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Aqueous polysulphide flow-through electrodes: Effects of electrocatalyst and electrolyte composition on performance

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Abstract

Porous electrodes are required to achieve satisfactory performance of the aqueous sulphide/polysulphide redox couple in energy conversion and storage applications. A flow cell for testing flow-through porous electrodes was constructed and operated. The effects of electrode material, temperature, flow rate, and electrolyte composition were studied. Catalytic electrode surface layers of Co and MoS2 demonstrated performances which were more than adequate to meet a design goal of 10–20 mA cm−2 at less than 50mV overpotential. Flow rate variation had only a small effect on the current density-overpotential behaviour, whereas raising the temperature and/or adding dimethylformamide to the electrolyte had much larger effects. These observations are consistent with steady-state results obtained on rotating disc electrodes.

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Abbreviations

a 0 :

Interfacial area per unit volume (cm−1)

A :

area (cm2)

d :

wire diameter (cm)

D :

diffusion coefficient (cm2s−1)

F :

Faraday (96487 C mol−1)

i :

current density (A cm−2)

L :

defined by Equation 5 (cm)

m :

mesh size (wires/cm)

m 0 :

mass transfer coefficient (cm s−1)

n :

number of electrons

Q :

volumetric flow rate (cm3 sec−1)

Re :

Reynolds number

w :

mass (g)

δ:

electrode thickness (cm)

ε:

porosity or open area ratio

μ:

viscosity (g cm−1 s−1)

ϱ:

density (g cm−3)

b:

bulk

e:

electrolyte

i :

speciesi

L:

limiting

DMF:

dimethylformamide

FEP:

fluorinated ethylenepropylene

PEC:

photoelectrochemical cell

PTFE:

polytetrafluoroethylene

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Author notes

  1. P. M. Lessner

    Present address: W. R. Grace/Chromerics, Inc., 77 Dragon Court, 01888, Woburn, MA, USA

  2. J. Winnick

    Present address: School of Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 30332, Atlanta, GA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    P. M. Lessner, F. R. McLarnon, J. Winnick & E. J. Cairns

Authors
  1. P. M. Lessner
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  2. F. R. McLarnon
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  3. J. Winnick
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  4. E. J. Cairns
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Lessner, P.M., McLarnon, F.R., Winnick, J. et al. Aqueous polysulphide flow-through electrodes: Effects of electrocatalyst and electrolyte composition on performance. J Appl Electrochem 22, 927–934 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01024141

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01024141

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