Electroplating Zirconium from Low Temperature Deep Eutectic Solvents

Le résumé fourni par la source

High temperature coatings such as zirconium are highly desirable in several applications due to their high melting point, corrosion resistance, and low neutron cross section. As such these materials are commonly used in nuclear reactors and the chemical processing industry. Due to the reduction potential of zirconium typical aqueous electroplating methods are not feasible. Physical deposition methods are possible but are limited to thin coatings (1-5 mm) and difficult for complex geometries and through holes. To achieve thicker conformal coatings molten salt electroplating is commonly employed. This method requires high temperatures (600-700°C) and complex experimental set-up that can accommodate the high temperatures and exclude water and oxygen. Our team is developing low temperature (80-100°C) electroplating solvents based off deep eutectic chemistry. These solvents are low cost and low hazard. We have explored different deep eutectic solvents (DES) using choline chloride as the hydrogen bond acceptor. The hydrogen bond donor has been varied, ethylene glycol and urea are examples that have been explored. We have completed electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry) and solubility studies of multiple supporting electrolytes (LiF, LiCl, etc.) and zirconium metal salt. Preliminary electroplating results will also be presented.

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