Dendrite-Free Aluminum Electrodeposition from AlCl3-1-Ethyl-3-Methyl-Imidazolium Chloride Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

Abstract

A novel, dendrite-free electrorefining of aluminum scrap alloys (A360) was investigated by using a low-temperature AlCl3-1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride (EMIC) ionic liquid electrolyte on copper/aluminum cathodes. The bulk electrodeposition of aluminum was carried out at a fixed voltage of 1.5 V, temperatures 323 K to 383 K (50 °C to 110 °C), stirring rate (0 to 120 rpm), concentration (molar ratio AlCl3:EMIC = 1.25 to 2.0), and electrode surface modification (modified/unmodified). The study investigated the effect of electrode surface modification, cathode materials, temperature, stirring rate, electrolyte concentration, and deposition time on the deposit morphology of aluminum, cathode current density, and their role in production of dendrite-free aluminum deposit, which is essential for decreasing the production cost. The deposits were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was shown that electrode surface modification, cathode overpotential, and stirring rate play an important role in dendrite-free deposit. Modified electrodes and stirring (60 rpm) eliminate dendritic deposition by reducing cathode overpotential below critical overpotential (\( \eta_{\text{crt}} \approx - 0.53V \)) for dendrite formation. Pure aluminum (>99 pct) was deposited for all experiments with a current efficiency of 84 to 99 pct and energy consumption of 4.51 to 5.32 kWh/kg Al.