Prospects of Sea Water Electrolysis for the Production of Hydrogen: An Exploratory Study on the Electrolysis of Magnesium Chloride Solution in the Presence of Sulfur

It was hypothesized that the use of sulfur powder or sulfur electrode in the sea-water electrolysis would prevent (i) chlorine evolution, (ii) precipitation of Mg(OH)2 and would at the same time result in the production of H2SO4, which might facilitate evolution of H2. The hypothesis was tested with MgCl2 solution as representative of sea water and using Pt, graphite, carbon felt working electrodes with sulfur powder and “sulfur” electrodes as working electrodes. Experimentally it was found that on the addition of sulfur or the use of a sulfur electrode (as anode), chlorine evolution was prevented on anode and Mg(OH)2 precipitation was prevented on cathode and at the same time H2SO4 was produced. H2 evolution, though confirmed, however, could not be quantitatively collected.

MAHBOOB MOHAMMAD ,MICHELLE KAUKHAB ,