Investigation of Electrochemical Properties of Elemental Sulfur Dissolved in Alkaline Solution on Rhodium Electrode

Abstract

In this article, the electrochemical properties of elemental sulfur dissolved in alkaline solution has been studied for the first time using the method of removing the anodic and anodic-cathodic potentiodynamic polarization curves on rhodium electrodes. The influences of different parameters for oxidation process of elemental sulfur, namely sulfur component in electrolyte concentration, scan rate and temperature were investigated. The resulting polarogram presented in oxidation reaction of polysulfide ions to elemental sulfur process. This shows that polysulfide-ions in electrolyte at cathodic polarization was restored to monosulfide, and monosulfide –ions oxidized to elemental sulfur. The effective activation energy was calculated which equals 13,67 Kj/mol, indicating the oxidation reaction of sulfur occurred in diffusion mode.