DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE CATHODES FOR HYDROGEN-PRODUCTION FROM ALKALINE-SOLUTIONS

Ni-based mixed catalysts were tested as hydrogen generating cathodes in alkaline solutions. Low activation energies and low overvoltage was found on binary Ni/TiH catalysts indicating high catalytic activity. The best results under technical operating conditions were obtained on activated plasma-sprayed Raney-alloy coatings and sintered ternary Ni/B/TiH, and are rather a consequence of optimized surface structure parameters and a possible change of mechanism of the H-2-evolution reaction than of a further increase of catalytic activity.