Since the 20's and over 50 years chemical engineering was developed by and for oil and its derivatives, using thermal and/or mechanical energy in separation operations (distillation, chromatography, osmosis. ..) and most chemical reactions (controlled by temperature or pressure). Electrical energy was absent of chemical reactors over the years. The oil crisis in 1973, the need for more effective use of raw materials, and the increased environmental awareness made, among other factors, electrochemical engineering, science, daughter of Chemical Engineering, be developed along the last three decades, and that its methodology was extended to an ever wider range of applications, which include:
• The processes of synthesis: Electrolysis (aluminum, chloralkali, ...)
Arc furnaces and plasma (steel, ...)
Organic Electro-synthesis (conducting polymers ...).
• The separation operations:
Electro-osmosis, electrophoresis, ...
• Waste treatment: Removal of heavy metals by reduction.
Removal by oxidation of organic wastes difficult to treat.
• The preparation of surfaces and surface treatment:
Electrochemical polishing, electrochemical machining. Protection against corrosion:
Metal deposition (zinc, chrome, nickel ,...)
Cathodic protection and anodic protection.
• Production systems and energy storage, fuel cells, dry cells, batteries.
The aim of this subject is, therefore, give an overview of this science and its technologies, which are not far beyond the Galician society interests, quite the contrary. Thus, in the automotive industry (Vigo) the electrophoretic coating is extensively used for protection against corrosion. In the marine industry, the cathodic protection systems. In the construction industry, the anodic protection (Padrón, anodized aluminum). In the production of metals, electrolysis (San Cibrao aluminum, Lugo). Those are some of many examples that illustrate the implementation of industrial electrochemical methods in our community, therefore, showing social interest.
