Cobalt and molybdenum activated electrodes in foam based alkaline electrolysis cells at 150-250 °C and 40 bar

A new type of alkaline electrolysis cells with nickel foam based gas diffusion electrodes and KOH (aq) immobilized in mesoporous SrTiO3 has been developed and tested at temperatures of 150 C, 200 C and 250 C at a pressure of 40 bar. Two cells have been characterized during the 270 h long test, using impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry at an applied cell voltage of 1.5 V, 1.625 V and 1.75 V.

The performance of the electrolysis cells was improved by the addition of cobalt oxide and molybdenum oxide as nano sized electro-catalysts. At 250 C current densities of 1.1 A cm-2 and 2.3 A cm-2 were obtained at cell voltages of 1.5 V and 1.75 V, respectively.© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.