What is electrolyte solution?

: Electrolyte solutions are solutions which can

conduct electricity. Conducting solutions must contain charged particles – ions.
The solutes whose structure in the solid is a giant ionic lattice give strongly
conducting solutions.
Solutes giving in solution:
• Molecular units are called non-electrolytes
• Molecular units plus ions are called weak electrolytes
• Ions only are called strong electrolytes
Sludging electrolyte Non-sludging electrolyte
sludging electrolyte are those which form precipitates as dissolve the products of electrochemical reations. Acidic
product of electrochemical reactions which remove material electrolytes i.e. HF,HCl,HNO3,H2SO4 and alkaline electrolytes
from the anodic workpiece. Salt-based electrolytes are sludging i.e. NaOH,KOH, NH4OH are non sludging electrolytes.
electrolytes i.e. NaCl, NaNO3, KCl, KNO3, NaClO3

Sludging electrolyte can be reused by filtering them properly Non-sludging electrolytes can not be reused.
and then recirculating them

Passivating electrolyte Non passivating electrolyte

Passivating electrolyte contain oxidizing Non-passivating electrolyte electrolytes
anions such as sodium nitrate NaNO3 contain aggressive anions such as sodium
chloride NaCl
These electrolyte are known to provide
better machining quality due to
formation of protective oxide layer and
oxygen evolution in stray region.
• Composite electrolyte : composite electrolyte containing neutral salt and
complexing agents is adopted, in which the legends are utilized to generate
soluble products with metal ions.
Steel Pyrophosphoric acid 400g + Ethyl alcohol to make 1L
Temperature 20 degree
Current density 300A/ft2 Cooling of the electrolyte is required, Water must be absent

Sulfuric acid 15% +Phosphoric acid 63% +Chromic acid 10%

J: 50-1000 A/ft2
Temp: 125 degree F=51.667 degree F This solution has finite life

Lactic Acid 33% +Phosphoric acid 40% +Sulfuric acid 15.5%

J: 100A/ft2
Temp: 65-90 degree F= 18-32 degree C Material removal rate is very low

Phosphoric acid55-85% + Trialkali metal phosphate 1-15% +Alkali metal sulfate, 0.5%
 S50C carbon steel NaNO3 Aqueuos solution
GCr15 mold steel Anhydrous alchohol + NaNO3
HNO3 +NaCl (li long(2019))[13]
304 SS FeCl3 solution

• FeCl3 is an acid salt because Fe(OH)3 is weak base and HCl is a strong acid. pH is less than 7. FeCl 3 is formed by combining weak
base Fe(OH)3 and strong acid HCl thus FeCl3 is acidic
Method for electrolytically polishing iron and iron alloys
US patent 3389066
Electrolyte = water + compound1 + additive
Compound1 = Acids (sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid) and Salts( sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride,
magnesium chloride, ferric chloride, sodium sulfate, ferric sulfate)
Additive = glue, agar, paper, starch, cellulose, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, tannic acid, glycerine, saccharine, polyvinyl
alcohol, polyethylene, higher fatty acid, acid hydrolysates of grass, active carbon
Temperature = 0o – 100o C
Voltage = 0.5 - 25 V
Current density = 5 – 300 A/dm2

Electrolytic solution containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of inorganic acids and the salts therof,
the surface of the metal is polished to give a pear like appearance.
Salt = sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, ferric chloride, sodium sulfate, ferric sulfate
 Electrolyte
An electrolyte is a chemical compound that dissociates into ions and hence is capable of transporting electric charge.
Types of electrolyte
 On the basis of reaction product formation
Sludging electrolyte Non-sludging electrolyte
sludging electrolyte are those which form precipitates as dissolve the products of electrochemical reations. Acidic
product of electrochemical reactions which remove electrolytes i.e. HF,HCl,HNO3,H2SO4 and alkaline
material from the anodic workpiece. Salt-based electrolytes i.e. NaOH,KOH, NH4OH are non sludging
electrolytes are sludging electrolytes i.e. NaCl, NaNO3, electrolytes.
KCl, KNO3, NaClO3
Sludging electrolyte can be reused by filtering them Non-sludging electrolytes can not be reused.
properly and then recirculating them

