NUMERICAL-SIMULATION OF BULK ELECTROLYSIS IN THE PRESENCE OF HOMOGENEOUS FOLLOWING REACTIONS

A numerical procedure to simulate the influence of following homogeneo us. reactions during an exhaustive electrolysis experiment has been de veloped. Mass transport differential equations are solved by the ortho gonal collocation method. In the first stages of the electrolysis proc ess, time-dependent diffusion equations are integrated until a quasi-s teady state is reached within the diffusion layer. Then, the electroly sis time is divided in small intervals. Along each interval, concentra tion fluxes are first assumed to be time independent in order to estim ate bulk concentration changes; the new bulk concentrations then provi de a boundary condition to update the concentration profiles for the n ext time interval. Results corresponding to the father-son mechanism a re compared to those derived from previous treatments, which apply to the fast and slow kinetic limits. Finally, the concentration dependenc e of the number of electrons exchanged in the reduction of parabanic a cid is analyzed in terms of the kinetics of coupled inhibiting reactio ns.