Effects of some plating variables on the electrodeposition of catalytically active nickel‐thallium alloy powders

Abstract

Abstract The electrodeposition of nickel‐thallium alloy powders was investigated from a selected bath of the composition 0.0125 NiSO 4 ·6H 2 O, 0.01 TICI, 0.10 (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , 0.10 H 3 BO 3 and 0.07 Na 2 SO 4 ·10 H 2 O (mol dm −3 ). The effects of the pH of the bath, deposition current density and deposition time on the cathodic polarisation, current efficiency and composition of the electrodeposited alloy were determined. The properties of the electrodeposits examined, as a function of the above‐mentioned variables, were surface morphology and catalytic activity towards the decomposition of 0.4% H 2 O 2 solution. It was found from this investigation that the operating variables influence to a great extent the current efficiency, composition and surface morphology of the electrodeposited alloys; and the catalytic activity is primarily controlled by the surface morphology.