HYDROGEN ELECTRODE IN LEAD HYDROGEN STORAGE BATTERIES - INFLUENCE OF MACROSCOPIC ELECTRODE STRUCTURE ON THE ELECTRODES ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTIVITY

The investigation and development of lead-hydrogen storage batteries (LHB) is recent. They belong to the type of sealed metal-hydrogen batteries, and are based on the electrochemical system: PbO//2-H//2SO//4-H//2. The hydrogen gas electrode of these storage batteries is a new item for investigations, since it has certain special features distinguishing it from the hydrogen electrodes of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells or of other metal-hydrogen batteries. The authors point out a number of these features. It was the task of this work to select matrix materials for the LHB hydrogen electrode and to elucidate the influence of a number of structural features on its electrochemical activity. Electrodes of optimum composition have been tested in lead-hydrogen battery models with excess sulfuric acid electrolyte. The tests gave satisfactory results. Polarization comparable with that found for the lead-dioxide electrode was produced when current was drawn fromthe hydrogen electrodes.