Question

Antimony (III) oxide is primarily used as a flame retardant in consumer products such as automobile interiors. When antimony (III) oxide undergoes electrolysis, elemental antimony and a gas are produced.

(a) Write the two half-reactions that occur in the electrolysis of antimony (III) oxide.

(b) Suppose you wish to produce 1 kg of elemental antimony at 90% efficiency. How many moles of electrons must pass through your electrochemical cell to yield this mass of antimony?

(c) What current (in units of A) would you need to supply to the cell in order to produce 1 kg of elemental antimony at 90% efficiency over the course of 24 hours?

(d) What volume of gas would be evolved by the same electrolysis reaction at 90% efficiency if it occurs at a temperature of 25˚C and a constant ambient pressure of 1 atm?