[nj_bartel]

I'm currently electrolyzing water to distill deuterium, and I'm using copper wires.  I just started, so LeChatlier's isn't inhibiting the reaction yet, but once it does, I believe the Cu²⁺ ions will be the only inhibiting factor.  What substance could I use to consume the copper ions that would be available to a private individual?  Thanks.

[Borek]

Please elaborate, I am not sure I understand what you are talking about.

[nj_bartel]

That's the electrolysis rig I have up at the moment, with a 6 Volt battery connected to 2 copper wires, placed into an aqueous NaCl solution.  My plan is to run repeated electrolysis as the water runs low in order to distill deuterium.  However, the copper ions released into solution from the electrolysis will eventually prevent the reaction from running, due to LeChatlier's principle, correct?  What I'm looking for is a substance that will consume those copper ions to allow the electrolysis reaction to shift back in favor of the products, preferably a substance that would be easily obtainable by a private citizen.

[Borek]

Sorry, I cant see a connection between Cu²⁺, water electrolysis and LeChatlier's principle.

[nj_bartel]

I knew I wasn't crazy - copper ions aren't supposed to be produced in that setup I have, are they?  For some reason I currently have a bright blue solution of what seems obviously to me consisting of copper ions.  Any ideas on that?

[Borek]

You are dissolving copper, but that's another story. You need electrodes that will not dissolve. That's the same problem those trying to electrolyse water in their cars face.

[billnotgatez]

My first impression is that you are getting electrode degradation that everyone gets when they use copper electrodes – many people use carbon electrodes as posted many times here on this forum.

My second thought is your are going to get deuterium gas at the same time you get hydrogen gas therefor you will not get heavy water.

[Borek]

Electrolysed water gets enriched in deuterium, but it doesn't mean deuetrium doesn't evolve. Industrial processes use many cells and enriched water is transferred to cells of the higher deuterium concentrations. At the same time evolving hydrogen from the latter steps (which is already enriched in deuterium as well) is burnt and water made is returned back to earlier steps.

[billnotgatez]

Let me know if you actually get heavy water from this home process.

[nj_bartel]

Ah, thanks.  It's a really significant quantity of copper that's dissolving into the solution, and that lead me to believe I was forgetting my electrolysis schooling and Cu ions were involved in the reaction somehow.

Will do Bill, first time I've done it.  Plan is just to electrolyze until the water container is near empty, refill it, repeat probably 20 times (long process) and hopefully obtain maybe 10 mL of heavy water.  Deuterium electrolyzes slightly more slowly than regular water does.

[nj_bartel]

Borek - I actually am producing copper ions, not just copper.  I had to think about it because it's a little indirect.

I'm producing NaOH in the electrolysis, which reacts with the chloride to form sodium hypochlorite, bleach.  Bleach reacts with the copper (albeit slowly) to yield Cu²⁺ ions.

[Borek]

To some oextent you can be right about hypochlorite oxidizing copper electrode, but even if there is no chlorine in the solution, I would expect copper to dissolve on anode. That's how it is purified electrolytically.

[nj_bartel]

I can accept that too, since the bleach oxidation is a pretty slow reaction  Thanks for clearing it up.  Electrochemistry is a big weak point of mine.