Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Assuming extremely cheap electricity, what are some electrolyses you would run for profit?

math - 5-6-2025 at 14:23

Assuming extremely cheap electricity, what are some electrolyses you would run for profit?

Curious about the options. Thank you.

bariumbromate - 5-6-2025 at 14:33

mabey copper and sulfuric acid from copper sulfate or chlorates

MrDoctor - 5-6-2025 at 15:05

sulfuric acid from elemental sulfur (sulfurous acid electrolysis), just because acid can be so expensive but its so useful to use all the time over other acids. So not for profit, but cost-savings.

selling alkali metals would probably be an easy one, doing something like electrolyzing alkali chloride at room temp from propylene carbonate, although idk if that cell requires a split circulated design using a mercury, or gallium membrane, its recommended but, possibly not required.

Assuming extremely cheap electricity

Sulaiman - 5-6-2025 at 17:58

I would use the electricity to mine bitcoins etc. then buy Merck

bnull - 6-6-2025 at 02:57

Not some but almost all of them. First, I would open an electroplating company because, besides the revenue, it would give me access to a good part of the regulated chemicals. Then, I would branch out the company to electrosynthesis to make stuff that is otherwise too expensive to buy from, say, Merck et al. or to import from India, China or thereabouts. I would include my hobby electrosyntheses as "research" and have fun and profit at the same time.

MrDoctor - 6-6-2025 at 03:51

isnt turbostratic "flash graphene" worth something? you can convert almost any carbon-containing material into it with a flash reactor (rubber tyres in particular which normally cost money to dispose of), which at scale would pretty much just be like an auto-loading revolver but with short quartz tubes for chambers. flash graphene is supposed to exfoliate all by itself since the layers arent well connected, if nothing else it can radically alter the strength of concrete with a very minor addition comparable to a coloring additive, allowing for, with some creative engineering, using something like 30% less cement for the same overall strength. Im just going off the top of my head but its significant. turbostratic graphene made to a certain quality or refinement has loads of uses, its pretty much good to go as-is for any application where tiny flakes are acceptable, rather than singularly huge 2D sheets, idk if TSG can be fused, but even amateurs like myself can utilize it and do cool stuff with it.

[Edited on 6-6-2025 by MrDoctor]

unionised - 6-6-2025 at 04:52

Aluminium is the traditional answer.

chempyre235 - 6-6-2025 at 07:23

Here are a few suggestions that might be helpful:

Mister Double U - 6-6-2025 at 10:09

Iron metal might be worth it.
A group from MIT is working on it - so steel making can be carbon neutral in the future:
https://news.mit.edu/2024/mit-spinout-boston-metal-makes-ste...

MrDoctor - 7-6-2025 at 00:54

iron filings arent cheap, or at least not readily found for cheap, here, if we are talking about stuff just anyone can manage, that, from common carbon-steel is absolutely doable, i opted to make some rather than buy, theres a trick to harvesting a lot without it re-dissolving that is probably manageable at scale

Varungh - 24-12-2025 at 09:03

Making bleach(single cell electrolysis of table salt) it is cheap to get bulk NaClO solution. use MMO or just buy Graphite rods and set up a big 10l bucket for 2 days. Calculate concentration and sell.