Electrochemical intercalation of aluminium chloride in graphite in the molten sodium chloroaluminate medium

Aluminium chloride intercalation in graphite was studied by anodic oxidation of compacted graphite (rod) and graphite powder electrodes in sodium chloroaluminate melt saturated with sodium chloride at 175 °C. The studies carried out by employing both galvanostatic and cyclic voltammetric techniques had shown that the intercalation reactions take place only beyond the chlorine evolution potential of +2.2 V vs. Al on both the electrodes. The extent of intercalation reaction was directly related to the anodic potential and probably to the amount of chlorine available on the graphite anodes. In the case of graphite powder electrode, a distinctly different redox process was observed at sub-chlorine evolution potentials and this was attributed to the adsorption of chlorine on its high surface area. This finding contradicts a report in the literature that the intercalation reactions occur at potentials below chlorine evolution in the chloroaluminate melt.