The electrochemical dissolution of molybdenum in non-aqueous media

Electrochemical dissolution of molybdenum in 1.0 M solution of ammonium nitrate in liquid ammonia at -35 degrees C was investigated. The electrolyte has good conductivity and it showed corrosive ability to great extent. The galvanostatic method was used to investigate the anodic dissolution of molybdenum in NH4NO3/NH3 system with a cell potential difference of +4.0 V. The dissolution efficiency of 79% was noted, while electrodeposition efficiency of molybdenum at parent cathode went up to 76%. No new molybdenum salt was added to the solution; only the dissolved molybdenum was redeposited on parent cathode. Later the residue left was analyzed for possible molybdenum complex and XRF analysis showed the presence of molybdenum in the residue. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate kinetic parameters of Mo in NH4NO3/NH3 system. Electrochemical behavior of molybdenum in 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium/trifluoromethansulfonat was also investigated and it was noticed that molybdenum dissolves in NH4NO3/NH3 system at faster rates. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.