Electrolysis; storing the hydrogen and oxygen?

[ScienceHobbyist101]

I'm considering electrolyzing water, using wood ash as the electrolyte.

 

1. Is there anything in wood ash that would react with the graphite rods mechanical pencils use?

 

2. As far as means that are cheap and easily available go, what would you recommend for how to store the hydrogen and oxygen?

[Sensei]

2. As far as means that are cheap and easily available go, what would you recommend for how to store the hydrogen and oxygen?

 

1 L of gas has approximately ~ 0.04464 mol/L

but 1 L of water has ~ 55.5 mol/L

That's it: gas has ~ 1243 times smaller density.

From 1 mol of water you can create 1 mol of H₂, and 0.5 mol of O₂.

So if you would manage to split 1L of water to Hydrogen and Oxygen you would produce nearly 1864 L of gases = 1.864 m³.

 

You could try liquefying, but it's not easy, nor safe (remind what happened with Challenger),

liquid Hydrogen has density ~ 70.85 g/L,

liquid Oxygen has density ~ 1141 g/L,

 

So from 1L of water you would get ~ 1.58 L of liquid Hydrogen, and ~ 0.79 L of liquid Oxygen.

[ScienceHobbyist101]

The idea wasn't to leave it unattended; at least not for extended periods of time. I get that it can produce a lot of gas for a small amount of water.

 

My question was simply what to store it in. I already have a bunch of empty soda bottles. I was considering getting balloons. Would either of these reliably contain the gases? And is there any clean-burning alternative that could also safely contain the gases until thrown in the outdoor fireplace? (I wouldn't throw plastic into the fireplace, obviously, and even hydrogen and oxygen would be thrown from a safe distance and only in small amounts.)

Edited June 16, 2016 by ScienceHobbyist101

[Sensei]

See how it's done here

Up-side-down graduated cylinders, filled with water, gas is gathering at the top of them.

 

I was considering getting balloons. Would either of these reliably contain the gases?

 

Not for a long time, as they are not perfectly hermetic leak-tight.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Sensei

[ScienceHobbyist101]

What about plastic bottles, then?

[Enthalpy]

You could begin by evaluating the gas volume you could produce with the current and time you consider.

You could try liquefying, but it's not easy, nor safe (remind what happened with Challenger),

 

And what happened with Challenger?