Studying the process of oxygen ionization on a porous metal hydride electrode

Problems that are connected with utilization of oxygen evolving during overcharge of the nickel oxide electrode in sealed nickel metal hydride batteries are considered. It is established experimentally that the rate of the process of oxygen reduction in conditions of forced gas supply into pores of a metal hydride electrode increases by two orders of magnitude as compared with the intensity of this process during natural convection. Up to 80% of evolved oxygen undergo ionization on a metal hydride electrode in these conditions even in a regime of forced (hour-long) charge of a model sealed nickel-metal hydride battery. The dependence of the current density of oxygen reduction at a metal hydride electrode on the filling of the electrode’s porous space by oxygen is estimated with the aid of manometric and potentiostatic methods. It is shown that practically all the oxygen ionization current is generated at the walls of gas-filled electrode pores, under thin electrolyte films, with a local current intensity of 1–3 mA cm^?2.