The electrochemical formation of Al-Cu alloys in a LiCl-KCl-AlCl3 molten salt

Abstract

An electrochemical method was developed for the formation of Al-Cu alloys. The electrodeposition of aluminum on Mo and Cu substrates was studied using cyclic voltammetry in molten LiCl-KCl-AlCl3 (2wt.%). During the cathodic scan of the cyclic voltammograms, three different Al-Cu alloys were observed before pure Al formed on the Cu substrate. The electrochemical formation processes were studied using square wave voltammetry and open circuit chronopotentiometry. The products of the different reduction processes were identified using XRD. The XRD results indicated that three different Al-Cu intermetallic compounds, Al4Cu9, AlCu, and Al2Cu, were obtained using electrochemical deposition in the molten salt system.