Electrolyzer for Production of Environmentally Safe Functional Aqueous Solutions: Analysis of Mass Transfer in Annulus

The first attempts to apply electrolyzed aqueous solutions for water ­disinfection were performed in Russia in the late XIX century. However, the rapid development in the technology of electrolytic water oxidation and application of electrolyzed aqueous solutions have commenced in the USSR only in 1960s. At present, this technology is being developed in numerous countries around the world. It is reflected in an increased number of the publications in peer-reviewed journals and other informational sources. Moreover, a number of companies were ­established to pursue commercialization of the technology. The possibility of use of electrolyzed aqueous solutions as power disinfectants of potable water and swimming pools, bactericidal agent for disinfection and sterilization of living tissues, materials, medical and food processing equipment, etc. have been demonstrated in various trials. Nevertheless, the broader application of the technology is hindered by a lack of profound theoretical and experimental studies of production of electroactivated aqueous solutions and the mechanisms of their activity. Particularly, the characteristics of mass transport inside the electrolyzer and their relation to the constructional features of the apparatus and functional properties of produced solutions are poorly understood. We described the transport phenomena inside the permanently flowing electrochemical reactor and investigated the current–voltage relationships to gain understanding of the nature of the electrode reactions.