Electrolytes Are Ionic Liquids

The crucial difference between molten salts and molten ice lies in the values of the specific conductivity (Table 5.7). Fused salts have about 10 times greater specific conductivity than fused ice. 

The temptation to ascribe the high conductance of fused salts to conduction by electrons must be rejected. The conductivity of a molten salt is high compared to that of water but it is ten thousand times lower than that of a liquid metal, such as mercury (Table 5.8). 

Comparison of Some Properties of Water and Molten NaCI 

Salt Melting Point (K) Salt Melting Point (K) 

AlCl -l-methy 1-3-ethyl imidazalonium and similar systems room temperature 

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