U.S. patent number 3,893,897 [Application Number 05/460,414] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-08 for method of operating electrolytic diaphragm cells having horizontal electrodes.
This patent grant is currently assigned to PPG Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Carl W. Raetzsch, Daniel E. Wiley.
United States Patent |
3,893,897 |
Raetzsch , et al. |
July 8, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Method of operating electrolytic diaphragm cells having horizontal
electrodes
Abstract
Disclosed is a method of operating an electrolytic cell divided
into an anolyte chamber and a catholyte chamber by a substantially
horizontal, permeable barrier. The anolyte chamber is above the
permeable barrier while the catholyte chamber is below the
permeable barrier. Electrolyte passes from the anolyte chamber
through the permeable barrier to the catholyte chamber. An
electrical current passes through the cell, thereby evolving
chlorine gas on the anode and hydrogen gas on the cathode. The
electrical current is in excess of the unaided flow of electrolyte
through the permeable barrier resulting in diminished cathode
current efficiency and necessitating augmentation of the flow of
electrolyte to restore the current efficiency to acceptable values.
According to the disclosed method, chlorine gas is collected at
super-atmospheric pressure in the anolyte chamber, and withdrawn
from the anolyte chamber while maintaining the chlorine gas at such
elevated pressure. The elevated pressure of chlorine augments the
flow of electrolyte through the permeable barrier to the catholyte
chamber.
Inventors: |
Raetzsch; Carl W. (Corpus
Christi, TX), Wiley; Daniel E. (Corpus Christi, TX) |
Assignee: |
PPG Industries, Inc.
(Pittsburgh, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
23828610 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/460,414 |
Filed: |
April 12, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
205/498; 204/258;
205/516; 205/518 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C25B
9/19 (20210101); C25B 1/46 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
C25B
9/08 (20060101); C25B 1/00 (20060101); C25B
9/06 (20060101); C25B 1/46 (20060101); C01f
007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;204/128,98,266,258,263,257 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Andrews; R. L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Goldman; Richard M.
Claims
We claim:
1. A method of operating an electolytic cell which cell has an
electrolyte chamber divided horizontally by a permeable barrier
into an anolyte chamber containing a substantially horizontal anode
above said permeable barrier, and a catholyte chamber containing a
substantially horizontal cathode below said horizontal barrier;
which method comprises feeding alkali metal chloride brine to said
anolyte chamber; passing electrical current through said cell at a
current density high enough to generate sufficient hydrogen gas on
said cathode to oppose the unaided flow of electrolyte through said
permeable barrier from said anolyte chamber to said catholyte
chamber; generating chlorine gas on said anode; collecting the
chlorine gas in said anolyte chamber above the anolyte therein to
maintain a chlorine gas pad in said anolyte chamber; withdrawing
the chlorine gas from said anolyte chamber to a liquid-containing
tank; discharging the chlorine gas from said cell into the liquid
in said liquid-containing tank and maintaining a level of liquid in
said liquid-containing tank above the level of anolyte liquor in
said cell sufficient to augment the flow of anolyte liquor through
said permeable barrier against the pressure of the hydrogen to said
catholyte chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bottom of said catholyte
chamber is inclined from the horizontal.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the chlorine gas is discharged
into said liquid-containing tank upwardly into a bubble cap.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein an excess of brine is fed to the
cell, and the excess brine is recovered with the evolved chlorine
gas, and recirculated to the cell.
5. A method of operating an electrolytic cell which cell has an
electrolyte chamber divided into an anolyte chamber and a catholyte
chamber by a substantially horizonta, permeable barrier, said
anolyte chamber being above said permeable barrier and containing
an anode, said catholyte chamber being above said permeable barrier
and containing a cathode, whereby electrolyte in said anolyte
chamber passes through the permeable barrier to the catholyte
chamber; which method comprises feeding an alkali metal chloride
brine to said cell; maintaining a head of brine above said
permeable barrier; passing electrical current through said cell;
evolving chlorine gas on the anode; collecting and maintaining the
chlorine gas as a gas pad at super-atmospheric pressure in said
anolyte chamber above the brine; and withdrawing said chlorine
while maintaining the gas pad at an elevated pressure whereby to
augment the head of brine above the permeable barrier and the flow
of brine through the permeable barrier to the catholyte
chamber.
