Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Electrolytic reactions

Kagutsuchi - 11-10-2015 at 01:16

Today I managed to get my old (Soviet) car battery charger to work. I am happy about it but a few questions come up:
What reactions should I use it for?
I had some ideas:
-Use a Pb electrode to make PbO for further processing
-Make some (a little amount of) chlorates.
-Make copper-compounds the easy way (make CuCl2 and process it for other compounds)
What should I look out for if I perform these?
Also, I look forward to suggestions :)

deltaH - 11-10-2015 at 01:19

What does your old charger put out in regards to voltage and current?

Kagutsuchi - 11-10-2015 at 01:42

It can put out 6 or 12 volts, 6.3 amperes.

Sulaiman - 11-10-2015 at 04:34

I would be tempted to make a HHO (oxy-hydrogen) flame torch
e.g. http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-HHO-Torch-Water-Torch-fo...
e.g. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hho+torch
for high temperature melting of stuff, and fun.

Maybe sodium metal by electrolysis of molten sodium hydroxide ?
or production of sodium hydroxide solution from sodium chloride ?

deltaH - 11-10-2015 at 05:04

Too little current for a oxy-hydrogen torch and you don't want to store that gas mix eeek :o

Kagutsuchi - 11-10-2015 at 05:35

What if I stored them separately and let them meet only at the output of the torch? For example at night I could store the gases and use them up next day.

deltaH - 11-10-2015 at 05:49

You have to be very sure that over long periods of time something can't go wrong that would produce a mixed gas. It can be done in principle, but it would be extremely dangerous if not done properly. You're much better off with a generator than can produce the gases live on demand at the required rate.

I found this one particularly excellent and low cost:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqjn3mup1So

But you're going to need a transformer upgrade for that.

[Edited on 11-10-2015 by deltaH]