Investigating Sintered Zinc-Based Alloys as Economical Cathode Materials for Hydrogen Generation via Water Electrolysis

The development of cost-effective and efficient cathode materials is essential for advancing hydrogen production by water electrolysis. In this study, Zn95%M5% alloys where M represents Ni, Mn, or V (Mass%) were synthesized using a sintering method processed under ambient atmosphere at 800°C. In addition, they were characterized by XRD and SEM-EDS to analyze their structural and morphological properties as a function of material composition; hardness measurements were also tested. Experiments were carried out on a water electrolysis cell with two electrodes (cathode/anode). Therefore, the performance of the alloys was evaluated as cathodes in many various operating conditions current, voltage and temperature. Faradaic and Energy Efficiency were quantified systematically in the quest to assess their practical applicability. The results demonstrated that the Zn-V alloy displayed enhanced performance across various operating conditions, including current, voltage, and temperature. Comparative studies revealed that Zn-V alloys performed well in cost-sensitive applications while maintaining acceptable hydrogen production rates. Notably, this study makes apparent the promise of these alloys as being potentially scalable and low-cost alternatives for hydrogen production and throws light on the operational parameters essentially used to optimize electrolytic efficiency concerning the alloys for hydrogen generation.