6. The method of claim 5 comprising withdrawing the chlorine from
the anolyte chamber to a liquid-containing tank, and discharging
the chlorine gas into said liquid.
7. The method of claim 6 where an excess of brine is fed to the
cell, and the excess brine is recovered from the cell and
recirculated to the cell.
8. The method of claim 7 comprising maintaining a level of liquid
in the liquid-containing tank to provide a pressure of chlorine in
said anolyte chamber sufficient to aid the flow of electrolyte
through the permeable barrier.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the chlorine is upwardly
discharged into a bubble cap in said liquid-containing tank.
10. The method of claim 6 comprising varying the level of liquid in
said liquid-containing tank whereby to vary the pressure of
chlorine in said liquid-containing tank.
11. The method of claim 5 wherein the pressure of chlorine in said
anolyte chamber is greater than 0.5 pounds per square inch
gauge.
12. An electrolytic cell which cell has an electrolyte chamber
divided horizontally by a permeable barrier into an anolyte chamber
containing a substantially horizontal anode above said permeable
barrier, and a catholyte chamber containing a substantially
horizontal cathode below said horizontal barrier; means for feeding
alkali metal chloride brine to said anolyte chamber; means for
passing electrical current through said cell whereby to generate
chlorine on said anode; means to collect and maintain chlorine gas
at a super-atmospheric pressure in said anolyte chamber whereby to
maintain a super-atmospheric chlorine gas pad in said anolyte
chamber; means to withdraw chlorine gas from said anolyte chamber
to a liquid-containing tank while maintaining gas within said
anolyte chamber at a super-atmospheric pressure; means to discharge
chlorine gas from said cell into the liquid in said
liquid-containing tank while maintaining a level of liquid in said
liquid-containing tank above the level of anolyte liquor in said
cell and maintaining gas within said anolyte chamber at a
super-atmospheric pressure.
13. The electrolytic cell of claim 12 wherein the bottom of said
catholyte chamber is inclined from the horizontal.
14. The electrolytic cell of claim 12 wherein the means to
discharge chlorine gas from said anolyte chamber into said
liquid-containing tank comprises a conduit from said anolyte
chamber to said liquid-containing tank; an upward extension of said
conduit into said tank, and a bubble cap above said upward
extension above said conduit.
15. The electrolytic cell of claim 12 including means to vary the
level of liquid in said liquid-containing tank.
Description
BACKGROUND
Multiple electrolyte processes, i.e., diaphragm cell and permionic
membrane cell processes, for the electrolysis of alkali metal
chloride brine to yield chlorine, hydrogen, and either caustic soda
or potassium hydroxide require a head of brine to force electrolyte
through the diaphragm or the permionic membrane. This is especially
true of electrolytic processes using either modified diaphragms,
e.g., diaphragms treated with various agents to increase their
life, or permionic membranes.
Stacked bipolar electrolyzers, i.e., bipolar electrolyzers having a
plurality of bipolar electrolytic cells, each divided into an
anolyte chamber and a catholyte chamber by a horizontal diaphragm
or permionic membrane, with the anolyte chamber of a cell above the
diaphragm or permionic membrane of the cell and the catholyte
chamber of the cell below the diaphragm or permionic membrane,
where a plurality of such cells are stacked one atop the other,
provide a high amount of electrode area per unit of floor space.
However, in such stacked, bipolar, horizontal cells, economies of
construction and operation are realized with a low individual cell
height. For this reason, the provision of a tall individual cell to
provide a brine head may counter-balance the economies resulting
from the stacked, bipolar, horizontal cell configuration.
Additionally, the horizontal cell configuration finds use in
mercury cell conversions. Such conversions, necessitated by
environmental considerations, result in an electrolytic cell having
the original mercury cell horizontal anode above a horizontal
cathode, with a horizontal diaphragm of permionic membrane
interposed therebetween. The existing cell structure and bus bars
of the mercury cell circuit militates against providing electrolyte
head means within the electrolytic cell.
One way of augmenting the flow of electrolyte through the permeable
barrier is to draw a vacuum on the catholyte side. However, the
provision of a vacuum on the catholyte side may also draw chlorine
gas through the permeable barrier, thereby resulting in chlorine
gas being present in the catholyte chamber with the hydrogen gas.
This is objectionable for safety reasons.
