APPLICATION OF

ELECTROCHEMICAL
CELL
IB CHEMISTRY
 ZINC-COPPER CELLS
It provides emf 1,1V. It was developed by
the British chemist John Daniell in the
1830’s..
It was used to provide the electricity for the
old-fashioned telegraphs which sent
messages by Morse code.
Not practical for for portable devices as it
contains liquids.
 ZINC/CARBON CELLS
• The electrodes can be made from materials
other than metals. In Leclanché
cell the positive electrode is carbon, which act
s like inert platinum electrode in the hydrogen
electrode.
• The Leclanché cell is the basis of most
ordinary disposable batteries. The electrolyte is
a paste rather than a liquid.
 RECHARGABLE BATTERIES. LEAD-ACID
BATTERIES
Lead acid batteries are rechargeable batteries used to operate the starter motors of cars. They consist
of six 2V cells connected in series to give 12V. Each cell consists of two plates dipped into a
solution of sulphuric acid. The positive plate is made of lead oxide PbO 2, and the negative plate is
made of lead.
 NICKEL/CADMIUM BATTERIES
These are now used to replace traditional zinc-carbon batteries. Although more expensive to
buy, they can be reached up to 500 times, reducing the effective cost significantly. They have
alkaline electrolyte.
 LITHIUM ION BATTERIES
• Rechargeable lithium–metal anode batteries show
commercial promise, with theoretical energy densities
that range from 600 to 2,000 watt-hours per kilogram.
• Even after allowance is made for the inactive parts of
such cells, the net energy density is still competitive with
aqueous systems. Commercially available systems of this
type include lithium–cobalt oxide, lithium–nickel oxide,
lithium–manganese dioxide, and lithium–
molybdenum disulfide. 
 ALKALINE HYDROGEN-OXYGEN FUEL
CELL

• These are devices that, by definition, have

an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide or
potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte. The
fuel is almost always hydrogen gas, with
oxygen (or oxygen in air) as the oxidizer.
However, zinc or aluminum could be used
as an anode if the by-product oxides were
efficiently removed and the metal fed
continuously as a strip or as a powder.
 APPLICATION OF ELECTROLYSIS
Electrolysis is used extensively in metallurgical processes, such as in extraction (electrowinning) or
purification (electrorefining) of metals from ores or compounds and in deposition of metals from
solution (electroplating). Metallic sodium and chlorine gas are produced by the electrolysis of
molten sodium chloride; electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium chloride yields sodium
hydroxide and chlorine gas. Hydrogen and oxygen are produced by the electrolysis of water.
 ELECTROWINNING
• This process is used to recover metals such as zinc, cobalt, copper, nickel, silver, gold, lead
and cadmium from solutions obtained from leaching of the mineral ore, waste process streams,
etc.
• The principal cathode reaction can be represented as follows:

• Mn+ + ne- → M
• The principal anode reaction is:
• 2H2O – 4e- → O2 + 4H+
 ELECTROREFINING

• Electrorefining is a process in which materials,

usually metals, are purified by means of an
electrolytic cell. The anode is the impure metal and
the cathode is a very pure sample of the metal . An
electric current is passed between a sample of the
impure metal and a cathode when both are
immersed in a solution containing cations of the
metal. The metal is stripped off the impure
components and deposited in pure form on the
cathode.
 ELECTROPLATING

• Electroplating is the process of applying a metal coating

on another piece of metal (or another conductive surface)
through an electro-deposition process. In electroplating,
the deposited metal becomes part of the existing product
with the plating/coating.