An electrochemical and analytical characterization of surface films on AISI 316 as electrode material for pulse electrolysis of water

Pulse electrolysis of water is a highly efficient method of production of hydrogen and hydrogen/oxygen gas mixtures, sometimes called hydroxygen. In conditions of pulse electrolysis, the process rate is reported to increase in comparison to the dc regime, which poses more stringent requirements to the corrosion resistance of the electrode materials. The processes of their corrosion and degradation are expected to depend on the electrical characteristics of the pulse (nominal current/voltage, frequency, duty cycle). The aim of the present paper is to investigate the effect of pulse characteristics on the electrochemical properties of surface films formed on AISI 316 stainless steel using voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. An attempt to correlate these properties with the surface state obtained from microscopic observations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic estimations of the surface film composition is also made.