Experimental electrolysis using alternating current at supply voltage

Electrolysis with direct current has numerous applications owing to the well defined polarity of D.C. But alternating current has almost no application. Due to the availability of A.C and numerous other reasons A.C could provide a good alternative in the field of electrolysis. A few solutions like nickel sulfate; copper chloride, lead acetate etc. show reactions on the application of alternating electric field between two active electrodes such as iron. Such reactions do not occur at all or occur very slowly in the absence of such a field. So alternating current may accelerate some specific reactions. As every electrolyte has negative temperature coefficient of resistance, the increased temperature results in passage of higher current thereby accelerating the reaction. However these reactions are highly selective in nature. Also the current through the solution has to be carefully and properly controlled. In this paper investigations using alternating current (at supply voltage and frequency) on electrolytic solutions have been outlined.