On Jun 8, 2007, at 9:31 PM, Michael Foster wrote:
Is there no one who remembers practical chemistry
anymore? ... What actually
happens to a strong sodium chloride solution under electrolysis
is considerably more complex. Depending on the current density and
the temperature, the electrolyte becomes a mixture of, yes, sodium
hydroxide, but also hypochlorite, chlorate, and perchlorate.
You are so right. About the practical side of things, electrolysis
of saltwater is now used commercially and very effectively to make a
water decontaminate called "MIOX" which stands for "mixed oxidents".
See:
http://www.miox.com/
A google search on "miox" shows lots of other references. MIOX is
the stuff that accumulates about the cathode when electrolysing NaCl
brine. MIOX is mostly HOCl, hypochlorous acid, but also lots of
other oxy-chloro compounds and also H2O2, hydrogen peroxide. The
process requires de-ionized water, otherwise the reaction product mix
can vary substantially. It is far more effective than chlorine or
bleach, and far safer, but requires very careful flow and/or
concentration regulation to keep it that way. With holding times of
a couple hours or more, even in concentrations with almost no
residual taste, it is even effective against viruses. MIOX
decontamination units are made in many sizes for use by water
companies. At local state well operator classes I've seen an actual
demonstration of a MIOX pocket pen run by AA batteries. The MIOX is
produced in the pen by electrolysis and then mixed with a much larger
volume of water to be decontaminated. The pen was produced for the
military.
Regards,
Horace Heffner
