Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Purification of Sulfuric acid by electrolysis?

CrEaTiVePyroScience - 14-4-2012 at 02:17

Hello,

So I've made sulfuric acid by electrolysis of copper sulfate.
I have made a video about the experiment ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vem4COJtihY )

So I find out that I can't get any higher concentration of sulfuric acid then 40% with the copper sulfate method. Even if the reaction was done and I added more copper sulfate I wouldn't be able to get any higher then that 40%. So I boiled it down to about 95%. But I am wondering if I also can get a higher concentration by just normal electrolysis of diluted sulfuric acid. Let's say I got 200ml of 40% sulfuric acid and add two platinum electrodes and run about 6v current through the sulfuric acid for let's say a week. Will all the water get splitted up in hydrogen and oxygen and will I be left with like almost 99% sulfuric acid so it will be 2 H2O+H2SO4 --> 2 H2+ O2+H2SO4? Or will the sulfuric acid also react?
I would love to try it about but would prefer first a confirmation before wasting too much money on the current=)

What do you think , will it work?

Regards,
CrEaTiVePyroScience

[Edited on 14-4-2012 by CrEaTiVePyroScience]

[Edited on 14-4-2012 by CrEaTiVePyroScience]