Hydrolysis and hydrogen production: byproducts?

  • Thread starter Jaevko
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In summary, the conversation is about using distilled water with baking soda and carbon graphite electrodes to produce hydrogen gas. The use of baking soda is to avoid dangerous gases like chlorine. The person is wondering what other chemicals are produced, specifically if CO2 is involved and if the graphite reacts. They also mention wanting to know the purity of the hydrogen gas and if any other gases are being produced from the graphite and baking soda. The other person shares their experience using graphite as the positive electrode and mentions that hydrogen gas is produced with any negative electrode. They also mention their own experiment using stainless steel plating and sulfuric acid as charge carriers, resulting in only hydrogen and oxygen being produced.
  • #1
Jaevko
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So I'm running a current through distilled water with baking soda to produce hydrogen (to make stuff float :) ). I'm using carbon graphite electrodes and baking soda to avoid any dangerous gases like chlorine. Now its been almost a decade since I took chemistry classes and I'm wondering what other things are produced? I think CO2 is coming in somewhere from the baking soda? Does the graphite react as well?

The reason I ask is because if I'm collecting the hydrogen gas from one electrode, I want to know how pure it is. So please let me know what other chemicals are being produced due to the graphite and baking soda (and anything else I didn't think of, nothing else I think since it's distilled water) and please tell me if those chemicals are gases and which electrode they are coming off of. Thanks!
 
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  • #2
As per my experience, when i did electrolysis of brine.
Chlorine came only when i use graphite as +ve electrode
Hydrogen came out with any -ve electrode
 
  • #3
I did some research on hydrolysis last year, and I'd built a unit that used stainless steel plating as the electrodes. We used distilled water and a small amount of sulfuric acid as our charge carriers - the H2SO4 breaks down into (H^+) + (HSO4^-) + (SO4^2-). We chose that because we were confident that there would be no almost nothing aside from hydrogen gas and oxygen produced. Also, you can get sulfuric acid pretty cheap at an auto parts store, sold as battery acid. Hope this helps
 

1. What is hydrolysis and how does it relate to hydrogen production?

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which water is used to break down a compound into smaller molecules. It is often used in the production of hydrogen by breaking down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gases.

2. What are the byproducts of hydrolysis in hydrogen production?

The byproducts of hydrolysis in hydrogen production include oxygen gas, which is released as a waste product, and any impurities or contaminants that may be present in the water used for the reaction.

3. How efficient is hydrolysis as a method for hydrogen production?

The efficiency of hydrolysis in hydrogen production depends on various factors such as the type of catalyst used, temperature, and pressure. Generally, it is considered to be less efficient compared to other methods such as steam reforming.

4. Can the byproducts of hydrolysis be recycled or reused?

Yes, the byproducts of hydrolysis can be recycled or reused. Oxygen gas can be used for other industrial processes, while the impurities can be removed and the water can be reused in the hydrolysis reaction.

5. Are there any potential environmental impacts of hydrolysis in hydrogen production?

Hydrolysis in hydrogen production is a clean and sustainable method, as it does not produce any harmful greenhouse gases. However, the source of electricity used to power the reaction may have environmental impacts depending on its source (e.g. coal vs renewable energy).

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