Work sheet 2

1. An aluminum sheet with a surface area A= 10 cm2 is anodized in diluted sulfuric acid at
a constant current of I = 1 A for 60 min.
a. Calciulate the aluminium oxide surface layer mass and thickness after 60 min of
anodizing. The density of the aluminum oxide is 3,95 g/cm3.
b. The experimentally found layer thickness was only 10 µm. Calculate the Faradic
efficiency.
2. The decomposition voltage of Water (25 °C) is 1,229 V.
a. Calculate the energy demand for the production of 1 m3 of hydrogen.
3. The manufacturer of an Electrolyser states, that the energy demand for the production
of Hydrogen is 5,2 kWh/m3
a. Calculate the overvoltage.

4. With an appropriate catalyst, a fuel cell can be used to remove toxic carbon monoxide
CO from exhaust gases, e.g. from a home wood fire, and provide electrical energy. The
carbon monoxide is oxidized to form carbon dioxide CO2 at the anode, whereas the
oxidant is oxygen O2.

a) Set up the anode and cathode reaction equations, and the reaction equation for the
overall process.

b) Calculate the cell potential, based on the Gibbs free enthalpies of formation
(standard conditions) listed below.

compound DfGÆÆ/(kJ mol-1)

CO(g) -137.2

CO2(g) -257.2