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Isotope effects in electrolytic formation of lithium amalgam.

1986; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 23; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3327/jnst.23.330

1881-1248

Makoto Fujie, Yasuhiko Fujii, Masao Nomura, Makoto Okamoto,

Hydrogen Storage and Materials

Abstract Isotope effects in the lithium amalgam formation were studied by using the mercury cathode and LiOH solutions. The electrolyses were carried out at different conditions of both applied voltages 4–10 V, and the concentrations of initially charged LiOH, 0.5–5 mol/dm3. Higher efficiency of electrolytic amalgam formation was observed at higher LiOH concentrations and higher applied voltages. At these conditions, however, significant amount of solid amalgam was produced in the mercury phase. From the isotopic analyses on the samples taken during the electrolyses, it was found that the isotopic equilibrium was attained between the aqueous and the liquid amalgam phases. The isotopic equilibrium constant (isotope separation factor) was determined as 1.056 (average value for all the experiments) at 20°C. KEYWORDS: amalgamelectrolysisisotope effectsisotope separationisotopic exchangelithium hydroxidelithium isotopesisotope separation factorisotopic ratiolithium