Abstract
In this study, branched layers formed under various conditions of the electrochemical etching of aluminum foils were observed. Tunnel clustering arose from the random distribution of high-density tunnels, greatly increasing the thickness of the branched layer; this occurred because the tunnel clustering increased the tunnel width, thereby facilitating electrolyte transport in vertical tunnels. In contrast, tunnel tapering blocked the branched tunnels generated at a certain depth. The thickened branched layer greatly reduced the foil thickness during tunnel widening, considerably reducing the surface area and the specific capacitance obtained for the etched aluminum foil.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Young People Fund of the Guangxi Science and Technology Department (No. 2018GXNSFBA050007) and the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Electrochemical and Magnetochemical Functional Materials (No. GUTQDJJ2018050).
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Peng, N., Wen, Y., Shang, W. et al. Formation and effect of the branched layer during the tunnel etching of aluminum foil. J Mater Sci 55, 1246–1255 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03979-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03979-7