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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Other Sciences Question Forum => Topic started by: DavidThorne on July 26, 2004, 07:46:48 PM

Title: Electrolysis of CO2?
Post by: DavidThorne on July 26, 2004, 07:46:48 PM

CO2 liquifies at modest pressure, even at room temperature.  Using a carbon electrode and a relatively inert electrode would it be possible to decompose CO2 into carbon and oxygen by electrolysis?

Title: Re:Electrolysis of CO2?
Post by: jdurg on July 26, 2004, 08:34:34 PM

Nope.  CO2 does not conduct electricity.  You need to have a movement of electrons in order to electrolyse something.  That's why when they make fluorine gas, they have to have some potassium-hydrogen-fluoride in the anhydrous HF in order to carry out the electrolysis.  (Because pure HF does NOT conduct electricity).