Electrochemical Polishing Applications and EIS of a Novel Choline Chloride-Based Ionic Liquid

Minimal surface roughness is a critical feature for high-field superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities used to engineer particle accelerators. Current methods for polishing Niobium cavities typically utilize solutions containing a mixture of concentrated sulfuric and hydrofluoric acid. Polish...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ECS Transactions 2013-03, Vol.50 (11), p.199-202
Main Authors: Wixtrom, Alex Ian, Buhler, Jessica E., Reece, Charles E., Abdel-Fattah, Tarek M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
MATERIALS SCIENCE
PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
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Summary:Minimal surface roughness is a critical feature for high-field superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities used to engineer particle accelerators. Current methods for polishing Niobium cavities typically utilize solutions containing a mixture of concentrated sulfuric and hydrofluoric acid. Polishing processes such as these are effective, yet there are many hazards and costs associated with the use (and safe disposal) of the concentrated acid solutions. An alternative method for electrochemical polishing of the cavities was explored using a novel ionic liquid solution containing choline chloride. Potentiostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to analyze the ionic polishing solution. Final surface roughness of the Nb was found to be comparable to that of the acid-polishing method, as assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). This indicates that ionic liquid-based electrochemical polishing of Nb is a viable replacement for acid-based methods for preparation of SRF cavities.
ISSN:1938-5862
1938-6737
DOI:10.1149/05011.0199ecst