A Flow‐Through Porous Electrode Model: Application to Metal‐Ion Removal from Dilute Streams

Abstract

A one‐dimensional model for flow‐through porous electrodes operating above and below the limiting current of a metal deposition reaction has been developed. The model assumes that there is one primary reactant species in an excess of supporting electrolyte, and that a simultaneous side reaction may occur. The model predicts nonuniform reaction rates due to ohmic, mass‐transfer, and heterogeneous kinetic limitations; the effects of axial diffusion and dispersion are included. Results are compared with the experimental data observed by various authors for the deposition of copper from sulfate solutions with the simultaneous generation of dissolved hydrogen. Satisfactory agreement between model predictions and experimental data on over‐all reactor performance and deposit distributions has been accomplished. For an upstream counterelectrode, distributions of reaction rate (for both single and multiple reactions), concentration, and potential describe the detailed system behavior.