New Hierarchial Pb–0.6% Sb/α-PbO2/β-PbO2–CNTs(ZrO2) Composite Electrode: Enhanced Electrochemical Properties and Improved Energy Consumption Towards Zinc Electrowinning

The issue of high energy consumption in the industrial production of zinc electrodes has always been a significant concern, and the main focus of improvement is on the modification of the anode. Based on this, the study proposes to first epitaxially grow strong-binding and high-conductivity lead antimony alloy substrates α-PbO2 transition layer on Pb–0.6% Sb alloy substrate to effectively prevent substrate passivation. By preparing a β-PbO2 deposition surface layer doped with CNTs and ZrO2 to further address the issues of substrate passivation and low anode electrocatalytic activity. Thus to form a new type of Pb–0.6% Sb/α-PbO2/β-PbO2–CNTs(ZrO2) composite anode with better corrosion resistance, long service life, and high catalytic activity. Through testing, the composite anode demonstrated a low oxygen evolution overpotential of 579 mV and a low charge transfer resistance of 0.459 Ω, and demonstrated a current efficiency of 91.7% at a high current density of 500 A m−2. Besides, the energy consumption for producing one–ton cathodic zinc was calculated as 2216.9 kW h. Therefore, the research provides strategies for the study of energy consumption in zinc electrowinning and other related applications.