Week 2
Week 2
Summary
Written by Trumann (30 Oct 2021)
What was Done this week
For week 2, the team has decided to construct the design done by the previous group to identify any flaws and observe its effectiveness. We planned to conduct other experiments on chitosan to find out more about how it reacts with acetic acid, and soaking 3D printing material into our chosen electrolyte (KOH) to observe its reaction. The team has planned to use a mixture of laser cutting and 3D printing to make our first prototype so the results of the 3D printing material experiment will be important.
It was found that chitosan does not dissolve in 1% acetic acid as quickly as we hope. The previous group's design was replicated and the required solutions were prepared. The result of the experiment was that Hydrogen was produced which meant that it works but the team had identified flaws in the design like how the electrolyte leaking into the container elevating the container holding the electrolyte and electrode. The 3D printing material was observed to break down when dissolved in KOH which meant the team has think of another way to overcome this obstacle.
Follow-up
After Practical 1, additional literature reviews we done to solidify our understanding on chitosan as the dissolving it would prove to be important in our project. The team has noted down the flaws from the previous group's design and took them into account in our first prototype which is we have planned to do on Week 3. The 3D printing material will be switched for another material or the idea of using 3D printing maybe scrapped entirely in favor for laser cut acrylic which does not react to KOH.