Template-free preparation of spherical Al particles in aluminum chloride and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid

Abstract

A template-free electrochemical deposition method for preparation of spherical-like Al particles in the aluminum chloride and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AlCl3–[Bmim]Cl) system was reported in this work. Effects of current density, electrodeposition time, and temperature on surface morphologies of Al deposits were studied. Results showed that Al particles displayed uniform spherical-like morphology with the diameter range of 5–40 μm. Al particles presented irregular pie shaped with sizes ranged from 70 to 80 μm at low current densities of 2 and 10 mAcm−2. When the current density increased from 20 to 40 mAcm−2, particles tended to be spherical-like with sizes ranged from 10 to 20 μm. The particle size of deposits decreased with increasing current density on the same total amount of electric charges of 200 C due to the more compact arrangement of particles at high current density. The highest current efficiency reached at about 94%. Al particles were prepared at the current density of 40 mAcm−2 for a period time of 1000 s, 50 °C. The results of EDS analysis showed that the contents of the deposition were oxygen 5.79 wt.% and aluminum 94.21 wt.%. Almost spherical electrodeposition products about 50 g composed with pure metallic Al were obtained successfully in an amplified experiment finally.