On the nature of the electric charge of electrolytic hydrogen bubbles and their role in the creation of forced electrolyte convection

V. N. Zaichenko - I. A. Rusetskyi

V.I. Vernadskii Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Ukrainian NAS, 32-34 Palladin ave., 03142 Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract
The shape of the trajectories of charged electrolytic bubbles in a uniform magnetic field, which resemble parabolas, indicates that the bubbles have a certain momentum at the moment when they detach from the electrodes. The hypothesis put forward earlier on electron emission from the cathode to the surface of hydrogen bubbles to form hydrated electrons made it possible to explain the presence of the momentum. It has been experimentally proved that the deviation of the bubble trajectories in the magnetic field is caused only by the presence of electric charges on their surface, but not by the conductive action of the electrolyte current. The lifetime of hydrated electrons in an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution was determined from the experimental results and data obtained by other authors. These data facilitate the development of controlled forced electrolyte convection by an external magnetic field, which leads to an increase in mass exchange and hence in efficiency of hydrometallurgical and other electrochemical processes. Figs 3, Refs 8.