Improving Mass Transport of Titanium Hollow Fibre Electrodes through Gas Flow Stimulated Hydrodynamics

Abstract

Hollow fiber electrodes, also known as porous tube electrodes, creatively address common gas related challenges in electrochemistry. By purging gas through the electrode wall an intense three phase contact can be established along the entire electrode-electrolyte interface. The electrochemical behavior of the hollow fiber electrode has been hypothesized based on the CO2 reduction reaction on a copper hollow fiber electrode 1. It was however not studied to any significant extent. The electrochemical behavior of the hollow fiber electrode and it’s relevant parameters have now been clarified and studied in more detail.In this study highly conductive titanium hollow fiber electrodes are used, since it is an attractive base electrode material for a great variety of electrochemical applications 2. These titanium based hollow fibers have an electrical resistivity (4.1-9.6 μΩ·m) 3 that is orders of magnitude lower than those previously reported in literature 4. This results from utilization of the two-step thermal decomposition of the polymer, which is required for the construction of an inorganic hollow fiber in a dry-wet spinning process 3.The investigation of platinum electrodeposition onto titanium hollow fiber electrodes with different flow rates has proven exceptionally insightful with regard to understanding the electrochemical behavior of the hollow fiber electrodes. The effect of volumetric gas flow rate on the resulting platinum deposit is visualized through the platinum electrochemical surface area and SEM images (Figure 1). Looking beyond the volumetric gas flow rate it is found that the exerted pressure and the pore size distribution relate to the area depended flow rate and bubble frequency at a pore, which affect the platinum distribution. In order to deconvolute the mass transfer during the platinum electrodeposition process, the hydrogen evolution reaction and an Fe2+/3+-redox couple have been investigated. These experiments isolate mass transport as an electrical current response to flow rate in the cases of gas evolution and electron transfer in solution respectively. By drawing on analogues with the proven methods of porometry and rotating disk electrodes it was found that many aspects of the electrochemical behavior of hollow fiber electrodes can be explained. The Young-Laplace equation helps in matching pressure fluctuation to the chemical state of the electrode surface and following the principles of the Koutecký-Levich equation it is possible to describe the current changes resulting from gas flow rate. Kas, et al. (2016). Nat. Commun., 7. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10748Devilliers & E. Mahé. (2007). Trends in Electrochemistry Research., 1. ISBN: 1-59454-457-3P. H. Jong, et al. (2020). To be submitted. David, et al. (2014). J. Membr. Sci., 139. DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2014.03.010 Figure 1