is koh bad for PVC Plastic

[thedore]

I have 4 cells that initally performed very good but seem to be getting worse with age. I assume the KOH I am using ( weak) is not compatable with the plastic ( PVC) pipe. Anyone have similar results?

[BeaverRat]

I don't know for sure but I would assume it is OK because a lot of guys use PVC Shower Pan Liner for Dry Cell gaskets and it holds up just fine...

[lhazleton]

I've never heard of any problem with KOH reacting with PVC. As BeaverRat mentioned, it's commonly used as gasket material. It's also used for bubblers, reservoirs, and housings for wet cells. The only thing that will affect it is heat. I'm assuming that you have 'wet cells'.
If performance is deteriorating, have you cleaned them?

[thedore]

I think the lousy performance is because the cells are too cold. It is not the PVC. I have added a hot pad to heat up the 4 cells in a 5 gallon bucket.

[chuggins143]

This brings up a subject that I was wondering about... I've seen discussion about units generating too much heat and that's a problem of using too much voltage and/or not enough neutral plates. ...but I've also seen where guys are putting heaters in. So this leads me to ask, is there an optimum temp where generators work?
THX
Chad

[H2OPWR]

This brings up a subject that I was wondering about... I've seen discussion about units generating too much heat and that's a problem of using too much voltage and/or not enough neutral plates. ...but I've also seen where guys are putting heaters in. So this leads me to ask, is there an optimum temp where generators work?
THX
Chad

The hotter the cell the more effecient it will become. Water is far more conductive when hot. Metal is less conductive when hot but it is not linear. The water gains far more than the metal loses. The problem is mostly the degredation of the materials used to construct the reactor. A smaller problem much easier to solve is the moisture in the gas. I have found that removing the moisture and heat from the gas is childs play. The big problem is getting the gaskets and end plates to take the heat without coming apart. It just requires better materials at a higher cost. The last problem is keeping the e-lite from boiling. That takes pressure and with that comes a very real danger of explosion. I run my nickel/teflon cell well over 300 degrees with regularity. I have to use around 60 PSI to keep everything under control. That requires a special $500.00 stainless high pressure resevoir and a $250.00 stainless pressure regulator. Even then I would never even attempt to light a torch while doing this. A backflash would be catastrofic resulting in injury or death. I do it for experimentation only. It is best to maintain no pressure and normal temps if you are using the gas.

Larry

[chuggins143]

Thanks for the reply Larry. That makes sense.
C