Work

Minimum current for detachment of electrolytic bubbles

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: The efficiency of water electrolysis is significantly impacted by the generation of micro- and nanobubbles on the electrodes. Here molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the dynamics of single electrolytic nanobubbles on nanoelectrodes. The simulations reveal that, depending on the value of current, nucleated nanobubbles either grow to an equilibrium state or grow unlimitedly and then detach. To account for these findings, the stability theory for surface nanobubbles is generalized by incorporating the electrolytic gas influx at the nanobubble's contact line and adopting a real gas law, leading to accurate predictions for the numerically observed transient growth and stationary states of the nanobubbles. With this theory, the minimum current for bubble detachment can also be derived analytically. In the detachment regime, the radius of the nanobubble first increases with time (t) as $R\propto t^{1/2}$ and then as $R\propto t^{1/3}$ , up to bubble detachment.

Source: Journal of Fluid Mechanics

DOI: 10.1017/jfm.2023.898

Authors: Yixin Zhang, Detlef Lohse

Institutions: Max Planck University of Twente Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

Language: English

Topic: Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,255

Funders: University of Cambridge, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek