The electrochemical behavior of three air cathodes for microbial electrochemical system (MES) under meter scale water pressure

• A 3 m test system was built to investigate the effect of water pressure.
• The cathodes of Pt-CC, Pt-CM, and AC-MM showed various responses under pressure.
• The AC-MM functioned stable and achieved the best water pressure tolerance.
• The mechanical properties of cathodes close related to their performance responses.

To produce cathodes with high water pressure tolerance for the practical application of microbial electrochemical system (MES), a 3-m test configuration is set up. Three kinds of cathodes, including Pt-CC (carbon cloth with platinum carbon), Pt-CM (carbon mesh with platinum carbon), and AC-MM (metal mesh with activated carbon), are investigated. The electrochemical performances of these cathodes are tested with linear sweep voltammetry under varied water pressures. Current densities of Pt-CC and Pt-CM increase with the rising water pressures till the maximum endurable water head, which are 100 cm for Pt-CC and 130 cm for Pt-CM. Yet electrochemical performances of AC-MM remained stable under the tested water pressure range from 0 to 30 KPa. The deformation of cathodes under varied water pressures causes the changes of cathode performances. The curvature degrees of cathodes relate to their mechanical properties. Elastic modulus of AC-MM is 4 ± 0.4 × 103 MPa, which is over 10 times larger than that of Pt-CM and over 60 times larger than that of Pt-CC. The best mechanical properties prevent AC-MM from the substantial deformation and the consequent lacerations and water flooding of diffusion layers.