Abstract:

In MCFC the mechanism of cathode reaction is more complex than that of anode reaction. It is very important to clarify the reaction mechanism of cathode in order to direct the selection of cathode materials. The oxide species present in molten carbonate is the key to understand the mechanism of cathode reaction. Although there have been many papers to discuss the oxide species formed at cathode, no general conclusions have been reached so far, some results even contradicted. Appleby and Nicholson stated that peroxide ion appears to be the predominant species in the Li/K eutectic, but some other researchers concluded that the dominant species is superoxide ion in this melt.