 On the basis of protective layer formation

Passivating electrolyte Non passivating electrolyte
Passivating electrolyte contain oxidizing anions such as sodium Non-passivating electrolyte electrolytes contain aggressive
nitrate NaNO3 anions such as sodium chloride NaCl

These electrolyte are known to provide better machining

quality due to formation of protective oxide layer and oxygen
evolution in stray region. 8
 Electrolyte = water + Compound + Additives

Compound Additives

 Acids • Glue
• sulfuric acid • Agar
• hydrochloric acid, • Paper
• nitric acid • Starch
 Salts • Cellulose
• sodium chloride • Glucose
• potassium chloride • Fructose
• calcium chloride • Sucrose
• magnesium chloride • Maltose
• ferric chloride • tannic acid
• sodium sulfate • Glycerine
• ferric sulfate • Saccharine
• polyvinyl alcohol polyethylene
• higher fatty acid
• acid hydrolysates of grass
 Types of electrolyte
• Stainless steel 316L pipe : NaNO3
I. Salt-based
II. Acidic
III. Alkaline
IV. Passivating
V. Non-passivating

Sludging electrolyte: sludging electrolyte are those which form precipitates as

product of electrochemical reactions which remove material from the anodic
workpiece. Salt-based electrolytes are sludging electrolytes i.e. NaCl, NaNO3, KCl,
KNO3, NaClO3
Non-sludging electrolyte: dissolve the products of electrochemical reations. Acidic
electrolytes i.e. HF,HCl,HNO3,H2SO4 and alkaline electrolytes i.e. NaOH,KOH, 10
Comaprision of NaCl, KCl, NaBr, NaF
NaCl KCl NaBr NaF
Sodium chloride Potassium chloride Sodium bromide Sodium fluoride
Molecular Weight 58.44g/mol 74.55 g/mol 102.89 g/mol 41.988172 g/mol
Boiling point 2575 °F at 760 mm Hg Sublimes at 2732° F 1390 °C 3083 °F at 760 mm Hg (NTP, 1992)
(NTP, 1992)
Melting point 1474 °F (NTP, 1992) 1418 °F (NTP, 1992) 755 °C 1819 °F (NTP, 1992)
solubility 36.0 g/100 g of water at 25 In water, 35.5 g/100 In water, 94.6 Solubility in water 4.0 g/100 ml
°C, One gram dissolves in g water at 25 °C g/100 g water water at 15 °C. Solubility in water
2.8 mL water 4.3 g/100 ml water at 25 °C.
Solubility in water 5.0 g/100 ml
water at 100 °
Density 2.17 g/cm3 at 25 °C/4 °C, 1.98 g/cm³ 3.21 g/cm3 2.79 g/cm3 at 68 °F (USCG, 1999)
saturated aqueous solution
at 25 °C is 1.202 g/cm3
Viscosity saturated aqueous solution
= 1.93 mPa-s
Corrosivity corrosive to base metals
pH 6.7 to 7.3; its aqueous pH: about 7 pH = 6.5-8.0 7.4 (Freshly prepared saturated
solution is neutral soln)
Conductivity 0.01M NaCl 0.12 0.01M KCl 0.14 Sm-1
(NCERT)
Limiting Molar Na+ have 50.1 Cl- have 76.3 K+ have 73.5 Br- have 78.1
Molarity (M): molarity is defined as the number of moles of solute is dissolved in
one litre ( one cubic decimeter) of solution.
moles/L
Conductance G= (S) (S=siemen)
Conuctivity is (S/m)
A mol is the amount of matter that has a mass in grams equal to the atomic mass in
amu
of the atoms. Thus, a mole of carbon has a mass of 12 grams. The number of atoms
in a
mole is called the Avogadro number, Nav = 6.023 × 1023. Note that Nav = 1 gram/1
amu.
Selection of electrolyte
Electrolytes

Non-sludging
Sludging
1. can not be
1. Can be reused reused

Acidic
Passivating Non- passivating
1. Intensity of electrochemical 1. Increase rate of
reactions could diminish. dissolution Base
2. High voltage is required to
remove the passivating layer.
NaCl, KCl, NaF,
NaBr
NaNO3, NaClO3,
13
Na SO KNO