Journal Article

Rhenium Electrodeposition and Its Electrochemical Behavior in Molten KF-KBFsub.4-Bsub.2Osub.3-KReOsub.4

Arkhipov, Stepan P, Zaikov, Yury P, Chernyshev, Aleksandr A, Apisarov, Alexey P, Shmygalev, Aleksander S, Isakov, Andrey V

2022

Overview

The electrochemical behavior of rhenium ions in the molten KF-KBF[sub.4]-B[sub.2]O[sub.3] salt was systematically studied, and pure metallic rhenium was obtained at the cathode. The processes of rhenium ions reduction and diffusion in molten KF-KBF[sub.4]-B[sub.2]O[sub.3] were determined using cyclic voltammetry, stationary galvanostatic and polarization curves analyses. The values of diffusion coefficients were 3.15 × 10[sup.−5] cm[sup.2]/s and 4.61 × 10[sup.−5] cm[sup.2]/s for R[sub.1] and R[sub.2,] respectively. Rhenium electrodeposition was carried out at a constant potential. The process of rhenium cathode reduction in KF-KBF[sub.4]-B[sub.2]O[sub.3] at 773 K was found to be a one-step reaction Re(VII) → Re, and rhenium electrodeposition presumably occurred from two types of complex rhenium ions (KReO[sub.4] and K[sub.3]ReO[sub.5]). Both processes are quasi-reversible and controlled by diffusion. The obtained cathode deposit was analyzed by SEM, EDX, ICP-OES and XRD methods. The obtained deposit had a thread structure and rhenium was the main component.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Electrochemical reactions