Evaluation of the diffusion coefficient of fluorine during the electropolishing of niobium

Abstract

Future accelerators require unprecedented cavity performance, which is strongly influenced by interior surface nanosmoothness. Electropolishing (EP) is the technique of choice being developed for high-field superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. Previous study has shown that the mechanism of Nb electropolishing proceeds by formation and dissolution of a compact salt film under fluorine diffusion-limited mass transport control. We pursue an improved understanding of the microscopic conditions required for optimum surface finishing. The viscosity of the standard electrolyte has been measured using a commercial viscometer, and the diffusion coefficient of fluorine was derived at a variety of temperatures from 0 to 50°C using a Nb rotating disk electrode. In addition, data indicate that electrode kinetics becomes competitive with the mass transfer current limitation and increases dramatically with temperature. These findings are expected to guide the optimization of EP process parameters for achieving controlled, reproducible, and uniform nanosmooth surface finishing of SRF cavities. © 2010 The American Physical Society.