Products of aluminum sulfate electrolysis

Click For Summary
Electrolyzing a solution of aluminum sulfate may not yield aluminum and sulfuric acid due to aluminum's high reactivity, which can lead to the electrolysis of water instead, producing hydrogen gas. While zinc can be successfully electrodeposited from a zinc sulfate solution with the right bath composition, aluminum's behavior in aqueous solutions complicates the process. Alternatives such as nonaqueous solutions or molten salts are suggested for aluminum production, as these methods are more effective in overcoming the challenges posed by aluminum's reactivity in water.
SMD1990
Messages
46
Reaction score
0
I could not find anything online indicating that such was so, but...

If electrolysis of a solution of zinc sulfate results in zinc and sulfuric acid, is it also correct that electrolyzing a solution of aluminum sulfate will result in aluminum and sulfuric acid?
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
It doesn't want to be easy. Aluminum is highly reactive, so its presence in water may mean you will be just electrolyzing water and producing hydrogen, instead of depositing aluminum. That being said, zinc is also reactive, yet with a correct choice of bath composition, it can be electrodeposited on steel.

It can be easier to use nonaqueous solution, or even some molten salt. After all, that's more or less how the Al is produced.
 

Thread 'Gold hydride - what is the significance?'

I came.across a headline and read some of the article, so I was curious. Scientists discover that gold is a 'reactive metal' by accidentally creating a new material in the lab https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-that-gold-is-reactive-metal-by-creating-gold-hydride-in-lab-experiment/ From SLAC - A SLAC team unexpectedly formed gold hydride in an experiment that could pave the way for studying materials under extreme conditions like those found inside certain planets and stars undergoing...
View full post »

Similar threads

Aluminum mystery -- Questions about elecrolysis in water
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
What Occurs When Copper is Completely Deposited in Copper Sulfate Electrolysis?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Question about this unusual galvanic bath
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Adding Nickel to Zinc Sulphate Solution
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Electrowinning Zinc: Understanding the Process and Sulfuric Acid
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
Ruthenium-Iridium compound with catalytic effects
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
781
Products of Concentrated Barium Chloride Electrolysis?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Potassium Chloride Electrolysis
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Making Ferrous Sulfate - Have I succeeded?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
6K
Roommate hoopla, help identifying stuff in this garage please....
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K