COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTIVITY OF TITANIUM SILICIDE IN HYDROGEN EVOLUTION REACTION

Abstract

The phase composition and structure of titanium silicide have been investigated by X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectral microanalysis methods. It has been found that the investigated silicide is a single-phase system consisting of a high-temperature TiSi2 modification with a rhombic face-centered lattice. The cathodic behavior of the TiSi2 electrode has been studied by the methods of polarization and capacitance measurements. It has been found that the cathodic potentiostatic curves of silicide in solutions of 0,5 M H2SO4; 0,5 M H2SO4 + 0,005 M NaF and 1,0 M NaOH have Tafel sections with slopes of 0,120; 0,097 and 0,109 V and they are characterized by the values of the hydrogen evolution overvoltage 0,90; 0,64 and 0,74 V (at i = 1 A/cm2), respectively. Titanium disilicide in sulfuric acid solution belongs to materials with a high overvoltage of hydrogen evolution, but in a fluoride-containing sulfuric acid solution and in an alkaline solution - to materials with a low overvoltage of hydrogen evolution. Based on measurements of the differential capacitance of the TiSi2 electrode (at f = 10 kHz), it has been concluded that a thin silicon dioxide film (Si + 2H2O → SiO2 + 4H+ + 4e–) is present on the surface of the silicide in the acidic fluoride-free electrolyte.