Modeling and Quantification of Electrochemical Reactions in RDE (Rotating Disk Electrode) and IRDE (Inverted Rotating Disk Electrode) Based Reactors

Whether it is for the design of a new electrochemical reactor or the optimization of an existing electrochemical process, it is of primordial importance to have the possibility to predict the behavior of a system. For example, the process of electrogalvanization of steel on an industrial scale would not be possible without knowing the main and side reactions taking place during the deposition of zinc on the metallic surface. However, understanding their mechanism is only the first point. The characteristic parameters of the reaction need to be identified and quantified in order to obtain a correct reactor design and to achieve the optimal operating conditions. Nowadays, part of the technological know-how still relies on best practice guidance, most often gained from years of experience with trial and error. Condensing those findings into empirical models may help to control some of the process parameters and make predictions of the system behavior within a small operation window. The problem, however, is that such a model acts as a black box and that a profound comprehension of the physical and electrochemical phenomena will fail to come.