Partial current

In electrochemistry, partial current is defined as the electric current associated with (anodic or cathodic) half of the electrode reaction.

Depending on the electrode half-reaction, one can distinguish two types of partial current:

The cathodic and anodic partial currents are defined by IUPAC.[1]

The partial current densities (ic and ia) are the ratios of partial currents respect to the electrode areas (Ac and Aa):

ic = Ic/Ac
ia = Ia/Aa

The sum of the cathodic partial current density ic (positive) and the anodic partial current density ia (negative) gives the net current density i:[2]

i = ic + ia

In the case of the cathodic partial current density being equal to the anodic partial current density (for example, in a corrosion process[3]), the net current density on the electrode is zero:[2]

ieq = ic,eq + ia,eq = 0

When more than one reaction occur on an electrode simultaneously, then the total electrode current can be expressed as:[1]

where the index i refers to the particular reactions.

Notes

  1. 1 2 http://goldbook.iupac.org/P04407.html
  2. 1 2 Electrochemistry Dictionary and Encyclopedia
  3. B. Elsener, Corrosion and durability of metals , p. 252.

References

See also

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