LiCl-KCl

Lithium hydride is perhaps the most usehil of the other metal hydrides. The principal limitation is poor solubiUty, which essentially limits reaction media to such solvents as dioxane and dibutyl ether. Sodium hydride, which is too insoluble to function efficiently in solvents, is an effective reducing agent for the production of silane when dissolved in a LiCl—KCl eutectic at 348°C (63—65). Magnesium hydride has also been shown to be effective in the reduction of chloro- and fluorosilanes in solvent systems (66) and eutectic melts (67). 

Lithium. Several processes for lithium [7439-93-2], Li, metal production have been developed. The Downs cell with LiCl—KCl electrolyte produces lithium ia much the same manner as sodium is produced. Lithium metal or lithium—aluminum alloy can be produced from a mixture of fused chloride salts (108). Granular Li metal has been produced electrochemically from lithium salts ia organic solvents (109) (see LiTHlUM AND LITHIUM compounds). 

Fig. 5.25. The shock temperature in LiCl KCl electrolytes is controlled with the use of eleetrolytes with initial densities as shown. The cirele represents the shock conditions. Upon release of pressure the final temperature is expected to cross the melt eurve for certain initial conditions.

In 1963, Major (Dr.) Lowell A. King (Figure 1.1) at the U.S. Air Force Academy initiated a research project aimed at finding a replacement for the LiCl/KCl molten salt electrolyte used in thermal batteries. 

A series of experiments have been undertaken to evaluate the relevant thermodynamic properties of a number of binary lithium alloy systems. The early work was directed towards determination of their behavior at about 400 °C because of interest in their potential use as components in molten salt batteries operating in that general temperature range. Data for a number of binary lithium alloy systems at about 400 °C are presented in Table 1. These were mostly obtained by the use of an experimental arrangement employing the LiCl-KCl eutectic molten salt as a lithiumconducting electrolyte. 

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