Open-circuit-potentials of gas/electrode/YSZ boundary versus molten carbonate reference electrode at medium temperatures: II. Potential response of Au, Pt and Ni-cermet electrodes in CH4 + O2 and H2 + O2 gas mixtures

Values of open-circuit-potentials (OCP) have been determined for pairs of electrodes: Au and Pt, Ni-Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 cermet and Au, Pt and Sm_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ composite at the YSZ electrolyte, in the uniform atmospheres of xCH₄ + yO₂ + (1 − x − y)Ar gas mixtures with variable x and y coefficients, at 600 °C. The determined dependencies of OCP values on the initial gas mixture compositions have been compared with the respective dependencies calculated for equilibrium or quasi-equilibrium compositions of these gas mixtures. The OCP values for the pair of Pt and Au electrodes have been measured also in the xH₂ + yO₂ + (1 − x − y)Ar uniform gas mixtures but no distinct difference of the OCP values has been observed in this atmosphere. For some pairs of electrodes investigated in xCH₄ + yO₂ + (1 − x − y)Ar atmospheres the measured OCP values have shown differences up to ca 0.9-1.0 V. These differences were stable within large range of compositions of this gas mixture. Within this gas composition range one of the electrodes conserves the potential of oxygen electrode determined by oxygen partial pressure in the initial gas mixture and is insensitive to reaction occurring in the gas phase. These results are discussed on the basis of equilibria or some quasi-equilibria, that establish in the C-H-O gas mixture and the solid carbon deposition is considered. For a given pair of dissimilar electrodes, their selective sensibility to the electrochemical process of oxygen electrode has been confirmed. Within large range of gas mixture concentrations, in the Pt-Au electrode pair Au has shown behavior of the oxygen electrode, whereas the OCP values of the Pt electrode are within the range of hydrogen electrode, also at gas compositions corresponding to the solid carbon stability. With this pair the OCP differences of ca. 600 mV have been obtained. Among three electrodes studied the cermet Ni-Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 electrode shows the best electrocatalytic properties resulting in the OCP values following exactly the respective equilibrium dependence. In the pair Ni-Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 and Au a stable potential difference of ca. 900 mV have been established. Unexpectedly, Pt electrode in the pair with the Sm_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ composite electrode plays role of the oxygen electrode quite insensitive to other components of the equilibrated initial gas mixture. This surprising fact seems indicate that in conditions of the experiments performed the electrocatalytic behavior of the electrode depends not only of the material of this electrode but also on the properties of the second electrode in the given pairs of electrodes.