Fuel-cell applied research: electrocatalysis and materials. Quarterly report, January 1-March 31, 1980

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6541767· OSTI ID:6541767

Srinivasan, S.; Isaacs, H. S.; McBreen, J.; O'Grady, W. E.; Olender, H.; Olmer, L. J.; Kordesch, K. V.

Research on phosphoric acid-electrolyte fuel cells and high-temperature solid-electrolyte fuel cells is reported. The corrosion behavior of five Cabot Corporation furnace black carbon supports for platinum electrocatalysts in phosphoric acid was evaluated using a cyclic voltammetric technique. The electrode kinetic studies of the hydrogen oxidation and the oxygen reduction reactions on smooth platinum in phosphoric acid, previously used as the electrolyte in an Energy Research Corporation fuel cell, revealed that the entire decrease in performance of a fuel cell in this impure electrolyte, as compared with fresh phosphoric acid at operating temperatures above 160/sup 0/C, is entirely due to the impurity. A mathematical model which describes the slow oxygen adsorption step was compared with the experimental polarization and impedance results of uncontaminated platinum electrodes in contact with yttria-stabilized-zirconia electrolytes. Attempts to explain discrepancies were made by assuming that the adsorption of oxygen followed a Langmuir and then a Frumkin adsorption isotherm. It was concluded that a site variation occurred on the electrode surface when potentials were varied in the cathodic region. Investigations of gold electrodes in reducing environments have shown that the polarization behavior is similar to that of platinum. The direct relationship between the limiting current for H/sub 2/ oxidation and P/sub H2O/P/sub H2/ indicates the presence of a slow chemical step involving H/sub 2/. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6541767
• Report Number(s): BNL-51319
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300503* -- Fuel Cells-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
300505 -- Fuel Cells-- Electrochemistry
Mass Transfer & Thermodynamics
ACID ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS
CATALYST SUPPORTS
CATALYSTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CORROSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
ELEMENTS
FUEL CELLS
HIGH-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELLS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
KINETICS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLATINUM METALS
REACTION KINETICS
SORPTION
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS