Applications
About four percent of hydrogen gas produced worldwide is created by electrolysis. The majority of this hydrogen produced through electrolysis is a side product in the production of chlorine. This is a prime example of a competing side reaction.
- 2 NaCl + 2 H2O → Cl2 + H2 + 2 NaOH
The electrolysis of brine (saltwater), a water sodium chloride mixture, is only half the electrolysis of water since the chloride ions are oxidized to chlorine rather than water being oxidized to oxygen. The hydrogen produced from this process is either burned (converting it back to water), used for the production of specialty chemicals, or various other small scale applications.
Water electrolysis is also used to generate oxygen for the International Space Station.
Read more about this topic: Electrolysis Of Water