Electrochemical behavior of zirconium

Abstract

In recent years, alternating current has been widely used in various fields of chemical and electrochemical technology. When a symmetric alternating current passes through an electrochemical cell, in principle there should be no visible changes, since the product restored to the cathode half-period should be oxidized back to the anodic half-period. However, depending on the conditions of electrolysis, electrode material, etc. a purposeful course of the electrochemical process is possible. From the point of view of developing methods for the production of pure metal and its various compounds widely used in modern industry, a study on the electrochemical behavior of zirconium is of theoretical and practical interest. The paper shows the distinctive peculiarities of electrochemical processes occurring on a zirconium electrode during electrolysis by an industrial alternating current. Optimal conditions for zirconium dissolution were determined when studying the influence of current density on zirconium and titanium electrodes, the concentration and temperature of the electrolyte, the duration of electrolysis and the frequency of alternating current. The elimination of the passivation process of the zirconium electrode and the increase of the rate of the metal dissolution were shown while the polarization of zirconium by an alternating current in combination with a titanium electrode.