Electrolytic process and apparatus

• US 6,099,914 A
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Permelec Electrode, Ltd. (Industrie De Nora S.p.A)
• Original Assignee: Permelec Electrode, Ltd. (Industrie De Nora S.p.A)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Masashi, Yoshida, Yasuki, Nishiki, Yoshinori, Uno, Masaharu, Shimamune, Takayuki, Iwakura, Chiaki, Ogata, Setsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Shrive
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARR, MICHAEL E
• Application Number:
  US09/401,299
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 427/77, 427/125, 427/304, 427/305, 427/437, 427/438, 427/443.1, 205/639, 205/637, 205/638
• US Class Current: 427/437
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/0078 Composite solid storage mediums, i.e. coherent or loose mixtures of different solid constituents, chemically or structurally heterogeneous solid masses, coated solids or solids having a chemically modified surface region
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4056 Retrofitting operations
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/42 Hydrogen of special source or of special composition
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/00 Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 45/32 Selective hydrogenation of the diolefin or acetylene compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 Hydrogen or oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 3/00 Electrolytic production of organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage

Abstract

An electrolytic process and apparatus which can operate in a hydrogen reaction chamber at a hydrogen reaction rate corresponding to the increase in the rate of production of hydrogen accompanying the increase in the electrolysis rate and maintain the current efficiency at a very high value with respect to the electrolytic current for producing hydrogen and a process for the production of an electrode for this purpose. An electrolytic process is provided which comprises effecting electrolysis of an electrolytic solution in an electrolytic chamber separated from a reaction chamber by a hydrogen-storing metal member with one surface of the hydrogen-storing metal member as a cathode opposing an anode so that hydrogen thus produced is adsorbed by the hydrogen-storing metal member while allowing hydrogen thus adsorbed and a material to be treated to undergo continuous catalytic reaction in the reaction chamber on the other surface of the hydrogen-storing metal member to cause hydrogenation or reduction reaction by hydrogen thus adsorbed, wherein an electrolytic apparatus having a porous catalyst layer provided on the catalytic reaction surface of the hydrogen-storing metal member is used. The porous catalyst layer is obtained by reducing metal cations in an electroless plating solution by active hydrogen desorbed from a hydrogen-storing metal so that the hydrogen-storing metal is plated with the metal.

Claims

1. A process for the production of an electrode comprising a hydrogen-storing metal body having formed on at least a part of a surface thereof a porous catalyst layer comprising a catalyst metal, which comprises contacting a first surface of the hydrogen-storing metal body with an electroless plating solution containing a cation of the catalyst metal and contacting a second surface of the hydrogen-storing metal body with an electrolytic solution, said hydrogen-storing metal body serving as a cathode and being opposed to an anode in contact with said electrolytic solution, subjecting the electrolytic solution to electrolysis to produce hydrogen on said second surface, said hydrogen being adsorbed in said hydrogen-storing metal body and moving through the hydrogen-storing metal body to reach said first surface, said hydrogen which reaches the first surface being desorbed from the hydrogen-storing metal body to produce active hydrogen, and said active hydrogen reducing the metal cation in the electroless solution so as to plate catalyst metal on said first surface.

2. The process for the production of an electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hydrogen-storing metal body is a palladium or palladium alloy plate, said metal cation in said electroless plating solution is an ion of a metal belonging to the platinum group or gold, and said catalyst metal is a metal black belonging to the platinum group or gold.

3. The process for the production of an electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electroless plating solution contains a cation of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, nickel, copper, lead and metallic elements belonging to the platinum group.

4. The process for the production of an electrode as claimed in claim 2, wherein said electroless plating solution contains a cation of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, nickel, copper, lead and metallic elements belonging to the platinum group.