A Comparative Study of Lead Alloy Electrode and CF/β-PbO2 Electrode for Zinc Electrowinning

A comparative study of lead alloy electrode and carbon fibers based β-PbO2 (CF/β-PbO2) electrode for zinc electrowinning was discussed. The effect of electrodeposition time on the preparation and properties of the CF/β-PbO2 electrode was firstly studied. Surface morphology, interface properties, electrochemical property and corrosion resistance of the CF/β-PbO2 electrodes were investigated. It was found that the optimal conditions are 40 mA·cm−2, 150 g L−1 Pb(NO3)2 and 100 min. Under this conditions, a smooothest surface of β-PbO2 active layer is obtained. The weightlessness rate is 0.22%. The interface resistivity of the electrode is 6.79 × 10−5 Ω·m. The oxygen evolution overpotentials of the electrode is 0.931 V. Compared to the traditional lead alloy electrode, the self-corrosion potential of the CF/β-PbO2 electrode is 1.085 V.