How to Make HHO Electrolyzer
A water (HHO) electrolyzer may be any device that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The simplest type of water electrolyzer involves adding an electrolyte to the water, allowing the water to conduct electricity. You then may pass an electrical current through the water, which causes the hydrogen and oxygen atoms to separate. This principle is easy to demonstrate with common household items, and you can make a more sophisticated version with a Hoffman voltameter.
Things You'll Need
- 9V Battery
- Battery clip
- Glass
- Hoffman voltameter
- Sodium hydroxide
- Water
- Wire stripper
Instructions
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1
Fill a glass with water, and add sodium hydroxide (lye) equal to one fourth of the weight of the water. Mix the lye thoroughly until it completely dissolves in the water. The lye conducts electricity and serves as the electrolyte.
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2
Remove 1 to 2 centimeters of the insulation from both leads on the battery clip with the wire strippers. Place these free ends into the glass of water so they don't touch each other. The leads also should not touch the sides of the glass.
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3
Insert the battery into the battery clip. You should immediately be able to observe bubbles forming on both leads. The bubbles on the negative lead are hydrogen gas, and the bubbles on the positive lead are oxygen.
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4
Obtain a Hoffman voltameter from a laboratory supply store. This device is a glass apparatus that consists of three vertical tubes. These tubes are open at the top and connected on the bottom by a horizontal tube. The tubes on the end each contain a lead that exits through the bottom of the tubes.
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Pour the water and lye solution through the top of the middle tube. Connect each lead to a terminal on the battery. The arrangement of tubes in the Hoffman voltameter allows you to collect the hydrogen and oxygen gases much more efficiently than an ordinary glass.
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