Electrochemical Phase Formation of Metals and Alloys at Chemically Identical Solid or Liquid Cathode: Part 3. Alloys in the Form of Intermetallic Compounds

Abstract

In order to provide further evidence on the existence of the phenomenon of electro-chemical phase formation in metals and alloys via a supercooled liquid state stage, a set of experiments were carried out to reveal the predicted structural features in alloys during electrochemical phase formation at chemically identical solid or liquid cathode. In the third part of the research, the results of the precision X-ray phase analysis for the interface between an electrodepositing alloy in the form of intermetallic compounds and a cathode of Wood’s alloy that persisted in either a solid or a liquid condition are discussed. The phenomenon in question was proved by the following experimental results: (1) alloys electrodepositing as intermetallic compounds at a solid metallic cathode showed formation of intermetallics involving components of the depositing alloy and, in parallel, cathode elements and alloy components; (2) on replacing a solid cathode with a chemically identical liquid one for alloys electrodepositing as intermetallic compounds, occurrence of additional intermetallics enriched in the major alloy component and cathode elements was observed.