Peculiarities of Hydrogen-Oxygen Mixture Ionization at Platinum Electrodes

Polarization curves at platinum electrodes are measured in acid and alkaline solutions saturated with hydrogen, oxygen, and their mixture, under the condition of the controlled solution agitation. It is shown that the current of the gaseous mixture ionization differs markedly of that expected according to the principle of the currents' additivity. The non-fulfillment of the currents' additivity is observed even in the region of the limiting currents of hydrogen electrooxidation and oxygen electroreduction measured in the gases' individual solutions. Possible reasons for the described behavior of the oxygen-hydrogen mixture at platinum electrode are analyzed. It was concluded that the oxygen reduction is hindered when hydrogen is present in the solution.