Calendar

LEC # TOPICS KEY DATES
Unit 1: Equilibrium Electrochemistry or "Ions in Solution"
1 Thermodynamic and transport properties of electrolytes -- aqueous and molten Problem Set 1 out
2 Solution models: Debye-Hückel (aqueous), Temkin (molten salts)
3 Electrode potentials (the underlying physics, i.e., electron excess or electron deficiency on the electrode) Problem Set 1 due
4 Emf series (aqueous and molten salts) Problem Set 2 out
5 Reference electrodes (thermodynamics [establishing the voltage value] and kinetics [their iE characteristic])
6 (cont.) Problem Set 2 due
Unit 2: Electrochemical Kinetics or Rate of Processs in Electrochemistry
7 Electrode-electrolyte interface, nature of the double layer Problem Set 3 out
8 Kinetics of electrode processes, competition between processes involving mass transport and interfacial processes such as charge transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface
9 (cont.) Problem Set 3 due
10 Laboratory techniques to determine rate and mechanism: controlled E, controlled i, a.c. methods, i.e., a.c. voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, including underlying electrical engineering -- construction of the equivalent circuit Problem Set 4 out
11 (cont.)
12 Phasors and impedance plots in the complex plane -- data interpretation for process optimization, on-line control Problem Set 4 due
13 Stationary and rotating electrodes Problem Set 5 out
14 Test 1
Unit 3: Electrochemical Processing
15 Winning, refining, plating, synthesis Problem Set 5 due
16 Current efficiency, voltage efficiency, power efficiency, energy balances
Problem Set 6 out
17 Materials issues and environmental issues
18 Case studies on Hall cell electrolysis to produce aluminum and electrolytic production of magnesium by both the Dow process and the I.G. Farben process Problem Set 6 due
19 Contemporary industrial practice -- includes consideration of environmental issues Problem Set 7 out
Omissions
20 Batteries & fuel cells.
21 (cont.) Problem Set 7 due
22 Test 2