Electrolysis amperage question - Shopsmith Forums (2024)

mmorris wrote:I'm getting ready to "fry" my rust away using the electrolysis method. My battery charger has several settings, both 6 and 12 volt. The settings are 2, 15, and 125 amp. Which do I use and about how long can I expect to leave them in the washing soda solution "cooking"? Thanks.

I'd go with 12V, 2amps, 12 to 24hrs. Too much amperage only heats the bath. Post some pics of your setup if you can.

I would go with 15. It doesn't actually control the current directly. Typically all it does is change the voltage, which causes an increase/decrease in barrery charge current.

You are not charging batteries, therefore other factors control the current. Those factors are mainly the area of the electrodes, and their proximity to each other.

I am saying all this after struggling myself with an unreliable charger. However, all I have said above is consistent with my observations after 'fixing' the charger.

Mike: Have you actually been heating the electrolyte????

foxtrapper wrote:Far more important than the amperage setting is the size and location of your annode. With lots of surface area, you'll get very quick results with 2 amps. With a small anode, you'll get poor results with 50 amps.

How do you get 50 A with a small anode?

Have you tried this by actually measuring a 50 A current flow, or are you 'setting' the charger to 50 A 'mode'?

Hi,

From my experience using a battery charger with a zero to 8 amp reading it will always run about 2 amps. That makes sense, the voltage is fixed and the resistance appears to be constant thus the current will be constant.

If you were using an adjustable power supply raising the voltage would change things but outside of that I really don't see anyway to force the current higher...

Ed

reible wrote:Hi,

From my experience using a battery charger with a zero to 8 amp reading it will always run about 2 amps. That makes sense, the voltage is fixed and the resistance appears to be constant thus the current will be constant.

If you were using an adjustable power supply raising the voltage would change things but outside of that I really don't see anyway to force the current higher...

Ed

ME too! That is why I asked the question re 50A! The simple charger I have switches taps on the transformer thus varying the voltage.

If charging batteries, the current will vary depending upon the condition(s) of the battery being charged.

If bubbling a washing soda solution, the electrodes and spacing are the additional determining factors.

JPG40504 wrote:How do you get 50 A with a small anode?

Have you tried this by actually measuring a 50 A current flow, or are you 'setting' the charger to 50 A 'mode'?

Oh good lord, can't you even recognize what I was saying?

foxtrapper wrote:Oh good lord, can't you even recognize what I was saying?

So WHICH were you 'saying'?]would[/B] get 'poor results' if 50A were actually achieved!

JPG40504 wrote:I would go with 15. It doesn't actually control the current directly. Typically all it does is change the voltage, which causes an increase/decrease in barrery charge current.

You are not charging batteries, therefore other factors control the current. Those factors are mainly the area of the electrodes, and their proximity to each other.

I am saying all this after struggling myself with an unreliable charger. However, all I have said above is consistent with my observations after 'fixing' the charger.

Mike: Have you actually been heating the electrolyte????

I DID heat the broth with my first older charger. This one had only a 6 and 12 V setting, nothing else. On 12V setting, the water would be tepid after overnight usage. On 6 V setting, water remained cool yet appeared to de-rust just as fast. I associated the cooler water with less current.

With my second newer charger, I would have it set at the 12V/10A setting and current would be about 8A initially dropping down to around 2-4A after a couple hours and stay there throughout the 12-24hr cycle.

I read somewhere that you CAN'T speed up electrolysis and that excess energy just goes into heating the electrolyte. Assuming that to be true, I figured I put my money into materials and supplies vs. to my electric company for heating liquid.

I'm open for views / counterviews since I don't know for sure. I just know what's worked for me and what I've observed in my trials.