Reduction of ytterbium(III) species in alkali chloride based melts

High temperature electronic absorption spectroscopy and electrochemistry were applied to study the reduction of ytterbium(III) chloro-species in molten alkali chlorides at 823–1123 K. The melts studied included equimolar mixture of sodium and potassium chlorides and ternary eutectic mixture of sodium, potassium and cesium chlorides.