Preparation and Properties of the Semi-Hydrophobic Hydrogen Diffusion Electrode

The samples of tungsten carbide were prepared from the blue tungsten trioxide and the ammonium paratungstate Separately. The catalytic layer of the hydrogen diffusion electrode was fabricated by mixing the polytetrafluoroethylene emulsion with WC and pressed under pressure with hydrophobic layer to form the porous electrode. The voltammetric behavior of the electrode in 4mol HCl/(kg H_2O) solution was examined in both anodic and cathodic direction in the weakly polarized region. In the moderately polarized anodic region there were two Tafel regions. The slope of the latter Tafel region was twice the slope of the former. The polarization behaviors of the electrode at various current densities were studied and compared with the results predicted by the theory of the plate-like model of thin layers of the gas diffusion electrode. The prepared WC was identified to be hexagonal crystal of a-WC by X-ray powder diffraction method.