The electrochemical reactor

The electrochemical reactor or electrolyzer enables chemical transformations to be carried out using electric current.

The science of electrolysis dates back to the early 19th century, with the discovery of water electrolysis. In the years that followed, electrochemistry made it possible to identify new pure bodies, thus becoming an important synthesis tool. The first industrial developments came at the beginning of the twentieth century, when sufficiently powerful dynamos became available, and over the course of the twentieth century, numerous preparative electrolysis processes were developed.

Today, electrochemical processes play a very important role in the chemical industry, and large tonnages of metal and mineral products are produced every year.

Readers may also wish to refer to the article [J 4 804] in Techniques de l'Ingénieur.