METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE POTENTIAL OF ELECTRICALLY- FLOATING COMPONENTS OF ELECTROLYSER CELLS

摘要

A method of reducing the overvoltages for hydrogen and oxygen evolution in alkaline water electrolysers while preventing displacement o of electrically-floating cell components to a region where they are susceptible to corrosion is disclosed. The method comprises adding to the electrolyte between 0.01 and 10 gpl of vanadium ions and controlling the potential of the electrically-floating cell components so as to maintain such potential out of the region where corrosion cracking may occur by simultaneously adding between 0.1 and 20 gpl chromium ions to the electrolyte, or by using an electrical circuitry requiring no external source of power.