Internal cation mobility in molten CsCl–NdCl3 system at 1073 K

CsCl–NdCl3 is the next of binary MCl–NdCl3 systems (M: alkali metal) investigated for determination of relative internal mobilities of cations (bCs, bNd) by countercurrent electromigration method (Klemm's method). The results have been presented as isotherms of internal mobilities of Cs+ and Nd3+ ions on NdCl3 equivalent fraction (yNd). It has been found that internal mobility of cesium cations is higher than neodymium ones in the entire composition range (what is typical for nonsymmetrical MCl–LnCl3 systems (M: Li, Na, K; Ln: La, Nd, Dy)) and decreases with increase of NdCl3 concentration in the melt. Generally, dependence of internal mobility of lanthanide cations in melts with alkali metal chlorides on lanthanide (i.e. its atomic number and concentration) seems strongly related to stability of chloride complex anions of lanthanides in the melt. Investigated systems may be divided into two classes. The first class includes MCl–NdCl3 systems (M: Li, Na) characterized by decrease of bNd with increase of NdCl3 concentration. The second includes KCl–LnCl3 systems (Ln: La, Nd, Dy) and presented here CsCl–NdCl3 system, and is characterized by increase of bLn with concentration of Ln3+ cation. The dependence of bNd on NdCl3 concentration at 1073 K was fitted (as for other systems) by a simple equation of the form: bLn=bLn0+a(1−yLnCl3)2, where bLn0 is the internal mobility of Ln3+ cations in pure molten LnCl3, a the difference between internal mobility of Ln3+ cations in pure molten LnCl3 and infinitely diluted LnCl3 in molten alkali metal chloride (extrapolated), and yLnCl3yLnCl3 is the equivalent fraction of LnCl3.