APPLICATION OF METALLIC FOAMS IN AN ELECTROCHEMICAL PULSED FLOW REACTOR .1. MASS-TRANSFER PERFORMANCE

This paper describes mass transfer in a porous percolated pulsated ele ctrochemical reactor (E3P reactor), fitted with nickel foam electrodes in an axial configuration. The work is aimed at optimization of the m ass transfer conditions in electroorganic reactions such as the oxidat ive cleavage of diols or the conversion of DAS (diacetone-L-sorbose) i nto DAG (diacetone-2-keto-L-gulonic acid). The use of nickel foam as a n electrode material is of interest for these electrocatalytic reactio ns due to its high specific surface area (4000 to 11 000 m(-1)) and it s high porosity (over 0.97). The electroreduction of ferricyanide has been chosen as a test reaction in order to correlate the mass transfer coefficient with the overall how velocity and the amplitude and frequ ency of the electrolyte pulsation. Four foam grades have been tested.