Apparatus for the electrolytic production of alkali

• US 3,864,236 A
• Filed: 09/29/1972
• Issued: 02/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Occidental Chemical Corporation (Occidental Petroleum Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olle Lindstrom
• Inventors: Lindstrom, Olle
• Primary Examiner(s): Tufariello, T. M.
• Application Number:
  US05/293,623
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 204/98,263,265,266,283,258,256,DIG.3
• US Class Current: 204/265
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/16 Hydroxides by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 11/04 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/70 Assemblies comprising two or more cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/73 of the filter-press type
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/77 having diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 204/03 Auxiliary internally generated electrical energy

Abstract

A method, and apparatus for use therein, whereby an alkali, such as an alkali metal hydroxide, is produced at the cathode by the electrolysis of aqueous alkali metal halide solutions and the process is operated to produce either chlorine or HCl at the anode.

Claims

1. AN ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A CELL, SAID CELL HAVING DISPOSED THEREIN A CATHODE AND AN ANODE, SAID CATHODE AND ANODE BEING SEPARATED BY A FLUID PERMEABLE DIAPHRAGM TO FORM AN ANODE COMPARTMENT CONTAINING SAID ANODE AND A CATHODE COMPARTMENT CONTAINING SAID CATHODE, SAID APPARATUS HAVING MEANS FOR PASSING HYDROGEN GAS THROUGH SAID ANODE INTO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT, SAID ANODE INCLUDING A CATALYST FOR THE ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF HYDROGEN GAS TO HYDROGEN IONS, SAID ANODE BEING FORMED IN TWO LAYERS, SAID FIRST LAYER BEING A POROUS SINTERED COARSE LAYER OF PLATINIZED TITANIUM AND SAID SECOND LAYER BEING A POROUS SINTERED FINER LAYER OF TITANIUM, SAID ANODE BEING POSITIONED SO THAT THE HYDROGEN GAS IS PASSED INITIALLY THROUGH SAID FIRST LAYER AND THEN THROUGH SAID SECOND LAYER INTO THE ANODE COMPARTMENT.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fluid permeable diaphragm is formed of a cation permeable ion exchange membrane.