> Try gradually adding electrolyte to get the current up about > ten-fold or more. I think your larger plate area is a > benefit if > you can get more current through the liquid. I am surprised > conductivity didn't increase from the leaching - but > maybe it is > not a conductive colloid - maybe oil from the manufacturing > process of the plates ?
Relevant quotes from Schiffer: *** Electrolyte ---snip--- Gojuice A typical and very suitable mixture is described in United States Patent 5,231,954 by Gene. B. Stowe under the production of a hydrogen/oxygen cell. For people without Internet I will briefly quote the relevant section; "...an electrolyte solution can be made by mixing small quantities of phosphoric acid ( food grade ), sodium perborate ( to supply extra oxygen), and acetanilide as a stabiliser, in deionised water or distilled water. The quantities of these chemicals may be varied between rather wide ranges, the object being to provide reasonable flow of current between the two electrodes. " He goes on ( in section 6, 65 onwards ), to explain a typical method of making this mixture. I would suggest that if you made the above, you used juvenile water for dilution, and that you leave out the stabiliser as it is expensive and not essential for our needs. The end mixture works extremely well and you will only have to add a couple of spoonful's of Gojuice to achieve 1 Amp of current flow at 12 Volts in you car or test cell. ---ends--- *** Cell Cleaning ---snip--- You may use vinegar or acetic acid that you use for cleaning the stainless steel and kill two birds with one stone. I personally have made my own mix that I call " Gojuice " as explained above. Acetic acid or vinegar is fine, but, please note that if you use vinegar, as the quantity of vinegar added to the cell is quite large, ( by volume ) you will have to be careful that the vinegar was made with the " right " water. This would be highly unlikely, so it should be used as a last resort. With acetic acid m ake sure that it is 90% acetic acid and if you obtain it from a photography chemical supplier, make sure that there is no stabiliser or indicator included in the mixture. It is because of the dubious nature of the water that is used for the vinegar and acetic products that I have taken the far more expensive path of using Gojuice. ---ends--- BIG NOTE - the above assumes that you are building an 'acid cell'... Rgds, Patrick
