The Kinetics of the PbSO4/PbO2 Electrode at Low Temperatures,

Direct and alternating current potentiostatic and potentiodynamic measurements were applied to the study of lead dioxide formation in sulphuric acid at temperatures from -50C to 0C. The initial oxidation reaction kinetics were found to be controlled by two dimensional nucleation and growth, followed by diffusion through the completed surface layer. From the model and derived results, the heights of the nuclei were determined as a function of temperature and applied potential from both the linear scan voltammetry and potential-step methods, the diffusion parameters of the rate controlling step were obtained. These results permit an improved description of the sequential anodic oxidation processes.