Physics-Informed Electrochemical Model of Cathodic Corrosion in Alkaline Media

Abstract

Electrochemical corrosion significantly reduces the durability of electrodes in water electrolyzers, adversely affecting hydrogen (H$_2$) production and cell efficiency. Current theoretical models inadequately assess corrosion behaviors in alkaline water electrolyzers. To address this, we developed a physics-informed electrochemical corrosion model evaluating the corrosion characteristics of cathodes in alkaline systems, accounting for factors such as exchange current density ($J_0$), redox potential ($E_0$), Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption ($\Delta G_{\rm H}$), electrolyte concentration ($C$), system pressure ($P$), and temperature ($T$). The model calculates metrics including corrosion potential ($E_{\rm corr}$), corrosion current density ($J_{\rm corr}$), and corrosion rate ($C_R$). Our findings from potentiodynamic polarization indicate that gold (Au) shows the highest durability, while copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) are promising cost-effective alternatives. This work enhances the understanding of corrosion dynamics, contributing to the design of more efficient electrolyzer cells for hydrogen production.