APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROLYSIS
*RUSTING
= electrochemical corrosion reaction where
corrosion is caused by electrochemical attack of
water and air on iron
Anode is the region where concentration of
dissolved oxygen is lower. Iron is oxidized to
Fe2+ ions
Cathode is the region of iron where
concentration of oxygen is higher. Electrons
produced from iron atoms in anode move to
cathode. Oxygen from atmosphere together with
water molecules are reduced to hydroxide ions
Fe2+ ions and OH- ions diffuse away from
electrodes and then precipitated as iron(II)
hydroxide, Fe(OH)2
Fe(OH)2 is further oxidized to Fe3+ ions by
dissolved oxygen to form Fe(OH)3. Fe3+ ions
then form red-brown hydrated iron(III)
oxide, known as rust and deposits as flakes
on surface of iron.
Prevention of rusting:
-ALLOYING = metals such as nickel,
chromium, manganese to form stainless
steel, these metals form a surface film of
metal oxides which are impervious to water.
-PROTECTIVE COATING = iron
prevented from coming into contact with air
and water by a layer of paint, oil, grease,
plastic or tin-plating
-ELECTROPLATING = iron object is
placed as cathode, anode is the
electroplating metal while electrolyte is a
solution containing the electroplating metal
ions. During electrolysis, metal ion in
electrolyte is reduced and metal is coated
onto surface of iron object as the cathode.
-CATHODIC PROTECTION = metals
that are more electropositive than iron such
as zinc and magnesium are used as
sacrificial anode. Sacrificial metal which
acts as anode needs to be replaced from
time to time.
-GALVANISATION = surface of iron is
coated with layer of zinc, forming
galvanised iron.
>EXTRACTION OF ALUMINIUM
Aluminium extracted from electrolysis of
bauxite dissolved in molten cryolite
(NaAlF6) at 900◦C using graphite electrodes.
Bauxite is hydrated aluminium oxide
(Al2O3·xH2O, 1≤x≤3). Cryolite lowers the
melting point of bauxite by helping Al2O3 to
dissociate into Al3+ ions and O2- ions.
At anode, O2 gas evolved reacts with carbon
electrode to produce carbon dioxide gas.
Carbon anode has to be replaced from time
to time.
High current is used to maintain high
temperature of molten cryolite. Low voltage
is used to prevent F-ions from cryolite from
being discharged.
>ANODISING OF ALUMINIUM
Aluminium resists corrosion because of
formation of a thin layer of aluminium
oxide, Al2O3. Aluminium oxide is
impervous to water and adheres tightly to
surface of metal , thus protecting inner metal
from attacks by water or acids.
Anodisation is an electrolytic process
whereby an anode metal is oxidized to form
metal oxide coat.
Aluminium object is the anode of
electrolysis, using sulphuric acid or chromic
acid as electrolyte, carbon or platinum as
cathode
If dye is added to acid solution during
electrolysis, anodised aluminium object will
be coloured because the dye is absorbed into
oxide coating.
*MANUFACTURING OF CHLORINE
FROM BRINE
Using 2 methods :
1. Mercury Cathode Cell
A saturated sodium chloride (brime solution) is
electrolysed using graphite as anode and
mercury as cathode.
Sodium metal produced at cathode dissolves in
mercury to form sodium amalgam, Na-Hg,
which flows out of cell into another container
containing water.
Mercury, produced when sodium amalgam
reacts with water is recycled to be used as
cathode.
Mercury cathode cell method produces three
important chemicals; sodium hydroxide,
chlorine gas and hydrogen gas.
Disadvantage of mercury cathode cell:
-Mercury is vaporized during electrolysis and
cause environmental pollution because mercury
is poisonous
2. Diaphragm Cell
Purified brime solution is electrolysed using
steel as cathode and graphite or titanium as
anode.
Semi-permeable asbestos diaphragm separates
the anode compartment from cathode
compartment. Asbestos diaphragm is porous to
ions but not to molecules. Chlorine gas produced
at anode is unable to react with sodium
hydroxide formed at cathode.
Na+ ions diffuse through diaphragm into cathode
compartment to form NaOH,
Pressure at anode compartment is maintained
higher than that of the cathode compartment to
prevent OH-ions from moving into anode
compartment.
Disadvantage of diaphragm cell:
-NaOH produced is not pure and contaminated
with some unreacted NaCl
*TREATMENT OF EFFLUENT
Effluent (industrial waste water) discharged by
factories contains heavy metal such as Ni2+, Cr3+
and Cd2+. These metal ions can contaminate
drinking water and cause heavy-metal poisoning
When aqueous effluent solution containing
heavy metals is electrolysed, these heavy metals
which are more electropositive than H+ ions are
discharged at cathode.
Heavy metals deposited at cathode are filtered
off from the water and are reused.
*ELECTROPLATING OF PLASTIC
Object is electroplated is the cathode in
electrolysis. Plating metals commonly used are
chromium, silver or gold. These metals are used
because of their decorative beauty and also their
resistance to corrosion.
In plastic electroplating, a thin layer of metal can
be electroplated on plastic objects. The plastic
objects are first coated with a thing paste of
graphite powder to make it conductive.
Electrolyte is a solution containing the ions of
electroplating metal.
Electroplated plastic object is light and cheap,
but with expensive finished look of metals.