The electrochemistry of porous zinc

Abstract

Commercially amalgamated porous zinc electrodes display a behaviour that resembles that of planar zinc electrodes rather than porous zinc electrodes. The dissolution behaviour of mercury-free solid and porous zinc electrodes was examined using specially constructed rotating disc electrodes in which the bulk solution processes were separated from those within the pores. Experiments were performed under full automatic control of a benchtop microcomputer. The results show that in the absence of mercury the porous zinc behaves as an ideal semi-infinite porous electrode.