Cementation of copper on aluminum in alkaline solutions

Cementation of copper onto aluminum is a galvanic process resulting from the dissolution of aluminum metal in alkaline media. The kinetics of cementation of copper onto aluminum in alkaline solutions has been investigated using powder and flat substrates. The results show that this process follows a first-order reaction rate. The rate of the reaction is found to increase with an increase in NaOH concentration. No significant differences are found between flat and powder substrates, however, the results suggest a strong influence of surface area on the reaction rate. X-ray diffraction and xray fluorescence methods show that the cemented product is pure copper. Scanning electron microscopy photographs show that the cemented Cu has a bulbous (botryoidal) type of structure.