Electrochemical behavior of zirconium in the (NaCl-KCl-NaF- ZrO2) molten salt

Abstract

Abstract. As a refractory metal, zirconium has a wide range of applications in many fields. The method of electrode position to produce metal zirconium is more available, it is important to study the behavior of zirconium in the molten salt. The electrochemical reaction mechanism and electrocrystallization process of zirconium in the NaCl-KCl-NaF-ZrO2 molten salt were studied at 973 K by means of cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, and chronoamperometry techniques. The results show that the electrochemical reaction process of zirconium in the NaCl-KCl-NaF-ZrO2 molten salt system is a reversible process and controlled by ion diffusion rate. Zirconium ion in this system is reduced to Zr(0) in only one step and the diffusion coefficient of Zr ion in the system is 3.274×10 -5 cm 2 •s -1 . The electrocrystallization process of zirconium is an instantaneous hemispheroid three-dimensional nucleation process.