-Ba (2 v/v% triethanolamine-1 w/v% tetramethylammonium chloride-methanol containing 0.16-0.24 w/v% Ba) electrolyte during potentiostatic extraction. The O content of the extracted ZrO ₂, Ti₂O₃, and Ce₂O₃ inclusion particles agreed approximately with the difference between analyzed total O content and calculated equilibrium O content of the metal, and the S content of the extracted CeS inclusion particles agreed with the analyzed total S content of the metal. The Ce content of the extracted inclusion particles was in agreement with that calculated using the results of two-dimensional measurements.