THEORY OF THERMAL EFFECTS IN ELECTROCHEMICAL-CELLS

The steady-state heating of a metal salt during galvanostatic electrol ysis in a cell containing a binary or ternary electrolyte solution and two parallel electrodes of identical size is studied theoretically. T emperature distributions are calculated analytically and numerically f or different current densities. Specific features intrinsic to the tem perature distribution in the vicinity of the limiting diffusion-migrat ion currents are analyzed. The theoretical analysis of the temperature distribution in the cell is based on the exact solution of the electr odiffusion problem described by the Nernst-Planck equations and an app roximate solution of the steady-state heat equation containing st heat source that corresponds to Joule heat evolution caused by the electri c current passing through the cell.