Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) ›› 2011, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (6): 466-472.DOI: 10.11890/1006-7191-116-466

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Electrochemical behavior of Cu in the (NaCl-KCl-CuCl) molten salt

Yungang LI1, Jie LI2, Kuai ZHANG1,3, Limin LIU1   

  1. 1. College of Metallurgy & Energy, Hebei United University, Tangshan 063009, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science & Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004,China
    3. Qinggong College, Hebei United University, Tangshan 063009, China
  • Received:2011-05-17 Revised:2011-07-28 Online:2011-12-25 Published:2011-12-22
  • Contact: Yungang LI

Abstract: The electrochemical reaction mechanism and electrocrystallization process of Cu on copper electrode in the eutectic NaCl-KCl-CuCl molten salt were investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry technique at 710 ℃. The results show that the electrochemical reaction process of Cu is a quasi-reversible process mix-controlled by Cu+ diffusion rate and electron transport rate; the electrochemical reduction mechanism is Cu++e→Cu; the electrocrystallization process of copper is an instantaneous hemispheroid three-dimensional nucleation process; the Cu+ diffusion coefficient is 4.3×10-4~cm2•s-1 under the experimental conditions.

Key words: NaCl-KCl-CuCl, Copper, Electrochemical reduction mechanism, Electrocrystallization process