Effects of carbon pretreatment for oxygen reduction in alkaline electrolyte

The effects of different media on carbon pretreatments for oxygen reduction in alkaline electrolyte without application of active electrocatalysts were examined. Low surface area Vulcan XC-72 and high surface area Ketjenblack EC-300 were subjected to aqueous acid (flouric or formic), gaseous (H2, N2 or CO2) and thermal treatments at 600 or 900 °C. Though non-scrubbed air was used, as a result of which carbonate build-up was high and peroxide concentration increased due to the electrode reaction, some of the electrodes resulted in life-tests of more than 2000 h at 65 °C, 6 M KOH with a constant load of 50 mA cm−2 and intermittent polarisations at higher current densities. BET-surface areas and pH changes of more than 60% and weight losses of up to 15% of the carbon blacks were observed after the pretreatment steps. Electrochemical characterisation of the carbons showed that pretreatment steps of the carbon blacks have a significant effect on the long-term stability and activity of the gas diffusion electrodes in alkaline electrolyte.