Influence of High Voltage Needle Electrode Material on Hydrogen Peroxide Formation and Electrode Erosion in a Hybrid Gas–Liquid Series Electrical Discharge Reactor

Formation rates of hydrogen peroxide and electrode erosion rates for a range of different electrode materials were determined in a gas–liquid pulsed electrical discharge reactor with a high voltage electrode needle in the liquid and a ground electrode suspended in the gas over the liquid. It was found that the H₂O₂ formation rates and efficiencies did not depend on the electrode material. Electrode erosion from lowest to highest followed the series: nickel chromium, thoriated tungsten, diamond-coated tungsten, stainless steel, tungsten carbide and tungsten copper alloy. Smooth crater-like morphology was found for nickel chromium, titanium and tungsten carbide and a much finer surface structure with small protrusions for the tungsten, tungsten copper and the copper. Doubling the electrode diameter lead to an increase in the H₂O₂ formation per eroded length by a factor of three but it also decreased the energy efficiency yield of H₂O₂ by more than 20%.