Kinetic and Thermodynamic Properties of Ytterbium Chloride and Fluoride Complexes in Chloride Melts

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of trichloride ytterbium in NaCl-KCl, KCl, and CsCl melts was studied in the temperature range 973–1173 K by different electrochemical methods. The diffusion coefficients (D) of Yb(III) and Yb(II) were determined by linear sweep voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry methods. The standard rate constants of charge transfer (k s) for the Yb(III)/Yb(II) redox couple were calculated on the basis of cyclic voltammetry data using Nicholson’s equation. The formal redox potentials E * Yb(III)/Yb(II) in alkali chloride melts were obtained by the cyclic voltammetry and the Gibbs free energy for the reaction: YbCl2(sol.) + 1/2 Cl2(g.) ↔YbCl3(sol.) in alkali chloride melts was calculated. The electrochemical behavior of the Yb(III)/Yb(II) redox couple in the NaCl-KCl- NaF (5 wt%) melt was studied. A comparative analysis of electrochemical behavior of ytterbium chloride complexes in the NaCl-KCl melt and ytterbium fluoride complexes in the NaCl-KCl- NaF (5 wt%) melt was performed. It was shown that the formation of the stronger fluoride complexes reduced diffusion coefficients, standard rate constants of charge transfer for the Yb(III)/Yb(II) redox couple, and shifted the formal standard redox potentials to more electronegative values.