Norway In alkaline water electrolyzers many parts are made of expensive nickel-based alloys, which in some cases may be an overly conservative option. Careful evaluation of the operating conditions and new research are required to determine to which extent nickel-based alloys may be replaced by less expensive materials in parts of the system.

Electrochemical investigations have been carried out to get a deeper understanding of corrosion and film formation occurring on typical alloys used in alkaline electrolyzers. Potentiodynamic sweeps were performed on carbon steel (UNS K03014) and austenitic stainless steel (UNS S31603) in 25 wt% KOH under O2, N2 and H2 at atmospheric pressure from room temperature up to 80 °C. The gases represent the anode side, start-up/shut-in and the cathode side, respectively. Differences between the two materials and their response at the different conditions are discussed.

Subject
Electric current, Materials, Anode potential, Cathodic potential, Hydrogen evolution, Atmosphere, Oxygen, Carbon steel, Stainless steel, Electrodes, Electrode potential, Hydrogen, Oxidation
Keywords:
alkaline, corrosion, carbon steel, stainless, films
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2021
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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