Electrode materials for the electrolysis of metal oxides

Carbon, tungsten, platinum, and iridium were examined as candidate anode materials for an electrolytic cell. The materials were pre-selected to endure high process temperatures and were characterized for inertness and high current density during electrolysis using voltammometric techniques. Inertness is viewable through current discrepancies dependent on voltage scan direction at low voltage, consumption of current by metal oxide formation, and ease of surface oxide electro-stripping. Conductivity during electrolytic oxidation is observable as current density maximization at high voltages. While carbon, tungsten, and platinum formed surface oxides, iridium remained quite inert. In addition, the voltage hold-time was found to affect the leading current density, as platinum performed best during cyclic voltammometry, but iridium performed best during potentiostatic electrolysis. The intermediate potentiodynamic scan-rate displays the transition from platinum to iridium dominated current density.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Cooper, Benjamin D

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Donald R. Sadoway.

• Materials Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35072

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/35072