Electrochemical Behavior of Zr on a Liquid Cd Electrode in LiCl–KCl Eutectic Melts

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of zirconium on a liquid cadmium electrode was studied in LiCl–KCl melts containing at 773 K. In a cyclic voltammogram of the liquid cadmium electrode, a cathodic peak was observed at around (vs ) as well as at attributed to zirconium metal deposition. Because the deposit obtained by potentiostatic electrolysis at was confirmed to be from X-ray diffraction analysis, the cathodic peak at corresponded to formation. The open-circut-potential of the liquid cadmium electrode with was measured to calculate thermodynamic properties such as relative partial molar Gibbs energies of zirconium in . The quantity of zirconium recovered in the liquid cadmium electrode by the potentiostatic electrolysis at was measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. The result indicated of the zirconium recovery efficiency, which was defined as the quantity of electricity corresponding to the recovered zirconium divided by the total quantity of passed electricity.