POTENTIOSTATIC CURRENT-POTENTIAL MEASUREMENTS ON IRON AND PLATINUM ELECTRODES IN HIGH-PURITY CLOSED ALKALINE SYSTEMS
Abstract
Potentiostatic polarization curves were determined for Fe, Pt, and combinations of Fe and Pt electrodes in NaOH and LiOH solutions saturated with helium. With the high-purity, gastight system used, the level of reactable impurities was reduced to about 0.000001 ppm. Under these conditions the primary reactions are, depending on potential, the oxidation or reduction of OH(-) and water. Iron does not significantly corrode or show a decrease in reaction rate with an increase in potential (passivate). Iron acts like an inert noble metal similar to platinum. Chloride ion causes extensive iron corrosion, completely changes the potentiostatic polarization behavior, and does cause typical passive behavior. Under high-purity conditions, iron is an excellent catalyst for the hydrogen oxidation reaction; the presence of chloride ion, however, almost completely destroys the catalytic properties of Fe for this reaction. Unreactable and unremovable impurities such as carbonates, silicates, sulfates, apparently do not have major effects on the polarization behavior of Fe. The major anion, OH(-), appears to dominate the inert anion effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 26, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0676734
Entities
People
- Clarence M. Shepherd
- Sigmund Schuldiner
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory