Solution Transformation of the Products of AC Electrochemical Metal Oxidation

Electrochemical oxidation of copper and aluminium using alternating current of industrial frequency results in the formation of non-equilibrium products. Their transformations during the ageing in sodium chloride solutions of different concentrations have been considered. According to X-Ray diffraction confirmed by TG/DSC/DTG analysis, irrespective of solution concentration, the ageing products consist of aluminium oxyhydroxide (boehmite, AlOOH), copper-aluminium carbonate hydroxide hydrate (Cu–Al/LDH) and copper chloride hydroxide (Cu2(OH)3Cl). The increase of the solution concentration leads to Cu2(OH)3Cl formation and makes difficulties for metal oxide carbonization to Cu–Al/LDH. Ageing in highly diluted solution contributes not only to Cu–Al/LDH formation but also boehmite hydration that is verified by IR-spectra. The pore structure characteristics have been also discussed. They do not significantly depend on phase composition and vary in ranges of 161.2–172.6 m2/g (specific surface areas), 0.459–0.535 cm2/g (total pore volumes). Pore size distributions reveal that a pore structure is predominantly formed by pore with the sizes from 3 to 22 nm; 3.6 nm is the size of pores with the largest pore volume.