AMORPHOUS ALLOY ELECTRODES FOR ANODIC-OXIDATION OF SULFITE

Amorphous Ni-valve metal alloys containing a few atomic per cent of pl atinum group elements were prepared by rapid quenching and were employ ed for electrochemical oxidation of sulfite in 0.075 M Na2B4O7 + 0.3 M H3BO3 + 1 M Na2SO3 at 30-degrees-C. Of the amorphous alloy electrodes containing ruthenium, rhodium, iridium or platinum, the platinum-cont aining electrodes showed the highest activity, which was almost the sa me as or even higher than that of the platinized platinum black electr ode. Furthermore, the combined addition of platinum and ruthenium enha nced the catalytic activity. When ruthenium was substituted for part o f the platinum, the maximum activity for amorphous Ni-40Nb-xPt-(1-x)Ru alloys was observed at about 0.8 at.% Pt.