Surface of AISI 316 as Electrode Material for Water Electrolysis Under Potassium Hydroxide for Hybrid Car Application

Abstract

This study is to evaluate the surface of AISI 316 as an electrode material for water electrolysis under various potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte concentrations. In the experimental method, AIS316 electrode and KOH solution put into the water electrolysis system. The electrolysis system was combined with the hybrid car engine system that consumed a combination of hydrogen and gasoline as the fuel source. KOH solution concentration was varied from 0 to 0.53M, which was then used to evaluate the surface of AISI 316 electrode as well as hybrid car performances. The experimental results showed that electrolyte solution concentration is an important parameter to maintain high-efficiency hydrogen generation. The more KOH added it gave benefits for creating the more hydrogen gas. However, it brought problems in the electrode surface corrosion. The optimum condition to get more hydrogen gas but with less corrosion damage was obtained when performing the process with 0.40 M of KOH. Indeed, the result also found that the more hydrogen gas being produced has a direct correlation to the reduction of fuel consumption and exhaust gas emission (e.g., CO₂, CO, and NO_x).