SUMMARY
It has now been found that the beneficial effects of a high
hydrostatic head may be provided in a horizontal cell by providing
a chlorine gas pad, at an elevated pressure, within the anolyte
chamber. According to this invention, such an elevated pressure
chlorine gas pad is provided within the anolyte chamber while
removing chlorine from the chamber.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention may be understood by reference to the figures.
FIG. 1 is a perspective, partial cutaway view of one apparatus for
obtaining a high chlorine partial pressure within the anolyte
chamber of an electronic cell.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with an
associated horizontal cell.
FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway view of a horizontal bipolar diaphragm
cell in combination with the apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway view of a converted mercury cell in
combination with the apparatus of FIG. 1.
In an electrolytic cell 1 with a horizontal, permeable barrier 11,
the electrolyte chamber is divided by a permeable barrier 11 into
an anolyte chamber 21 above the permeable barrier 11 and a
catholyte chamber 31 below the permeable Within 11. Wiithin such a
cell 1, the electrodes are substantially parallel to each other and
to the permeable barrier 11 with the anode 23 being in the anolyte
chamber 21, above the permeable barrier 11, and the cathode 33
being in the catholyte chamber 31, below the permeable barrier 11.
Such cells 1 are referred to herein as horizontal cells.
Modern horizontal cells are also characterized by a low vertical
clearance between the anode 23 and the top 25 of the anolyte
chamber 21. For this reason, the space above the anode 23 for the
anolyte liquor to provide a hydrostatic head is limited. The amount
of vertical space may be less than 2 feet, frequently less than 18
inches, and even less than 1 foot. Such a height is insufficient to
provide a head of brine sufficient to drive the electrolyte through
the permeable barrier.
In the operation of a horizontal electrolytic cell 1, a brine feed
containing from about 275 to about 325 or more grams per liter of
sodium chloride is fed to the anolyte chamber. This brine feed may
be saturated or even super-saturated. An electrical current is
passed through the cell 1 from the anode 23 through the electrolyte
to and through the permeable barrier 11 to the cathode 33. Chlorine
gas is generated on the anodes 23 and anolyte liquor passes through
the permeable barrier 11 to the catholyte chamber 31. Within the
catholyte chamber 31 hydrogen gas is generated on the cathode 33
and a catholyte liquor of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride is
obtained.
Catholyte liquor containing from about 120 to about 150 grams per
liter of sodium hydroxide and from about 175 to about 225 grams per
liter of sodium chloride in a diaphragm cell and from about 80 to
about 440 grams per liter of sodium hydroxide and about 0.10 to
about 10 grams per liter of sodium chloride in a permionic membrane
equipped cell, is recovered from the catholyte chamber.
Additionally, some of the anolyte liquor may be removed from the
anolyte chamber, refortified or resaturated with brine, and
recirculated to the anolyte chamber.
While the operation of the electrolytic cell system is illustrated
with reference to sodium chlorine brines, it is also useful in the
electrolysis of other alkali metal halide brines, such as potassium
chlorine brines.
The permeable barrier 11 may be in the form of an electrolyte
permeable, cation permeable barrier. Such a barrier is called a
diaphragm. Most commonly, asbestos is used to provide the
diaphragm. The diaphragm may be deposited onto the upper surface of
the cathode from a slurry of asbestos in water, in aqueous sodium
chloride, or in cell liquor. Most commonly, diaphragms are
deposited from a cell liquor slurry containing about 1 to 2 weight
percent chrysotile asbestos, 120 to 150 grams per liter of sodium
hydroxide, and 175 to about 225 grams per liter of sodium chloride.
Alternatively, the asbestos may be provided by asbestos paper or
asbestos cloth. The asbestos diaphragm may be treated to increase
the effective life thereof. For example, the asbestos diaphragm may
be treated with an organic resin having fluorocarbon and
fluorocarbon acid moieties, such as DuPont NAFION resin or an
inorganic material such as a silicate or the asbestos diaphragm may
be subjected to thermal treatment.
The permeable barrier may also be a cation permeable barrier of
limited electrolyte permeability, such as an ion exchange resin.
For example, the permeable barrier may be provided by a
fluorocarbon-fluorocarbon acid resin ion exchange membrane, i.e.,
such as DuPont NAFION or the like.
