Interesting Electrolyte

[kerry k]

Hi guys, new poster. I work at a large chemical manufacturer and one of the chemicals we make is sodium aluminate which is basiclly aluminum hydrate digested in sodium hydroxide. So having one of those "what if.." moments I used it as an electolyte in my cell. All I can say is wow! It has never made that much gas before.

My cell, 7 tubes in parallel (still on bench) normally pulls 17 amps. With D.I water and approx. 8ml of the sodium aluminate it only pulled 9 amps.
I let the cell run for about 20 mins and I expected the tank to be full of some sort of crud from the aluminum but nothing, still crystal clear.

After my little experiment I pulled the cell out of the tank to clean and inspect. The cheapie Home Depot nuts and bolts I used ( I thought they where stainless ) to attach the wires to the tubes were a dark dull grey but only on the neg. tubes. Is it possible that I am electroplating aluminum on my neg. electrode. Would this increase gas prodution?

As the heading of this post states it is an interesting electrolyte. My test was not controlled or was it scientific to say the least. I do think it merits some more study.

[Bossman]

Keep us informed & keep testing. Sounds promising. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.

[Painless]

Seeing as we know that aluminum reacts with water to oxidise and release hydrogen, maybe this is happening with the aluminate in your new catalyst to increase hydrogen production? Perhaps a good test would be to see if any hydrogen is produced when the cell is switched off?

This sounds like an interesting avenue you've stumbled upon.

[sm0kin]

Isnt aluminate a by product of aluminum and sodium hydroxide. If i am thinking right here, the aluminate wont react to water because it has already given up its hydrogen or not yet recieved it. I don't fully understand how making aluminum from aluminate works but isnt it electrolysis? So is it possible the bubbles are oxygen and he is making aluminum from the aluminate when applying a current. Then the sodium hydroxide would turn the aluminum back into aluminate and produce hydrogen. HOLLY COW. I've gone cross eyed............Is this right or no?