I want to electrolyze water into its constituent gases. Do I need DC or can I use AC if I just want the mixture? If I could use line voltage with a current limiting resistor, that would be great. If I use a DC power supply (I have a 12V 25A switcher with some adjustment range) what do I want the float voltage to be if I use an LM317 as a current source? (ie reaction voltage + 2.5V + 1.25V).

 

Oh, and would lye (NaOH, aka red devil drain cleaner) be fine for increasing conductivity?

 

Hi,
Sodium Hydroxide is used commercially for Brown's gas or OxyHydrogen gas.

Take care its caustic, dont use metal containers for the liquid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown's_gas#Brown.27s_gas

__________________
Eric
"Good enough is Perfect"

PIC tutorials:
Gramo's: www.digital-diy.net/
Bill's: www.blueroomelectronics.com/

 

Some drain cleaners are not just NaOH. Many contain agents to make them bubble, which is probably more marketing than science. The label often does not reveal the other agents. You can buy NaOH and KOH on the Internet cheaply from the suppliers for biodiesel.

John

 

(Myth Busters) Didn't they create a fuel source for a bomb doing an experiment which included drain cleaner and aluminum foil or something ?

I don't remember.


kv

__________________
Truthiness Monkeys : Obedience, Ignorance, Fear.

 

Red Devil drain cleaner is pure NaOH. We use it in aquarium water filters to recharge cation and anion exchange units.

 

Draino, aluminum foil and water in a sealed bottle make quite the bang.

 

Is there really a reaction. If so what ?

The myth busters segment had maybe ammonium nitrate, aluminum

& drain cle....... (no) it was weed killer.

I could be wrong about the ammonium nitrate or Potassium nitrate.

Plus a flame.

__________________
Truthiness Monkeys : Obedience, Ignorance, Fear.

 

Aluminum is amphoteric and reacts with both acids and bases. It can react with NaOH to give hydrogen and aluminum hydroxide. The can hydrogen exert a lot of pressure, but if you hit it with a match, it is even more spectacular.

John

 

If it is a pressure thing like dry a ice bomb. What a mess.

I won't even address the exact concentrations we don't want kids loosing there eye's or worse.

John -Thank you for the explanation.


kv

__________________
Truthiness Monkeys : Obedience, Ignorance, Fear.

 

It just creates a gas and causes the plastic container to burst. I'd expect the gas to be nothing less than single isotope diatomic HHO cold fusion energy cell that can be used for an infinite future power plasmonic damager source. Sorry I had to.

 

Ok Ok I'm a gonna tell ya once ana won't tell ya twice they'll be making that the energy source for the future.

An then ya won't be makin funna us guy's out their in the ruts diggin yer butts otta trouble.

__________________
Truthiness Monkeys : Obedience, Ignorance, Fear.

 

I remember the episode now.

It was meow and moo.

 

Yeah but OSTA will get to it first and then we'll wind up huddled in the cold and dark 'cuz Big Oil wants it that way.