Physics-Informed Electrochemical Model of Cathodic Corrosion in Alkaline Media

TL;DR

This paper introduces a physics-informed electrochemical model to evaluate cathodic corrosion in alkaline water electrolyzers, identifying durable materials and aiding the design of efficient hydrogen production systems.

Contribution

The study develops a novel electrochemical corrosion model that incorporates multiple factors, improving understanding of corrosion behavior in alkaline electrolyzer cathodes.

Findings

Gold shows the highest durability in corrosion tests.

Copper and nickel are promising cost-effective alternatives.

The model accurately predicts corrosion potential and rate.

Abstract

Electrochemical corrosion significantly reduces the durability of electrodes in water electrolyzers, adversely affecting hydrogen (H$_2$) production and cell efficiency. Current theoretical models inadequately assess corrosion behaviors in alkaline water electrolyzers. To address this, we developed a physics-informed electrochemical corrosion model evaluating the corrosion characteristics of cathodes in alkaline systems, accounting for factors such as exchange current density ($J_0$), redox potential ($E_0$), Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption ($\Delta G_{\rm H}$), electrolyte concentration ($C$), system pressure ($P$), and temperature ($T$). The model calculates metrics including corrosion potential ($E_{\rm corr}$), corrosion current density ($J_{\rm corr}$), and corrosion rate ($C_R$). Our findings from potentiodynamic polarization indicate that gold (Au) shows the highest durability, while copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) are promising cost-effective alternatives. This work enhances the understanding of corrosion dynamics, contributing to the design of more efficient electrolyzer cells for hydrogen production.