Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Experimental Chlorate synthesis

niertap - 5-8-2011 at 18:04

Chlorate synthesis by electrolysis:

:Solvent/ute
-Calcium Chloride electrolyte: add 100g Ca(Cl)2 per 100ml H2O
:Anode
-Carbon electrode from a battery/pencils
:all else
-stainless steel cathode-plastic container-60C-minimal pH control, possibly.


::I'm hoping the parts of the Carbon anode that are destroyed will slide back down onto the anode. This might then form the outer layer of the anode, which hopefully takes the brunt of the corrosion. I'm thinking of trying it with some MnO2, as a much crappier anode could then be used/higher current densities.





test chlorate cell.jpg - 21kB

User - 6-8-2011 at 01:02

Could you post the expected reaction to take place ?

cyanureeves - 6-8-2011 at 09:04

niertap do you mean for the carbon to fall down around the anode? then all the chlorate will form on top of the anode? should work shouldnt it? i mean current will conduct through salt. i have done something similar with a nickel anode epoxied at the bottom of a shampoo bottle and filled with hcl acid water solution. one draw back is that once the anode is gone you have to start all over with the epoxy because i doubt that current will concuct through carbon mush. i dont think the carbon mush will harden in a solution to give you that outer layer you need but maybe it will make enough clean chlorate on a top layer. oh! but wait,what about all the bubbling that is produced around the anode?

[Edited on 6-8-2011 by cyanureeves]