Electrochemical behavior of Ce(III) in LiF-BaF2 melts

The electrochemical behavior of Ce(III) was investigated in the molten LiF-BaF2 (81 mol.%-19 mol.%) on a molybdenum electrode in the temperature range of 1098-1188 K using cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. It was observed that CeF3 could be reduced into cerium metal in a reversible one-step process exchanging three electrons (Ce(III)+3e -> Ce(0)) at the operating temperatures on a molybdenum cathode. The electrochemical reduction process was controlled by the diffusion of Ce(III) in the solution. The Ce(III) diffusion coefficients were calculated at different temperatures and the values obeyed the Arrhenius law with an activation energy of 87.5 kJ/mol.