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Electrolysis NaCl to Chlorate New Question


recursive

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I have read the other posts about saltwater electrolysis, but I was still wondering a few things:

 

First, how will I know what the product is and its purity without fancy equipment? I want to arrive at sodium chlorate, but not continue to sodium hydroxide. I also want to be able to get rid of most of the beginning NaCl.

 

Plus, for electrodes, I have some gold-plated electrodes, some graphite ones (well, modified golf pencils...), some aluminum bars, some copper bars, slabs of bismuth, lead, blah blah blah... what can I actually use that isn't platinum? My aluminum did get eaten up on first try, but that's probably from the hydroxide more than anything else. What will work at least enough so that I can get a reasonable amount of reasonably pure chlorate?

 

Thanks in advance!

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To go to NaClO3, the reaction is:

 

NaCl + 3H2O --> NaClO3 + 3H2

 

You also need to add a small amount of potassium dichromate to prevent back reduction. Platinum is the best choice for electrodes, but graphite or gold should work as well.

 

EDIT: Watch out for potassium dichromate as it contains hexavalent chromium (carcinogenic).

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Well here are a list of anodes "the electrodes in the cell that dont bubble" that you should use. Graphite "very corrosive especially at low chloride concentration in the cell but makes chlorate ", lead dioxide its aslo called "poor mans platinum" works very well, although corrodes at low chloride concentration , but its hard to find. To make it you need to electrolyze a acidified solution of lead nitrate and copper nitrate the anode should then have a nice coat of lead dioxide. All those other metals you have will not make chlorate if used as a anode, but can be used as a cathode.:D

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Melvin, isn't potassium dichromate in HeadOn? I remember reading it there... Quite convenient... But my graphite electrodes began crumbling. Then later when I shorted them for fun they exploded, so... Either way they hardly work. Would a gold plated usb thingy work? Just ripping out the plates...

 

Well here are a list of anodes "the electrodes in the cell that dont bubble" that you should use. Graphite "very corrosive especially at low chloride concentration in the cell but makes chlorate ", lead dioxide its aslo called "poor mans platinum" works very well, although corrodes at low chloride concentration , but its hard to find. To make it you need to electrolyze a acidified solution of lead nitrate and copper nitrate the anode should then have a nice coat of lead dioxide. All those other metals you have will not make chlorate if used as a anode, but can be used as a cathode.:D

 

mmm ill just rip open a car battery! oh and I have some chunks of lead. can't I just throw oxidizers at my lead chunks? oh and would bismuth work?

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Melvin, isn't potassium dichromate in HeadOn? I remember reading it there... Quite convenient... But my graphite electrodes began crumbling. Then later when I shorted them for fun they exploded, so... Either way they hardly work. Would a gold plated usb thingy work? Just ripping out the plates...

 

 

 

mmm ill just rip open a car battery! oh and I have some chunks of lead. can't I just throw oxidizers at my lead chunks? oh and would bismuth work?

 

A car battery has lead dioxide rod in it but i've heard that the coating isn't good and will come off. Using lead anode and cathode in a nitrate solution just grows cyrstals on the anode. So the previous method is the best get copper nitrate at united nuclear and lead nitrate at ebay "remember these are toxic chemicals". Don't think bismuth will work.>:D

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A car battery has lead dioxide rod in it but i've heard that the coating isn't good and will come off. Using lead anode and cathode in a nitrate solution just grows cyrstals on the anode. So the previous method is the best get copper nitrate at united nuclear and lead nitrate at ebay "remember these are toxic chemicals". Don't think bismuth will work.>:D

 

Sounds good but I don't buy stuff. The excitement of chemistry is the fact that it happens when you don't buy chemicals with funky names that kill you if you look at them funny!

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Sounds good but I don't buy stuff. The excitement of chemistry is the fact that it happens when you don't buy chemicals with funky names that kill you if you look at them funny!

 

And obtaining them from salvaged items like depleted batteries insulates you from their toxicity how?

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And obtaining them from salvaged items like depleted batteries insulates you from their toxicity how?

 

I don't think it does, but I know that according to the rules it's something called a 'hazmat violation'.

 

I couldn't figure out why I got it though...

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you got it for being an Idiot K3wl and referring to the anarchist crapbook is why!

 

now, either GROW-UP and learn proper Chemistry here and LOSE the Idiocy!

or leave now before you`re left with no option!

same applies to you too dom3mo.

 

 

your call...

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And obtaining them from salvaged items like depleted batteries insulates you from their toxicity how?

 

There is a "don't eat me" OSHA warning that is implied. :mad:/:-p I'd use gloves at the very least.

 

The graphite in no. 2 pencils is soft and intended to crumble. Graphite rods for arch welding or from a nuclear reactor (not one that is in service, please) won't break down as easily. Obviously they should stand up to the energy and heat should you short the circuit. I don't know that this will necessarily work and it won't be absolutely perfect but it's better than pencils.

 

Oh yeah, don't follow any instructional literature written by atheists or the hole thing will be doomed.

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i searched in the forum, and found this, http://kclo3.velp.info i hope it will be usefull for you.

 

Thanks. I guess I will try again with graphite, and just see if I can filter it out or something. Besides I'll probably be fine with impurities, as long as there's some chlorate or hydroxide in there somewhere.

 

By the way yt I didn't say to do something unsafe (with the lead batteries and everything)... I just didn't mention precautions, because we already know lead is toxic. But I'm sorry if somebody was actually going to do something dangerous. Actually now that I think about it... the inhaling hydrogen thing was definitely dangerous for most people, but since I live in the middle of 5 acres of grass, I think I could be safe from all that; but, not in an urban area.

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By the way yt I didn't say to do something unsafe (with the lead batteries and everything)... I just didn't mention precautions, because we already know lead is toxic. But I'm sorry if somebody was actually going to do something dangerous. Actually now that I think about it... the inhaling hydrogen thing was definitely dangerous for most people, but since I live in the middle of 5 acres of grass, I think I could be safe from all that; but, not in an urban area.

 

At the rate you are going, it won't be long before you or someone that follows your instructions, find yourselves not living under a bunch of grass.

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At the rate you are going, it won't be long before you or someone that follows your instructions, find yourselves not living under a bunch of grass.

 

Maybe we can teach all of recursive's chemistry experiments to bunch of creationists and see if, as a result, they ultimately start believing in natural selection. :rolleyes:

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dom3mo, the hydroxide is an intermediate. When you electrolyze salt water these reactions occur first:

 

Cathode: 2H2O + 2e- --> 2OH- + H2

Anode: 2Cl- --> Cl2 + 2e-

 

After this, there are Na+ ions and OH- ions, which represent sodium hydroxide in solution. When the chlorine gas mixes with the NaOH, you get hypochlorite, choride, and water:

 

2NaOH + Cl2 --> NaOCl + NaCl + H2O

 

The NaOCl readily decomposes into chlorate and chloride:

 

3NaOCl --> NaClO3 + 2NaCl

 

Does this clear things up a little? :)

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