Nonsymmetric ionic transport in a nonbinary electrolyte at high voltage

Ionic transport in one- and two-dimensional (2D) electrolytic cells operating at high voltage with a nonsymmetric electrolyte consisting of three species is simulated numerically. The numerical simulations are aimed at elucidating the differences in the onset of the electroconvective instability in the nonsymmetric electrolyte in a 2D electrolytic cell compared with that for a symmetric binary electrolyte. An extensive parametric study is performed to determine the mechanisms governing the onset of the instability. In addition, the main characteristics of the spatiotemporal evolution of the electroconvective instability are investigated. By focusing on the characteristics typical of the onset of the electroconvective instability in a nonsymmetric electrolyte, we are able to offer a physical interpretation and a detailed discussion of the origin and development of this instability.

Figure 1

Composition of the printer ink. Reprinted with permission of IS&T: The Society for Imaging Science and Technology sole copyright owners of The Journal of Imaging Science and Technology [40].

Figure 2

Schematic representation of the gap between the main electrode and developer roller in which the ink flows. Reprinted with permission of IS&T: The Society for Imaging Science and Technology sole copyright owners of the NIP24: International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication 2008 [41].

Figure 3

Schematics of the geometry.

Figure 4

1D ionic transport within an electrolyte between two open electrodes. The results were obtained for the values of $\epsilon =2.5\times {10}^{-4}$, $t=1.7\times {10}^{-6}$, and for three species $c_r={10}^{-4}$: (a) distribution of the space-charge density ${\rho }_E$; (b) spatial distribution of the terms $|z_i|c_i$ ($i=1$ for cations, 2 for anions, and 3 for the third species) contributing to the space-charge density ${\rho }_E$.

Figure 5

Spatial distribution of the electric-field magnitude $\left|\mathit{E}\right|$ for different $c_r$ values. The results were obtained for the values of $\epsilon =2.5\times {10}^{-4}$ and $t=1.7\times {10}^{-6}$.

Figure 6

ECI patterns of cation and anion species a short time after its generation, including 1D charge concentration curves for each species. (a) $\epsilon =2.5\times {10}^{-4}$, $c_r={10}^{-4}$. (b) $\epsilon =2.5\times {10}^{-4}$, $c_r=5\times {10}^{-4}$.

Figure 7

The VP wave number versus time at the ECI onset for the anode (black circles) and the cathode (black squares) in the 2D electrolytic cell.