SMOOTH AND FINE ELECTRODEPOSITION OF TITA NIUM FROM LICL-KCL-TICL3 MELT

Electrodeposition of titanium from the LiCl-KCl eutectic melt containi ng TiCl3 has been studied by means of an electrochemical polarization method and scanning electron microscope. The cathodic polarization cur ves for the Ti3+ exhibited the Tafel lines having slopes of one and tw o electron transfer reactions where the former reaction corresponds to the reduction of Ti3+ to Ti2+ and the latter to that of Ti2+ to Ti. T he silver metallic films were obtained by washing the dense messy depo sits electrodeposited at -1.28 and -1.45 V using a soluble Ti anode. I t was also found that the glossy film was attributed to highly crystal line orientation of (002). The cathodic reduction for Ti3+ from LiCl-K Cl eut. containing alkali fluoride exhibited three electron reduction waves from Ti3+ to Ti at less noble potentials than that of the releva nt reaction in the LiCl-KCl eut. melt. The electrodeposited film exhib ited a plate-like ledged structure.