Volume 36, Issue 10 e4549
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Electrical conductivity and species distribution of aluminum chloride and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid electrolytes

Md Khalid Nahian

Md Khalid Nahian

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department (MTE), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

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Ramana G. Reddy

Corresponding Author

Ramana G. Reddy

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department (MTE), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

Correspondence

Ramana G. Reddy, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department (MTE), University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 07 June 2023
Citations: 1

Abstract

Electrical conductivity (σ) of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIC) ionic liquid (IL) was investigated as a function of temperature and AlCl3 mole fraction ( X AlC l 3 ). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the electrical conductivity. Composition of AlCl3:BMIC ionic liquid was varied by changing the X AlC l 3 from 0 to 0.67. The temperature was changed from 70°C to 110°C at 10°C intervals. It was found that the electrical conductivity increases with an increase in temperature. Electrical conductivity increases with X AlC l 3 from 0 to 0.5 and then starts to decrease after X AlC l 3 = 0.5. A species concentration profile was developed based on thermodynamic model at room temperature for the IL containing BMI + , Cl , AlC l 4 , A l 2 C l 7 , A l 3 C l 10 , A l 4 C l 13 , and A l 2 C l 6 at different X AlC l 3 . The only anion species presents between 0 and 0.5 X AlC l 3 are Cl and AlC l 4 . Anions like A l 2 C l 7 , A l 3 C l 10 , A l 4 C l 13 , and A l 2 C l 6 are found at higher X AlC l 3 . A good agreement between the model and the experimental data was obtained. The variations in anion concentration, molecular structure, and cation–anion interactions are to be the causes of the changes in electrical conductivity of AlCl3:BMIC system.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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