Electrodes For Industrial Electrochemistry

The papers included in this issue of ECS Transactions were originally presented in the symposium ¿Electrodes for Industrial Electrochemistry¿, held during the PRiME 2008 joint international meeting of The Electrochemical Society and The Electrochemical Society of Japan, with the technical cosponsorship of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, the Korean Electrochemical Society, the Electrochemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and the Chinese Society of Electrochemistry. This meeting was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from October 12 to 17, 2008.

The objective of this second edition remains the discussion of the many diverse roles of electrochemical technology in industry. Throughout the book, the intention is to emphasize that the applications, though extremely diverse, all are on the same principles of electrochemistry and electrochemical engineer based ing. Those familiar with the first edition will note a significant increase in the number of pages. The most obvious addition is the separate chapter on electrochemical sensors but, in fact, all chapters have been reviewed thoroughly and many have been altered substantially. These changes to the book partly reflect the different view of a second author as well as comments from students and friends. Also, they arise inevitably from the vitality and strength of electrochemical technology; in addition to important improvements in tech nology, new electrolytic processes and electrochemical devices continue to be reported. In the preface to the first edition it was stated: . . . the future for electrochemical technology is bright and there is a general expectation that new applications of electrochemistry will become economic as the world responds to the challenge of more expensive energy, of the need to develop new materials and to exploit different chemical feedstocks and of the necessity to protect the environment. The preparation of this second edition, seven years after these words were written, provided an occasion to review the progress of industrial electro chemistry.

Electrochemistry is clearly an important component of the technology of many quite diverseindustries. Moreover, the future for electrochemical technology is bright and there is a general expectation that new applications of electrochemistry will become economic as the world responds to the challenge of more expensive energy, of the need to develop new materials and to exploit different chemical feedstocks and of the necessity to protect the environment. " Inthis situation, the present rather fragmentary state ofelectrochemical technology is disappointing. Whilethere are many similarities in the underlying principles and even the practices of the electrochemically based industries, they are often not fully appreciated. Certainly, the Rand D programmes in many industries are in the hands of those with little formal training and whose experience of and interest in other branches of electrochemistry is very limited. Moreover, the academic world has done little to help. Electrode processes are, too often, totally ignored in courses to both scientists and engineers and certainly electrochemical technology is almost never taught as a unified subject with an appropriate balance between fundamentals, engineering and applications. Overall, it isnot surprising that the various strands have not interwoven and that scientists and engineers do not have a proper appreciation of the importance of electrochemical technology. Inthe first half of 1979 I conducted a survey into the research and development needs of the various industries in Britain using electrochemical technology.

Closing the gap between electrochemical engineering science and electrochemical technology, this volume is for all electrochemists and electrochemical engineers, metallurgists, engineers in chemical process, galvanic, metallurgical and electric power industries.

This volume represents the proceedings of the International Symposium on Electrochemistry in Industry - New Directions, held at Case Institute of Technology of Case Western Reserve University on October 20-22, 1980. This symposium was one of a number held at Case Institute during the 1980 calendar year as part of its centennial celebration. The following faculty members from Case Institute of Technol ogy constituted the organizing committee for the symposium: Uziel Landau, Chairman Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Robert Hehemann Professor of Metallurgy C. C. Liu Professor of Chemical Engineering Ernest Yeager Director of CLES and Professor of Chemistry All lectures at this symposium were by invitation. The manu scripts as received for all but two of the lectures are herein published in the order of presentation. Discussion submitted by participants in written form appears at the end of each paper. Part of the panel discussion on Future Trends in Major Electro chemical Industries has also been included in this volume. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . • • • . • 1 The Case Institute of Technology Centenial Celebration Case Laboratories for Electrochemical Studies THEME AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE: Ernest Yeager 3 I. Overview of Electrochemical Industries; Catalysis in Electrochemistry The Outlook for the Electrochemical Industry 5 V. de Nora Dimensionally Stable Anodes • • . • . . . . . . • . • . . 19 H. B. Beer Oxygen Electrodes for Industrial Electrolysis and 29 Electrochemical Power Generation . • . • • • E. Yeager II.

The papers included in this issue of ECS Transactions were originally presented in the symposium ¿Industrial Electrolysis and Electrochemical Engineering General Session¿, held during the 211th meeting of The Electrochemical Society, in Chicago, Illinois, from May 6 to 11, 2007.