Formation of Nd-Cd Intermetallic Compounds in LiCl-KCl

Abstract

The redox reactions of the Nd(III)/Nd(0) couple at W and Mo electrode in the presence of chloride form of Cd (i.e., CdCl₂) in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt were studied by cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry (SWV) at 500 ºC. Various anodic and cathodic peaks representing the formation and the decomposition of Nd-Cd intermetallic compounds were observed during the electrochemical measurement. The composition of Nd_xCd_y was analyzed by comparing the accumulated coulomb numbers of the anodic peaks attributed to the decomposition of Nd_xCd_y, since the amount of Cd deposited on the electrode can be evaluated. Molar absorptivity of Nd(III) ions in the LiCl-KCl eutectic melt containing CdCl₂ was determined as 11.16 ± 0.39 M^-1 cm^-1 from the absorption spectra, which was consistent with previous reports. In addition, no effect of Cd(II) on the absorbance of Nd(III) for the quantification analysis was found.