Electrical Conductivity of Solid and Molten Lithium Sulfate

Abstract

The electrical conductivity of lithium sulfate has been measured over the temperature range 575—970°C. It is found that ARRHENIUS equations fit the experimental data slightly less well than empirical relations, such as ϰ= (-3.297+6.894 · 10 -3 t +0.527 · 10 -6 t 2 ) Ω -1 cm -1 for cubic Li 2 SO 4 and ϰ= (-13.639+35.204 · 10 -3 t-17.251 · 10 -6 t 2 ) Ω -1 cm -1 for molten Li 2 SO 4 (t in degr. C). Due to the similarity in transport properties between cubic Li 2 SO 4 and molten salts, comparisons with ionic melts are made in the discussion of our results. The ratio between the conductivity and the cation self-diffusion coefficient is less than required by the NERNST-EINSTEIN relation, which indicates that rotation or ring mechanisms are of importance for diffusion in cubic Li 2 SO 4 .