Основной промышленный способ получения редкоземельных металлов электролизом расплавленных солей. В 1970-х годах мощность электролизеров с хлоридами редкоземельных элементов достигла 50 000 ампер, при этом ежегодно производилось тысячи тонн редкоземельных металлов, в основном церия, смешанного с редкоземельными металлами, за которыми следовали металлы церий, лантан, празеодим и неодим. В соответствии с системой электролиза расплавленных солей редкоземельных элементов ее можно разделить на две категории: система RCl3-KCl (NaCl), которая электролизует хлориды редкоземельных элементов; Вторая — это система RF3 LiF BaF2 (CaF2), которая электролизует оксиды редкоземельных элементов. Электролит для электролиза хлоридной системы готовят из 35-50% безводных RCl3 и KCl. Содержание примесей (%) в сырье указывается как Fe2O3.<0.07, Ca<3, Th<0.03. The electrolysis temperature is higher than the melting point of the metal, and the temperature for producing mixed rare earth metals and cerium by electrolysis is 850-900 ℃; The temperature for electrolytic production of lanthanum is 900-930 ℃; The temperature for electrolytic production of praseodymium neodymium alloy is about 950 ℃. Using a molybdenum rod as the cathode, the current density is 3-5 A/cm2. Using graphite as the anode, the current density is less than 1 ampere/cm2. The slot voltage is 8-9 volts, and the pole spacing is adjustable. The metal yield is 80-90%, and the purity is 98-99.5%. The electrolysis method can also be used to produce alloys of rare earths, aluminum, magnesium, and even transition metals. There are two methods based on their working principles: ① using liquid metals such as aluminum or magnesium as cathodes, electrolyzing Y2O3 or YCl3 in YF3 LiF or YCl3 KCl systems to reduce and precipitate Y3+on the liquid aluminum or magnesium cathode, generating Y-Al or Y-Mg alloys with yttrium content of up to 20% and 48%, respectively; ② Co precipitation of electrolytic alloy components to produce Y-Al and Y-Mg alloys. When producing Y-Al alloy by electrolysis, an electrolyte with a molar ratio of LiF: YF3=1:4 is used. Under the process conditions of electrolysis temperature of 1025 ℃ and cathode current density of 0.6 A/cm2, a mixture of Al2O3 and Y2O3 with an electrolysis content of 14-17% is electrolyzed. Y3+and Al3+are reduced and precipitated together on the cathode to form Y-Al alloy. When producing Y-Mg alloy by electrolysis, the electrolyte of YCl3-MgCl2-KCl system is used for electrolysis at 900 ℃, and Y3+and Mg2+ions are jointly reduced and precipitated on the cathode to form Y-Mg alloy.