Molten salts layer

Rapp and Goto pointed out that in order to sustain the dissolution reaction a solubility gradient must be present in the molten salt layer. Thus oxide can dissolve at the oxide/melt interface, migrate down a concentration gradient to a site of lower solubility where precipitation occurs this is... 

Figure 44 Schematic diagram showing the thermocapillary motion and circulation flows in the molten salt layer on the turbine blade [68].

The electrorefining of many metals can be carried out using molten salt electrolytes, but these processes are usually expensive and have found Httie commercial use in spite of possible technical advantages. The only appHcation on an industrial scale is the electrorefining of aluminum by the three-layer process. The density of the molten salt electrolyte is adjusted so that a pure molten aluminum cathode floats on the electrolyte, which in turn floats on the impure anode consisting of a molten copper—aluminum alloy. The process is used to manufacture high purity aluminum. 

It was quite recently reported that La can be electrodeposited from chloroaluminate ionic liquids [25]. Whereas only AlLa alloys can be obtained from the pure liquid, the addition of excess LiCl and small quantities of thionyl chloride (SOCI2) to a LaCl3-sat-urated melt allows the deposition of elemental La, but the electrodissolution seems to be somewhat Idnetically hindered. This result could perhaps be interesting for coating purposes, as elemental La can normally only be deposited in high-temperature molten salts, which require much more difficult experimental or technical conditions. Furthermore, La and Ce electrodeposition would be important, as their oxides have interesting catalytic activity as, for instance, oxidation catalysts. A controlled deposition of thin metal layers followed by selective oxidation could perhaps produce cat-alytically active thin layers interesting for fuel cells or waste gas treatment. 

It has been established that salts can deposit or form on metals during gas-metal reactions. Molten layers could then develop at high operating temperatures. Consequently, the laboratory testing of corrosion resistance in molten salts could yield valuable results for evaluating resistance to some high-temperature gaseous environments. 

For obtaining internal or external mobilities, the corresponding transport numbers are usually measured. There are several methods for determining transport numbers in molten salts that is, the Kleimn method (countercurrent electromigration method or column method), the Hittorf method (disk method), the zone electromigration method (layer method), the emf method, and the moving boundary method. These are described in a comprehensive review. ... 

There is difficulty in defining the absolute mobilities of the constituent ions in a molten salt, since it does not contain fixed particles that could serve as a coordinate reference. Experimental means for measuring external transport numbers or external mobilities are scarce, although the zone electromigration method (layer method) and the improved Hittorf method may be used. In addition, external mobilities in molten salts cannot be easily calculated, even from molecular dynamics simulation. 

Kato et al. have used electric stepwise heating of a thin metal layer to measure thermal diffusivity of molten salts. The ratio of the temperatures with time and 2/i at distance x below tlie heating plate was evaluated as a function of the Fourier number ... 

A modified superheat theory was proposed by Shick to explain molten salt (smelt)-water thermal explosions in the paper industry (see Section IV). (Smelt temperatures are also above the critical point of water.) In Shick s concept, at the interface, salt difiuses into water and water into the salt to form a continuous concentration gradient between the salt and water phases. In addition, it was hypothesized that the salt solution on the water side had a significantly higher superheat-limit temperature and pressure than pure water. Thicker, hotter saltwater films could then be formed before the layer underwent homogeneous nucleation to form vapor. 

One experiment which does not seem to fit into the network of the salt-gradient theory was that of Wright and Humberstone (1966), who impacted water on molten aluminum and obtained explosions. These results are at variance with those of Anderson and Armstrong, but the latter worked at 1 bar whereas the former used a vacuum environment. It might be possible that, under vacuum, it is much easier to achieve intimate contact between the aluminum and water and, under these conditions, there may be sufficient reaction between the aluminum and water to allow soluble aluminum salts to form. This salt layer could then form the superheated liquid which is heated to the homogeneous nucleation temperature and explodes. 

Formation of several successive layers of bulk intermetallic compounds has been shown. Also, Lee et al. [480] have detected, during Al UPD, the formation of two alloys on polycrystalline Au electrodes from acidic l-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloroaluminate that melt at room temperature. Moreover, in the Al UPD region, fast phase transition between these two intermetallic compounds has been evidenced. Later, the same group of researchers [481] has performed EQCM studies on Al deposition and alloy formation on Au(lll) in ambient temperature molten salts/benzene mixtures. 

England et al. (1983) have shown that a variety of metal oxides having layered, tunnel or close-packed structures can be ion-exchanged in aqueous solutions or molten salt media to produce new phases. Typical examples are ... 

The organic molten salt mesophases I referred to are ordered liquid crystals with strong electrostatic constraints between the layers. 

It is usual to operate an aqueous-medium fuel cell under pressure at temperatures well in excess of the normal boiling point, as this gives higher reactant activities and lower kinetic barriers (overpotential and reactant diffusion rates). An alternative to reliance on catalytic reduction of overpotential is use of molten salt or solid electrolytes that can operate at much higher temperatures than can be reached with aqueous cells. The ultimate limitations of any fuel cell are the thermal and electrochemical stabilities of the electrode materials. Metals tend to dissolve in the electrolyte or to form electrically insulating oxide layers on the anode. Platinum is a good choice for aqueous acidic media, but it is expensive and subject to poisoning. 

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