This paper presents current oscillations of a Zn anode in solutions of nitric acid and potassium dichromate. The effects of the nitric acid concentration were investigated. The system was analyzed using cyclic voltammetry, current-time plots and attractors. It was found that the concentration of nitric acid has a major effect on the behavior of the system and it is proposed that zinc hydroxide precipitation-dissolution processes are responsible for the current oscillations.

A zinc anode in acidic media is a new oscillatory electrochemical system which manifests interesting behaviors, from steady states to simple oscillations and chaos. This paper presents an experimental study of the influence of metal ions on the shape, amplitude and duration of the cell potential oscillations, and gives a qualitative explanation of the system's behavior. A small quantity of Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ or Fe 3+ ions added to the system change dramatically the potential oscillations from chaotic behavior to simple oscillations. The method may be used for chaos attenuation.