Monitoring hydrogen absorption in Pd electrodes by means of electric and electrochemical signals

A reliable, nondestructive methodology to determine the actual hydrogen content in hydrogen storage electrodes has been developed. This methodology is based on relative electric resistance measurements, backed up by measurements of electrode potential, since both quantities are or are derived from electric signals, easy to handle and use in automatic data acquisition lines. The setup and procedure for relative resistance measurements, both under electrolysis and at open circuit conditions, will be described and discussed in terms of possible error sources and their relevant uncertainties, on the basis of the results obtained for the Pd–H system, chosen as model system. The use of electric and electrochemical signals to determine the current–potential distribution along the electrode as a function of the cell geometry and the working conditions will also be presented.