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Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Vol.24, No.2, 95-106, 1994
Studies of 3-Dimensional Electrodes in the Fm01-LC Laboratory Electrolyzer
A FM01-LC parallel plate, laboratory electrochemical reactor has been modified by the incorporation of stationary, flow-by, three-dimensional electrodes which fill an electrolyte compartment. The performance of several electrode configurations including stacked nets, stacked expanded metal grids and a metal foam (all nickel) is compared by (i) determining the limiting currents for a mass transport controlled reaction, the reduction of ferricyanide in 1 M KOH and (ii) measuring the limiting currents for a kinetically controlled reaction, the oxidation of alcohols in aqueous base. It is shown that the combination of the data may be used to estimate the mass transfer coefficient, k(L), and the specific electrode area, A(e), separately. It is also confirmed that the use of three dimensional electrodes leads to an increase in cell current by a factor up to one hundred. Finally, it is also shown that the FM01-LC reactor fitted with a nickel foam anode allows a convenient laboratory conversion of alcohols to carboxylic acids; these reactions are of synthetic interest but their application has previously been restricted by the low rate of conversion at planar nickel anodes.
Keywords:OXIDE COATED ELECTRODES;BY POROUS-ELECTRODES;ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION;MASS-TRANSPORT;ORDERED SHEETS;EXPANDED METAL;BED ELECTRODE;FLOW-THROUGH;AQUEOUS BASE;NICKEL FOAM