sci.energy

Paul F. Dietz wrote:

>
>
> > Electrolyzing salt water produces chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide.
> > Hydrogen is NOT
> > released. Most of the NaOH combines with some of the chlorine to produce
> > sodium
> > hypochlorite, NaOCl.
>
> Of course hydrogen is released. The reaction is:
>
> NaCl + H2O --> NaOH + 1/2 H2 + 1/2 Cl2
>
> And there's not enough chlorine to react 'most of the NaOH', btw.
>
> If you disagree with this, post what you think the overall reaction is.
>
> Paul
>

If you stir the electrolyte sufficiently during the electrolysis, you
really do get NaOCl and hydrogen:

NaCl + H2O --> NaOCL + H2

If you don't stir it, but make sure to keep the gases separate, the
chlorine gas won't dissolve in the electrolyte, and you get the reaction
you mention:

NaCl + H2O --> NaOH + 1/2 H2 + 1/2 Cl2

If the cathode is mercury, you even get sodium amalgam and chlorine from
the reaction:

NaCl --> Na + 1/2 Cl2

So, you see, what you get depends entirely on how you set up your
experiment/process.

S.