Journal of Power Sources, Vol.85, No.1, 44-48, 2000
Electrochemical characteristics of Pb-Sb alloys in sulfuric acid solutions
Lead-antimony alloys with a wide range of Sb contents, pure Pb and pure Sb were subjected to sulfuric acid solutions to elucidate their electrochemical characteristics by cyclic voltammetry and corrosion potential measurements. A corrosion test with a Pb/Sb galvanic couple was also done. For Pb-rich alpha-phase alloys (< 0.3 wt.% Sb), their electrochemical behavior was similar to that of pure Pb. On the other hand, for alpha + beta phase alloys (> 0.3 wt.% Sb) their behavior was quite different from those of alpha-phase alloys; (i) dissolution current of Sb was proportional to Sb contents; (ii) hydrogen overvoltage was decreased remarkably with increasing the Sb contents; (iii) the corrosion potential shifted and approached that of pure Sb with time. It is confirmed that the electrochemical behavior of Pb-Sb alloys is related to the electrochemical property of the individual phase involved in the internal galvanic couples formed.