INVESTIGATING THE ELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF LEAD DIOXIDE ELECTRODES

Abstract

Insoluable anodes having an insoluable layer of lead dioxide are used both in chemical sources of electrical energy, in galvanic production and other electerochemical processes. Matal-oxide anodes have a electrochemical synthesis of chemicals. The addition, the mechanism of important electrode processes involving the usage of oxides is not fully studied. There are numerous publications in the sphere of the processes with the lead dioxide electrodes.

Recently ideas on the structure of oxide/electrolyte boundary have been developed. Lead dioxide anodes are quite cheap alternatives to platinium electrodes, especially in the production of chemicals such as chlorates and perchlorates. Such electrodes have a high resistance to corrosion, and have a number of advantages, since the electrolyte does not contain products of corrosion at the end of the operation. This makes it easy to purify electrolytes that do not contain colloidal residuals of corrosion. Over years various methods of preparation of lead oxide electrodes have been developed. Lead oxide electrodes are rather fragile and have low mechanical strength. That is why, different methods are often used for electroplating lead dioxide on an electroconducting base (for instance graphite or a metal) in order to provide a high electrical conductivity. The strength of the electroconductive base and the chemical stability of the working environment are increasing when titanium, neobium or tantal are used instead of graphite. If, during operation, the layer of lead dioxide wears down, it can be supplemented by anode oxidation of lead from lead nitrate solution.