In the process of electrolysis, electrical power is used to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen molecules via the reaction:
H2O --> H2 + ½O2
This is very much like running a hydrogen fuel cell in reverse. We assume that only the activation potential for the hydrogen reaction is non-negligible. All other potentials are negligible. Hence the relevant parameters are :
PO2 PH2 Temp j0(H2) α(H2)
1 atm 1 atm 350 K 0.10 A/cm2 0.50
What is the minimum voltage needed to drive this reaction at these conditions, in volts?
What is the current density in A/cm2 at a voltage of 1.5 V?
What area of the cell, in cm2, do we need in order to get a rate of H2 production of 1 mol/sec?