why would my cathode plate be black?

[bergs23]

Any reason why my wet cell cathode(black wire) plate would be black?
+||||||- and about a million degrees after 20minutes at 7-8 volts

[hhoconnection]

If your running 6 neutrals and it's heating up after 20 minutes at only 7-8 volts then something is wired wrong! Have you checked the voltage between plates. The voltage between any two of your plates should not be more than 2.2. volts otherwise you will heat up and create steam. Out of curiosity what was your amperage during this test?

[Philldpapill]

Why do you have neutral/bipolar plates in a wet cell??? Having these plates in there is horribly inefficient, and hardly produces anything. If you ARE going to do a wetcell, you'll have to use lower voltage, and higher current. Instead of bipolar plates, you would have +-+-+- or something similiar.

BTW, your cell is probably getting so hot because there is massive current leakage. In other words, the current has to travel through LOTS of electrolyte to get to the other plate from one end to the other. Little current is passing through your middle plates.

[redrat100]

Any reason why my wet cell cathode(black wire) plate would be black?
+||||||- and about a million degrees after 20minutes at 7-8 volts

To answer the question: By passing current through an electrolyte from one plate (the negative cathode) to another (positive anode), the material from the cathode is transported through the electrolyte and deposited onto the anode. The black deposit you are seeing is likely to be some of the constituents of the alloy of the cathode plate. Probably carbon.

[Philldpapill]

redrat, I think you've got that backwards. The Anode is accepting electrons, while the cathode is dumping them off. So, you'll have the anode typically being "eaten" away. The cathode will have material built up on it from the anode.

What is your electrolyte?

[redrat100]

redrat, I think you've got that backwards. The Anode is accepting electrons, while the cathode is dumping them off. So, you'll have the anode typically being "eaten" away. The cathode will have material built up on it from the anode.

What is your electrolyte?

I don't think so Phil. I have had thousands of aluminum parts anodized. The anode accepts electrons from the cathode. Aluminum is immersed in a tank containing an electrolyte. Electric current is passed through the electrolyte and the aluminum is made the anode in this electrolytic cell; the tank is the cathode. Voltage applied across the anode and cathode causes negatively charged anions to migrate to the anode.

This same process happens inside our little electrolyzers. Material from the negative cathode will be built up onto the positive anode. Over time you have no cathode left.

[bergs23]

ok so to get things right. You need or don't need the neutrals? Also the plates are not supposed to touch each other in any way? (yes, i'm a noob!)

I think i was leaking current off the wire attached to the outside plates, and i think i had some copper exposed to the electrolite. :| I was pulling about 13amps. From what I read, you have the neutral plates to keep the volt down across the cell to prevent it from heating up.??

I did not measure the voltage btw plates I probably should do this.

cell dimentions are 2"X4" 8 plates total +||||||-

[redrat100]

ok so to get things right. You need or don't need the neutrals? Also the plates are not supposed to touch each other in any way? (yes, i'm a noob!)

I think i was leaking current off the wire attached to the outside plates, and i think i had some copper exposed to the electrolite. :| I was pulling about 13amps. From what I read, you have the neutral plates to keep the volt down across the cell to prevent it from heating up.??

I did not measure the voltage btw plates I probably should do this.

cell dimentions are 2"X4" 8 plates total +||||||-

Yes, you will need neutral plates to drop the voltage between the plates to around 2.2v. 12 volts will need 5 or 6 neutral plates, +nnnnn-. And, no, the plates are never to touch eachother. If they do they will short and your unit will never produce any HHO. The copper will turn black in electrolyte, maybe this is what you have been noticing. My suggestion is to take a hammer to your wet cell and start over with a dry cell.