Produção de hidrogênio amarelo e hipoclorito de sódio a partir de salmoura em uma célula eletrolítica individida

Abstract

The search for new sources of clean and renewable energy is essential given the global need to mitigate air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, hydrogen stands out as a promising energy carrier for replacing fossil fuels, since its use results in low or no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Hydrogen production routes are classified by color according to the energy source used; this study focuses on yellow hydrogen, obtained via electrolysis powered by the local electrical grid. The methodology involved the use of an undivided (single-cell) electrolytic cell fed by sea salt brine, simultaneously generating hydrogen (H2) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) — a compound widely used in water treatment and disinfection. The quantification of the generated products follows a methodology based on the volumetric method and aims to analyze the behavior of three experiments with varying current densities of 200 mA·cm−2, 300 mA·cm−2, and 400 mA·cm−2. The results demonstrated that the current density of 300 mA·cm−2 exhibited lower specific energy consumption than the others. Additionally, the maximum production of yellow hydrogen (H2) was 37.7 L, with a maximum concentration of 14.64 g/L of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO).