Zinc-electrode morphology in acid-battery electrolytes

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6606590

McBreen, J; Gannon, E

This work includes an investigation of zinc deposition from both ZnCl/sub 2/ and ZnBr/sub 2/ electrolytes. The techniques used are cyclic voltammetry, the potential step method and scanning electron microscopy. Apart from the electrolyte the variables investigated were the substrate (zinc, glassy carbon and pyrolytic graphite), fluorinated surfactants, inorganic additives (Pb/sup + +/, Br/sup + + +/) and the superimposition of square wave pulses. Results, which could be fitted to reasonable models, could only be obtained after careful attention was given to electrolyte purity, electrode surface preparation and elimination of the resistance component from the potential measurements. The complexing ion greatly affects the kinetics of zinc deposition. In pure electrolytes the nucleation overvoltage for zinc deposition on glassy carbon was approx. 12mV in 3M ZnBr/sub 2/ and approx. 17mV in 3M ZnCl/sub 2/. The kinetics were much faster in ZnBr/sub 2/ electrolytes. The growth of zinc on glassy carbon could be described by a model that assumes instantaneous nucleation of three dimensional centers and growth under kinetic control. When zinc is deposited on zinc, there is no observable nucleation overvoltage and growth occurs with the simultaneous formation of two dimensional layers and the nucleation and growth of three dimensional centers.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6606590
• Report Number(s): BNL-32190; CONF-821211-3; ON: DE83003959
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250903* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101 -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
BROMIDES
BROMINE COMPOUNDS
CARBON
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CURRENT DENSITY
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
METAL-GAS BATTERIES
METAL-NONMETAL BATTERIES
METALS
MICROSCOPY
MORPHOLOGY
NONMETALS
OVERVOLTAGE
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SUBSTRATES
VOLTAMETRY
ZINC
ZINC BROMIDES
ZINC CHLORIDES
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC HALIDES
ZINC-AIR BATTERIES
ZINC-BROMINE BATTERIES
ZINC-CHLORINE BATTERIES