I'm sorry if this has already been covered in any sodium making electrolysis threads, but I was wondering how I could separate the hypochlorous ion from the hydroxide produced, or prevent the hypochlorous ion from being produced? I would like to make some sodium hydroxide this way, but it seems as though the OCl- is a hurdle. Thanks for any help.

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I guess I could have two chambers linked with a salt bridge, but then I would have a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide in the cathode chamber. Is there a way to separate the salt from the hydroxide would be the better question?

 

Thanks

Edited December 18, 200916 yr by Runninfarmer
Consecutive posts merged.

http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=40177

I found nothing in that thread about separating sodium chloride from sodium hydroxide in solution. Remember, I don't care about sodium metal, I want to produce sodium hydroxide by electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride, since NaCl is so cheap and readily available. Maybe i missed something, but thanks.

You'd need to run it in a divided cell, usually using something like a porous clay pot to contain one of the electrodes. What would you do with the chlorine gas sideproduct?

 

Generating some hypochlorite is basically inevitable with any kind of aqueous cell. The best way to get NaOH from NaCl is to in fact make sodium, and react it with water seperately.