In-Sn alloy extraction through novel process for recycling of spent ITO targets

The feasibility of utilizing spent indium tin oxide (s-ITO) as an inert anode for the recovery of s-ITO targets through the electro-deoxidation was investigated, which concurrently achieved the avoidance of molten salt pollution caused by graphite anodes and maximized the utilization of resources by using the same material as the anode and cathode. Various techniques including anodic polarization and Tafel polarization were employed to evaluate the corrosion resistance and electrochemical stability of s-ITO. XRD and XPS are used to analyze the phase and valence state of the anodic materials and products, respectively. The practicability of replacing graphite anodes with s-ITO anodes was discussed in detail under identical electrolytic conditions. When using s-ITO as the anode, the carbon content and oxygen content in the electrolytic product are 31 ppm and 57 ppm, respectively, which are lower than those of graphite as the anode. Moreover, based on the results of above investigations, a cathode and anode collaborative electrolytic device was devised to maximize the utilization of resources and recovery of high-value products. The findings indicate that s-ITO has good corrosion resistance when used as an inert anode.