Investigation on viscosity of electrolysis system for preparing Al-Cu-Y alloy via molten salt electrolysis

The viscosity of electrolyte of Na₃AlF₆-AlF₃-LiF-MgF₂-Al₂O₃-CuO-Y₂O₃ eutectic system, which is used to prepare Al-Cu-Y alloy via molten salt electrolysis, was determined by rotation method in the temperature range of 900~1 000℃.The relationship between temperature, molten salt composition and viscosity was determined by analyzing the viscosity data of molten salt at different temperatures and in different contents of Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃ and CuO. The results showed that the viscosity decreased with the increase of temperature in the range of 900~1 000℃, but it increased with the rise in the content of Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃ and CuO. The variation of viscosity(η) with temperature(T) and oxide content (W_Al2O3、W_Y2O3、W_CuO) was coincided with the regression equation: η=0.075-6.49×10^-5T+3.7×10^-4W_Al2O3+5.73×10^-4W_Y2O3+6.78×10^-4W_CuO.