ELECTRODE COMPARISON
INFORMATIONALOur NiCo Electrode and Raney Nickel
Both options are based on nickel. The structures and production routes are different. This page lays out the factual differences without making numeric performance claims about Raney nickel formulations.
Our electrode polarization
TESTBEDOur electrode in numbers
HER overpotential
@ 100 mA/cm² (no IR)
OER overpotential
@ 100 mA/cm² (no IR)
Cell @ 0.5 A/cm², 60 °C
91.4% efficiency
1000-hour drift
@ 0.5 A/cm² / 40 °C
All measured in a 5 cm² AEM cell, 30 wt% KOH, zero-gap, commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm).
Side-by-side: our electrode and Raney Nickel Electrodes
Factual differentiation only. No fabricated numeric claims about alternatives; consult their vendor data for performance comparison.
| Parameter | Our electrode | Raney Nickel Electrodes | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active material | Bi-metallic NiCo coating | Porous nickel (Raney Ni) | Different active material families |
| Production route | Electroless deposition on Ni foam | Ni-Al alloy formation, Al leached with NaOH | Different process flows |
| Substrate | Ni foam (100-1000 cm2) | Varies (Ni mesh, Ni plate, plasma-sprayed coatings) | Substrate is design-dependent |
| HER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 (this product) | 80 mV (no IR correction) | Varies by Raney Ni formulation | See vendor data for alternatives |
| OER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 (this product) | 260 mV (no IR correction) | Varies by Raney Ni formulation | See vendor data for alternatives |
| Bifunctional | Yes (same electrode HER + OER in test cell) | Some Raney designs are bifunctional, some not | Depends on formulation |
What our electrode is
Our electrode is a bi-metallic NiCo catalyst deposited onto Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm2) by electroless deposition. The catalyst layer is built up from solution; the substrate sets the macroscopic geometry and the deposited layer provides the electrocatalytic activity.
In our 5 cm2 AEM test cell at 30 wt% KOH and zero-gap assembly with a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um), the bifunctional NiCo electrode delivers HER 80 mV / OER 260 mV at 100 mA/cm2 (no IR correction). At 0.5 A/cm2 cell-level, 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% efficiency).
What Raney nickel electrodes are
Raney nickel is a porous nickel material produced by first making a nickel-aluminum alloy and then leaching out the aluminum with concentrated NaOH. What remains is a high-surface-area porous nickel structure with substantial intrinsic catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution.
Raney nickel is a long-established catalyst family with extensive industrial use. Different vendors offer different Raney-derived electrode formulations, often as coatings on Ni substrates or as standalone electrode plates. Performance varies by formulation.
Structural differences
Two structural differences are immediate:
First, active material: our electrode has a bi-metallic NiCo coating; Raney nickel is porous nickel (sometimes with promoters like Mo, Co, or rare earths blended in).
Second, production route: electroless deposition versus alloy-formation-and-leaching. The two routes have different equipment, scaling characteristics, and process-control points. Whether either is the right fit for a given stack depends on the OEM's specific qualification criteria.
What this comparison does not claim
We do not publish numeric performance comparisons against specific Raney nickel products. Vendors of Raney nickel electrodes publish their own data; consult that directly.
For stack OEMs evaluating both options, bench-scale qualification on the OEM's own cell is the typical decision step.
Where this comparison matters
Applications where stack OEMs typically evaluate both options.
Key electrode specifications
Source-supported parameters of our electrode for this comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Are our electrode and Raney nickel based on the same chemistry?
Both use nickel. Raney nickel is porous nickel produced by alloy formation and aluminum leaching; our electrode is a bi-metallic NiCo coating deposited on Ni foam via electroless deposition. The active materials and production routes are different.
Does this page claim our electrode performs better than Raney Nickel Electrodes?
No. This page is informational. It states what our bifunctional NiCo electrode is and what the alternative is, using source-supported facts only. We do not publish numeric performance claims against specific alternative products. For alternative-product performance data, consult the vendor of that product directly.
What numbers are published for our electrode?
HER overpotential 80 mV and OER overpotential 260 mV at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH, measured without IR correction. Cell-level performance with the bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) in a 5 cm² AEM zero-gap cell: 0.5 A/cm² at 1.81 V at RT (82% efficiency) and 1.62 V at 60 °C (91.4%). 1000-hour stability at 21 µV/hr drift.
Can I run side-by-side bench tests in my own cell?
Yes. We supply 5 cm² coupons that match the size used in our published AEM test cell. Stack OEMs evaluating both options typically run side-by-side qualification on their own cell as the decision step. Bench-scale and pilot-scale electrodes (up to 1000 cm²) are both available.
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