There is a proposed method to sequester carbon and reduce ocean acidification by doing this process, extracting the Hydrogen and Chlorine (or hydrochloric acid) for industrial purposes, and releasing the sodium hydroxide to absorb dissolved CO2 (carbonic acid) into sodium carbonate.
> But if they manage to get H2 from it then the sodium, oxygen, and chlorine have to bind into something else than usual I guess.
It's the same electrolysis process used today in swimming pools to generate chlorine. The hydrogen evaporates, the chlorine ends up in the water, and the chemical reaction ends up producing the same salt it started with. You don't have to add salt[0] and the chlorine pretty quickly evaporates and breaks down in sunlight if you don't put cyanuric acid in the water to bind it.
Mostly it could be ignored, though if the chlorine level got high enough it would kill the organic things.
[0] except for losses due to other reasons than chlorine generation
moffkalast|3 years ago
But if they manage to get H2 from it then the sodium, oxygen, and chlorine have to bind into something else than usual I guess.
LarsAlereon|3 years ago
rootusrootus|3 years ago
It's the same electrolysis process used today in swimming pools to generate chlorine. The hydrogen evaporates, the chlorine ends up in the water, and the chemical reaction ends up producing the same salt it started with. You don't have to add salt[0] and the chlorine pretty quickly evaporates and breaks down in sunlight if you don't put cyanuric acid in the water to bind it.
Mostly it could be ignored, though if the chlorine level got high enough it would kill the organic things.
[0] except for losses due to other reasons than chlorine generation
lazide|3 years ago