Abstract
One of the most confusing definitions in electrochemistry, overpotential, is explained in this chapter. The three main sources of overpotential losses are discussed: the activation, resistive, and mass transport (concentration) losses. Each type of loss is analyzed succinctly, but clearly enough to bring the necessary understanding and point to design considerations for electrochemical cells.
Next, the complete behavior of an electrochemical cell is analyzed, revealing the critical dependence of cell voltage on current. Finally, an overall equation for voltage losses in both galvanic and electrolytic cells is presented.
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Petrovic, S. (2021). Overpotential. In: Electrochemistry Crash Course for Engineers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61562-8_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61562-8_8
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
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Online ISBN: 978-3-030-61562-8
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