Paramagnetic additive method of optimizing cell electrohydrodynamics

Abstract

Magnetoelectrolysis cells known to operate successfully without utilizing a non-electrogenerated paramagnetic additive added to an aqueous electrolyte solution of such a cell may in some instances be further enhanced by utilizing such an additive. However, excessive amounts of additive are impracticable and formerly proposed transition metal salts used as paramagnetic additives were never demonstrated as effective except when used in large amounts. Now it is disclosed that small amounts of a salt of a paramagnetic lanthanide solve the problem, if methodically applied to enhancing the magnetoelectrolysis cell in accordance with the specified steps of the invention.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] This invention relates, in general, to utilizing selected chemical additives in fluid electrolyte solutions of electrochemical cells exemplified by types described hereinafter, for the purpose, primarily, though not necessarily exclusively, of initiating and / or increasing a measurable extent of beneficial fluid convection. [0003] More particularly, what is taught and claimed below as new is an improved method of utilizing non-electrogenerated paramagnetic species of inorganic solutes as solution-improving additives added to aqueous electrolyte solutions of electrochemical cells, preexistently designed to operate more effectively, than otherwise, when a suitably strong external magnetic field of permanent magnet or electromagnet origin projects within a volume containing an aqueous electrolyte solution between an anode and a cathode. [0004] Known from background art are several cells made to utilize magnetic phenomena, incl...

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Benefits of technology

[0024] One object of the present invention is to avoid making any kinds of changes to an electrolyte solution that are likely to damage prospects for procuring usual recognized advantages of electrochemical cells featuring performance affected by imposed magnetic fields, such as the following advantages: reducing internal resistance by reducing thickness of the diffusion layer at an electrode, and by decreasing concentration polarization; increasing mass transport and raising the limiting current density for a given electrolytic process in a given cell; achieving (for plating cells) uniformly smooth deposition of the intended plating species on an electrode; lengthening secondary battery life-cycles by suppressing formation of dendrites; effectively lowering the specific resistance of the electrolyte solution; and enabling substantially all active sites on an electrode to be used, rather than just the most active sites.

[0027] Fortunately, after a long course of unpublished non-routine experiments, the present inventor recently discovered that systematic steps of applying the present invention resulted in finding surprising effectiveness of a paramagnetic salt of a lanthanide element, which worked as a low-concentration additive to a nickel-metal hydride cell's aqueous potassium hydroxide electrolyte solution of about 5M, at just under about 0.04 M whole solution molarity, or a molarity ratio of about 100:1 instead of the equimolar previously cited solutions.

[0032] A step at Stage 3, stability assurance, requires ruling out in-solution valence changes and / or ligand-associated coordinations likely to degrade effectiveness of an added paramagnetic solute.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, potential users of the method are apt to doubt its real world value unless, by minimizing materials needed, manufacturing costs are kept reasonable.

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