[NewCandle] Rolled Al hydrolysis

[Nick Reiter]

Hi Keith,

Good speculations - lets see what happens when the
water is changed.

I'm finally setting up the four vessel test that I
hope will give me a notion about any possible
influences of rolled layers versus random crinkled
surfaces.  One more trip to the grocery store:)

The other night I had a notion that maybe a pure water
- Al hydrolysis cell could be maintained by periodic
hydroxide spalling jolts from an ultrasonic
transducer.  Of course, adding a little NaOH would
work too, I guess:)

It's a good exercise this... even if the basic
principles of hydrolysis are ho-hum, its good to
re-tuck them under one's belt and re-learn some
basics.  Makes it easier to get an idea if something
exotic like cavity constrained effects are kicking in.

N


--- Keith Nagel <NewCandleAdmin at ipdiscover.com> wrote:

> OK, the oxide layer has grown to the point
> where the reaction has diminished to just the
> occasional tiny bubble. I don't doubt that
> drying and heating the Al will get things moving
> again, as you'd be breaking the loose oxide
> skin by doing that. Either an acid or a base
> will do the same, and this experiment seems
> to indicate that when you dissolve Al in the
> acid or base solution it's the water that's
> doing the corrosion and the acid/base just
> cleans up the resulting oxide leaving a fresh
> surface
> for more corrosion. Would an anhydrous acid
> _not_ corrode Al? And is what's limiting the
> reaction now the film thickness or the solubility
> limit of the water? I can test this, by replacing
> the old water with fresh tomorrow morning and
> watch the results.
> 
> K.
> 



 
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