AbstractThe performance of an undivided electrochemical batch reactor with a rotating cylinder electrode under potentiostatic control is examined for the removal of cadmium from a sodium sulfate solution containing 500 ppm Cd(II) at pH ≅ 7. The effect of hydrogen evolution as a side cathodic reaction on the figures of merit of the reactor is analysed. The best results were obtained for a cathode potential of −0.9 V against the saturated calomel electrode. With an angular velocity of 1500 rpm the space time yield and the normalized space velocity were 0.66 mol m−3 s−1 and 3.9 h−1 respectively, while the fractional conversion was 67.3% with a current efficiency of 66.7%. The surface morphology of the deposits as a function of the applied potential is also reported.© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry