RR189 - Rate of ammonia production in the electrolysis of silver nitrate solutions
Describes work carried out to investigate the reduction of nitrate on metal and inert electrodes during the electrolytic recovery of silver. The principal aim was to determine the amount of ammonia produced during electrolysis. Three experimental tasks were completed in the study. The first two tasks confirmed that n=8, consistent with nitrate being reduced to ammonia. The ammonia concentration in solution was measured and showed a yield of greater than 40% conversion of nitrate to ammonia. The third task found that ammonia is formed under both acid and alkaline conditions with a high yield and the pH fluctuates and changes very rapidly from acid to alkaline conditions at critical points in the electrolysis.
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