Preparation and electrochemical properties of soot doped lead-based composite anodes

Abstract:

In this paper, a rapid and low-cost method was suggested to fabricate carbon nanomaterials-soot particles (C_H), and lead/soot (Pb/C_H) composite anode materials were prepared by powder metallurgy and mechanical alloying techniques. Oxygen evolution of lead-based anodes was improved due to high activated surface and catalytic activity of carbon nanomaterials. C_H was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), cyclic voltammetry curve (CV) and linear scanning voltammetry curve (LSV). C_H shows a shape of many chains of nanosized with abundant carbonyl and hydroxyl groups as a excellent transfer carrier of electron and proton. The overpotential of composite anodes decreased with the conten of C_Hin lead/soot materials.The apparent exchange current density of the Pb/1.5 wt.% C_H composite anode was increased by 3 and 2 orders of magnitude compared to the pure Pb and conventional Pb/0.75 wt.% Ag anodes, respectively. The oxygen evolving overpotential of Pb/1.5 wt.% C_H composite anode was lower than that of the Pb/Ag anode and pure Pb anode by 20 mV and 133mV, respectively, under the simulated zinc electrowinning conditions, showing excellent electrocatalytic activity of oxygen evolution.