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

Abstract

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.