Mass Transfer in Alternating Current Electrolysis

Abstract

A diffusion model was used to obtain an analytical solution for the mass transport to a rotating disk electrode under superimposed sinusoidal and triangular alternating current conditions for the case where the polarity of the applied current does not change. The analytical solution was compared to a numerical solution which resulted from a convective‐diffusion model. Using the analytical solution, an expression for the instantaneous diffusion limiting current density was derived and verified experimentally using a ferri‐ferrocyanide reaction system. Further, a quantitative comparison was made between the maximum rate of electrolysis under superimposed sinusoidal, triangular, and rectangular alternating current conditions with equal cycle times.