Applications of Electrolytic Cells

The applications of electrolytic cell is given below:

Electrolytic Production of Chemicals: Electrolytic cells are used in the industrial production of various chemicals, including chlorine, sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and aluminum. Electrochemical processes enable the conversion of raw materials into valuable chemical products through controlled electrochemical reactions.

Electroplating: Electrolytic cells can be used in electroplating, which is the process of forming a protective layer of a specific metal on another metal.

Electrolytic Capacitors: Electrolytic capacitors are electronic components that use an electrolyte as one of their conducting plates. They are widely used in electronic circuits for applications such as filtering, coupling, and energy storage due to their relatively high capacitance values and low cost.

Electrorefining: Electrolytic cells are used in the electrorefining of metals, such as copper, zinc, and aluminum, to purify them. In the electrorefining process, impure metal is dissolved into an electrolyte solution, and pure metal is deposited on the cathode while impurities settle as anode mud or remain in the electrolyte. This process helps produce high-purity metals suitable for various industrial applications.

Electrowinning: Electrolytic cells can be used in the electrowinning of metals like zinc, aluminum, copper, and lead.

Electrolysis of Water: Electrolytic cells are employed in the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. By passing an electric current through water, it undergoes decomposition into its constituent elements: hydrogen gas is evolved at the cathode, and oxygen gas is evolved at the anode. This process is used in various applications, including hydrogen fuel production, energy storage, and industrial processes.

Electrolytic Cell – Definition, Diagram, Working, Applications

An electrolytic cell is a electrochemical cell in which electrical energy is used to carry out chemical reaction in the cell. The chemical reaction happening inside an electrolytic cell is a redox reaction, which is spontaneous in nature. This whole process of carrying out chemical reactions with the help of electric current is called electrolysis.

In this article, we will learn in detail about electrolytic cell, its component, diagram and working. We will also learn difference between electrolytic cell and galvanic cell.

Table of Content

  • What is an Electrolytic Cell?
  • Working of Electrolytic Cell
  • Electrolytic Cell and Electrolysis
  • Difference Between Galvanic Cells and Electrolytic Cells
  • Applications of Electrolytic Cells

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What is an Electrolytic Cell?

An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical device that uses electrical energy to start a chemical reaction. The cell consists of two electrodes (anode and cathode) immersed in an electrolyte solution. An external voltage is applied between the electrodes to drive a redox reaction at the electrode surfaces. This electric current cause the electrolyte to split into constituent ions which are mobile in nature. The ion then start moving towards electrode in the manner that anions move to anode and cations move to cathode. This lead to the deposition of element of the electrodes. This whole process is called electrolysis. Hence, we can say that an electrolytic cell is a chemical cell which operates on the principle of electrolysis....

Working of Electrolytic Cell

In an electrolytic cell, two electrodes are dipped into an electrolyte. When electric current is supplied to the electrolytic cell, the electrolyte breaks down into its constituent cations and anions. Now cations being positive in nature get attracted to negative diode which is cathode. The anion of the electrolyte being negative in nature get attracted to the anode which is a positive diode....

Electrolytic Cell and Electrolysis

Electrolysis is a technique that uses an electric current to drive a chemical reaction that would otherwise not occur. Electrolytic cells are electrochemical cells that use an external source of electrical energy to force a chemical reaction....

Difference Between Galvanic Cells and Electrolytic Cells

The difference between Galvanic Cell and Electrolytic Cell is tabulated below:...

Applications of Electrolytic Cells

The applications of electrolytic cell is given below:...

Conclusion

An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that converts electrical energy into chemical energy. This process drives a non-spontaneous redox action. Electrolytic cells decompose chemical compounds in electrolysis. It is a process that breaks down ionic substances. Two half-cells create one electrolytic cell: reduction half-cell and oxidation half-cell....

Frequently Asked Questions on Electrolytic Cell

What is meant by electrolytic cell?...

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