In this study, we investigated the deactivation characteristics of Ni-Zn-Fe electrodes due to intermittent operation in the linkage system of renewable energy and alkaline water electrolysis. To find suitable method to accelerate deactivation of electrode, the accelerated stress-test(AST) which repeated on/off step was performed with constant current/voltage control. The constant current control test was performed the range of ?400 mA/cm2 to 0 mA/cm2 and the overvoltage of electrode increased about 20 mV after test. The constant voltage control test was performed the range of ?1.3 V(vs. Hg/HgO) to 0 V(vs. Hg/HgO) and the overvoltage of electrode increased about 184 mV after test. In the constant voltage control test, the coating layer of the electrode was peeled off and in the constant current control test, it was not changed. So the AST with constant voltage control is suitable to deactivate electrode so it were selected to investigate deactivation of electrode. The change of component ratio and crystal structure of electrode surface were analyzed at particular cycle(1st, 60th, 150th cycle) of the AST　through SEM(Scaning electron microscopy), EDS(Energy dispersive spectrometry), XRD(X-ray diffractometer).
As results of the AST which repeated on/off step in range of ?1.3 V(vs. Hg/HgO) to 0 V(vs. Hg/HgO), it was confirmed that the nickel and zinc on electrode surface were oxidized due to anodic current which occurred at off step. The zinc component decreased about 19.1 at% from electrode surface and it oxidize dominantly than Nickel at 1st cycle and 60th~150th cycle. The oxidation of nickel was confirmed through the XRD pattern and it occurred dominantly until 60th cycle, after then Nickel oxide peak hardly changed. And it is considered that the coating layer of the electrode peeled off due to the repeated oxidation/reduction process which occur repeating on/off step.