Anode contamination amounts

NH3 is another typical contaminant in PEM fuel cell anodes. Trace amounts of NH3 in a fuel cell system will cause significant fuel cell degradation [82-86]. NH3 in the fuel stream originates mainly from hydrogen production and storage, due to several causes ... 

Silver reduces the oxygen evolution potential at the anode, which reduces the rate of corrosion and decreases lead contamination of the cathode. Lead—antimony—silver alloy anodes are used for the production of thin copper foil for use in electronics. Lead—silver (2 wt %), lead—silver (1 wt %)—tin (1 wt %), and lead—antimony (6 wt %)—silver (1—2 wt %) alloys ate used as anodes in cathodic protection of steel pipes and stmctures in fresh, brackish, or seawater. The lead dioxide layer is not only conductive, but also resists decomposition in chloride environments. Silver-free alloys rapidly become passivated and scale badly in seawater. Silver is also added to the positive grids of lead—acid batteries in small amounts (0.005—0.05 wt %) to reduce the rate of corrosion. 

Cathodic protection with impressed current, aluminum or magnesium anodes does not lead to any promotion of germs in the water. There is also no multiplication of bacteria and fungi in the anode slime [32,33]. Unhygienic contamination of the water only arises if anaerobic conditions develop in the slurry deposits, giving rise to bacterial reduction of sulfate. If this is the case, HjS can be detected by smell in amounts which cannot be detected analytically or by taste. Remedial measures are dealt with in Section 20.4.2. 

It must be noted that impurities in the ionic liquids can have a profound impact on the potential limits and the corresponding electrochemical window. During the synthesis of many of the non-haloaluminate ionic liquids, residual halide and water may remain in the final product [13]. Halide ions (Cl , Br , I ) are more easily oxidized than the fluorine-containing anions used in most non-haloaluminate ionic liquids. Consequently, the observed anodic potential limit can be appreciably reduced if significant concentrations of halide ions are present. Contamination of an ionic liquid with significant amounts of water can affect both the anodic and the cathodic potential limits, as water can be both reduced and oxidized in the potential limits of many ionic liquids. Recent work by Schroder et al. demonstrated considerable reduction in both the anodic and cathodic limits of several ionic liquids upon the addition of 3 % water (by weight) [14]. For example, the electrochemical window of dry [BMIM][BF4] was found to be 4.10 V, while that for the ionic liquid with 3 % water by weight was reduced to 1.95 V. In addition to its electrochemistry, water can react with the ionic liquid components (especially anions) to produce products... 

The previous paragraph assumes that the ethanol will be dry (containing no water) and contain only very small amounts of contaminants such as chloride and sulfate ions that would greatly increase the corrosivity of ethanol. Ethanol produced for fuel purposes in the past has contained up to 5 volume percent water and ion concentrations that made it much more corrosive than pure ethanol [3.7]. For an ethanol fuel with these corrosion characteristics, it was found that aluminum and steel could be coated with cadmium, hard chromium, nickel, or anodized aluminum to make them compatible. Coatings such as zinc, lead, and phosphate were found to be inadequate to prevent corrosion [3.7]. 

The previously purified brine (anolyte), introduced into the anode compartment, diffuses through the diaphragm under the effect of the hydrostatic pressure differential, in other words the liquid levels on either side of the wall The optimal diffusion rate results from a compromise between the need for a high sodium hydroxide content in the catholyte (low- rates) and the need to limit the reverse migration of hydroxyl ions toward the anolyte (high rates). The consequences of this process (production of oxygen which contaminates the chlorine) can be controlled partly by the addition of small amounts of hydrochloric acid to the brine feed. 

Techniques such as heated vaporization atomic absorption (HVAA) and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPAS) have reduced the absolute sample size requirements to the point where gram or subgram samples can provide sufficient amounts of lead to yield nanogram/ gram sensitivity. Smaller sample sizes also provide advantages in that smaller quantities of reagents are consumed. Reduction of sample size, however, amplifies the effects of contamination. The presence of lead as an environmental contaminant complicates this problem. 

As is shown in Fig. 54 the electrons emitted from a hidden hot filament and accelerated in the electrical field are deflected by, say, 270° magnetically with this type of gun and thus focused to the evaporation material. Small amounts of evaporated material from the hot filament cannot contaminate the films. A high voltage in the range between 6 - 10 kV accelerates the electrons in the direction to the anode that is the crucible. The size of the focal spot can be varied by variation of the Wehnelt potential and in addition there is an electromagnetic X-Y sweep. The first is particularly important when metals and dielectric materials have to be evaporated in the same charge. Since the power densities of some 10 kW cm 2 required for metals would destroy most of the dielectrics, a wobble modulation of the focused beam is inadequate, and dielectric materials must be evaporated by a soft evidently defocused electron beam. The required power density is about 1 - 2 kW cm 2. 

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