INITIAL STEPS OF ZINC ANODIC-DISSOLUTION IN THE PRESENCE OF POLYMERICTETRAALKYLAMMONIUM SALT

Kinetic regularities of initial steps of zinc anodic dissolution in al kaline electrolytes with additives of polymeric tetraalkylammonium sal ts (PTAS, trade names LV-4584, LV-8490) were studied. PTAS was found t o be directly involved in the elementary electrochemical act. The mech anism of the dissolution process was proposed. The mechanism involves the step of dissociative adsorption of the organic additive, which res ults in the formation of an organometallic complex of univalent zinc i n addition to blocking surface active centers. An agreement was shown between theoretical and experimental kinetic dependences with regard t o Tafel slopes and reaction orders with respect to OH- ions and the or ganic additive.