Having done some pilot scale experiments (60 l barrels), I’ve noticed that mixers are absolutely essential. At that scale, metals really do form notable concentration gradients.
solid metals are a separate phase, they create a deposit
salts over a certain concentration, part create a deposit, so they slowly create a powder at the bottom, part stay in solution as ions
Ionic metal in solutions spreads all over, as any concentration difference (gradient) generates an excess of free energy that the system naturally releases. You need to add external energy to maintain the gradient, such as a external electric potential gradient (an anode and a cathode)
Having done some pilot scale experiments (60 l barrels), I’ve noticed that mixers are absolutely essential. At that scale, metals really do form notable concentration gradients.
It depends on their form:
solid metals are a separate phase, they create a deposit
salts over a certain concentration, part create a deposit, so they slowly create a powder at the bottom, part stay in solution as ions
Ionic metal in solutions spreads all over, as any concentration difference (gradient) generates an excess of free energy that the system naturally releases. You need to add external energy to maintain the gradient, such as a external electric potential gradient (an anode and a cathode)