Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ncar!mailrus!uflorida!haven!mimsy!chris
From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Caution: electolysis of water
Message-ID: <15107@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: 21 Dec 88 04:52:22 GMT
References: <2479@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <849@inuxm.UUCP> <7395@watcgl.waterloo.edu>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 18

In article <7395@watcgl.waterloo.edu> awpaeth@watcgl.waterloo.edu
(Alan Wm Paeth) writes:
>There is a strong temptation to table add salt to decrease the resistivity of
>the solution. Problem is that with NaCl in solution the anode (+terminal) frees
>both O-- Oxygen ions as gas AND CHLORINE Cl- ions (a problem related to half-
>cell potentials). Most of the latter returns to solution yielding a HCL/HOCL
>concoction resembling bleach, there can also be some nascent Chlorine left
>around. The suggested fix: use a Carbonate salt (eg, baking or washing soda).

Hard water is good for something :-)

In my young and innocent (hah) days (when I was about 12 or 13), I
played with electrolysis using the 117 volt line---much faster than
batteries.  Anyway, I vaguely remember that salt water formed a green
scum.  I guess now that it must have been choride salts of metallic
ions in the tap water....
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris