Sir_Gawain
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Mercury electrodes?
Would a mercury electrode be inert enough to run a chlorate cell? I know one problem might be the absorption of elemental sodium by the mercury, but
would that negatively affect the production of chlorate?
“Alchemy is trying to turn things yellow; chemistry is trying to avoid things turning yellow.” -Tom deP.
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Cendre
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How would you even use that? You would need your wires to go deep in solution and then if mercury was used to substitute another material you would
still get possible contamination from copper or whatever material used to conduct current. Also mercury additionally to being toxic, especially when
airborne (electricity will get your solution hot, bad idea), has a tendency to amalgam. All in all unless it really has a special case in your cell I
don’t think it is worth the trouble or hazard.
As for chlorate cells, platinum electrodes are the best of course, MMO give decent results, lead dioxide are supposed to work (I personally got a
hefty amount of lead precipitation but my lead dioxide was homemade and badly made) and lastly good old graphite which will be eaten through and give
some carbon contamination but it can be kept to a pretty small amounts. All in all, it mostly depends on your use of chlorate and purity and speed of
reaction needed.
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woelen
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No, mercury is not suitable as anode material. It will be oxidized, most likely to the +2 oxidation state. No chlorate will be formed, nor chlorine.
At a mercury cathode you will get hydrogen and hydroxide in solution, but that also can be done with nearly any other metal.
So, forget using mercury electrodes for electrolysis. You'll get a horribly toxic mess, which you don't want to have around.
[Edited on 10-12-24 by woelen]
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