How to seperate hydrogen and oxygen in/after electrolysis?

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gasmark5

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as i understand it, the efficency of an electrolyzer is determined by the conductivity of the electrolyte and how close the electrodes are to each other. If one has an array of electrodes right next to each other it becomes impossible to speratly collect hydrogen and oxygen (as far as i can tell) is there any way to seperate the hydrogen and oxygen after production? or alternativly, exatcly how dangerous is it to compress 2 parts hydrogen with 1 part oxygen? (i don't really like the idea......) many thanks =D
George
 
you can collect them separately by having electrodes separated and O2 gas will form on the plus and H2 on the negative. see here. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bioage.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/standard_electrolysis.png&imgrefurl=http://shockyouup.blogspot.com/2008/10/we-are-adicted.html&usg=__1aohM_cHdcOrJCnNz1ryYW-aml0=&h=340&w=371&sz=65&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=5OxzNzWZB4mkyM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwater%2Belectrolysis%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG


if you try to compress the mixture, it will explode via autoignition from the heat of compression unless the compression ratios are very low.

A pressure swing adsorption Psa) system utilizing a mole sieve with compression is used to take H2 concentrations from 90% to 99+%.

You could use cryogenics, but you'd have to use sub cooled liquid nitrogen.

The first way is the ONLY way.

I hope you have lots of money, because this experiment will be costly and you should have loads of insurance, because it is dangerous. If you select the wrong electrolyte, a fatal mixture of gases will form.
 
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