The Electrochemical Behavior of Zinc in Alkaline Media

The electrochemical behavior of horizontally disposed planar zinc in 30% (6.9M) potassium hydroxide, alone and saturated with zinc oxide at 25 ~ has been investigated in a controlled manner, using both galvanostatic and po-tentiostatic techniques. The anodic characteristics have been interpreted in terms of a kinetically controlled process preceding a diffusion step. The cathodic behavior of oxidized zinc has been interpreted in terms of a complex two-state process, involving the formation of a bound zinc hydroxide, fol-lowed by a reduction of both the adsorbed species and the soluble zincate o zinc metal. Of the several sophisticated energy conversion de-vices investigated in the last two decades, there is strong evidence of the increasing predominance of rechargeable alkaline battery systems. Within this field, there is an ever-increasing interest in the use o