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Dewayne
07-22-2008, 09:07 AM
I'm still building my first generator and I have another question.

As the water and electrolyte are consumed is there any sludge that builds up in the bottom of the cell?

Stratous
07-22-2008, 11:57 AM
I have only experianced sludge in a system that is not all stainless steel. If you used any zinc plated nuts/bolts then you will have sludge build up.

LinChiek
08-02-2008, 08:31 AM
I have only experianced sludge in a system that is not all stainless steel. If you used any zinc plated nuts/bolts then you will have sludge build up.

:( difficult to get stainless steel nuts/bolts at my place... need to go back to redraw my generator design... :(

dennis13030
08-02-2008, 11:34 AM
The cleanest electrolyzers use ONLY stainless steel(SS), potassium hydroxide(KOH) and water inside the tank.

SS hardware can usually be found at local hardware stores(not Home Depot or Lowes).

Or Online
http://www.boltdepot.com/Catalog.aspx?wt.srch=1

Omega
08-03-2008, 11:23 PM
The cleanest electrolyzers use ONLY stainless steel(SS), potassium hydroxide(KOH) and water inside the tank.

SS hardware can usually be found at local hardware stores(not Home Depot or Lowes).

Or Online
http://www.boltdepot.com/Catalog.aspx?wt.srch=1

Plastic hardware also qualifies as an OK material in a cell.

GOplayer
08-31-2008, 07:58 AM
SS is not widely available in my town neither but I did find it in Home Depot. Plenty and all sizes and forms I needed. (No love affair with Home Depot but if that is all you go in your area, worth at least give them a call since they are a store chain, I’d expect other to carry SS also.)

Chris65
09-10-2008, 07:56 AM
You definitely don't want any metals in your canister other than stainless steel. As the others said, plastics are fine as long as they can take the heat and are not reactive to the electrolyte you're using.

You can find stainless bolts and nuts at most hardware stores or home improvement stores. Also marine supply stores, but they are usually expensive. Fastenal is another chain store that specializes in most of the hardware used. If you want to order online, places like McMaster-Carr and Graingers have a wide selection of supplies. One way to save a lot is to buy the bulk packs of fasteners. Most of them come in 50 or 100 count bags.

As far as finding the electrolyte, I got 100% lye at Menards for about $3.50 per pound, but If you need larger quantities you may be able to get a better price. KOH in pure form is available here from the feed mills or co-ops. I think it is also available from the organic stores as both are used in soap making.

I tried baking soda at first but switched to lye for now. Baking soda really crudded up my smack booster after a short run time. After using the plate conditioning method that Bob Boyce explained, my canister now stays nice and clean, and the plates are brighter than when the cell was first built. Not to mention the gas production increased.