According to the preferred method of this invention, the operation
of the electrolytic cell is facilitated by providing a chlorine gas
pad 41 at the top 25 of the anolyte chamber 21. The chlorine gas
pad 41 is at an elevated pressure so as to provide a hydrostatic
head within the anolyte chamber 21. Typically the chlorine gas pad
is at a pressure of from about 0.5 to about 5.0 pounds per square
gauge. The hydrostatic head augments the flow of electrolyte
through the permeable barrier 11. According to this invention, the
chlorine gas pad 41 is maintained at an elevated pressure while
withdrawing chlorine from the anolyte chamber 21. This may be
accomplished by providing a high pressure manifold or by
discharging the chlorine into a head of liquid.
Most commonly, the chlorine gas pad 41 will be maintained within
the anolyte chamber by discharging chlorine into a head of liquid.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the chlorine gas may be
withdrawn from the anolyte chamber 21 of a cell 1 to a
liquid-containing tank 51 and discharged into the liquid 53 in the
liquid-containing tank 51. A level 55 of liquid 53 sufficient to
provide a hydraulic head within the anolyte compartment 21 is
maintained within the liquid-containing tank 51. This head should
be sufficient to drive the electrolyte from the anolyte chamber 21
to and through the permeable barrier 11 into the catholyte chamber
31, thereby augmenting the flow of electrolyte through the barrier
11. In this way, the hydrostatic head is sufficient to force
electrolyte through the barrier 11 against the pressure of the
evolved chlorine, thereby maintaining a high cathode current
efficiency.
The upper level 55 of liquid 53 in the liquid-containing tank 51 is
sufficiently above the level of the gas discharge 59 into the tank
51 to discharge the chlorine gas into a positive head of liquid,
thereby to provide a hydrostatic head within the anolyte chamber
21. For example, the upper level 55 of the liquid 53
liquid-containing tank 51 may be from about 1 foot to about 4 or
more or even 5 or 6 feet above the level of the gas discharge 59
into the liquid tank 51. The level 55 of the liquid 53 may be
regulated, e.g., by movable pipe 60 whereby to regulate the
pressure of the chlorine gas pad. In this way, a higher head can be
provided, for example when the diaphragm has "tightened" or the
current density is high. The chlorine gas is recovered from
chlorine recovery means 54 in the upper portion of tank 51, and the
overflow liquid, e.g., brine, is recovered from movable pipe
60.
In FIG. 3 is shown one exemplification of an electrolytic cell 7
utilizing the method and apparatus of this invention. In FIG. 3, a
horizontal cell 3 of a stacked, bipolar diaphragm cell electrolyzer
is shown. While only two cells 3 and 3 are shown in the figure,
there may be five or more, for example, 11 or 15 or 20 cells in the
electrolyzer. These cells 3 are in bipolar configuration with the
cathode 33 of one cell electrically in series with the anode 23 of
the cell directly below. This is accomplished by a common repeating
structural member, i.e., a bipolar unit 61. A bipolar unit 61
includes the cathode 33 of one cell 3, an impermeable housing with
a metal horizontal floor or surface 63, and the anode 23 of the
next adjacent cell.
The upper surface 65 of the horizontal floor 63 is fabricated of a
catholyte-resistant material and provides the floor or bottom of
the catholyte chamber of the upper or prior cell in the
electrolyzer. The cathodic portion is fabricated of a
catholyte-resistant material, such as iron, cobalt, nickel, steel,
stainless steel, or the like. The cathodic half cell portion of the
bipolar unit 61 includes means 71 for removing cell liquor from the
catholyte chamber 31 of an individual cell 3. The means 71 for
removing cell liquor are generally near the bottom of the cathodic
half cell. The cathodic half cell also includes means for removing
hydrogen 73 generally near the top of the cathodic half cell.
Alternatively, the same line may be used for recovering the cell
liquor and the hydrogen.
The cathodic half cell includes a cathode 33. The cathode 33 may be
in the form of mesh, rods, perforated plate, or expanded mesh. The
cathode is generally fabricated of iron, cobalt, nickel, steel,
stainless steel, or the like. Additionally, the cathode 33 may
include means thereon for lowering the hydrogen overvoltage of the
cathode.
The cathode 33 is connected to the bipolar unit 61 by electrical
conducting means 68. The electrical conducting means 68 may be in
the form of studs, copper conductors, conductive spring clips, or
the like. The conducting means 68 permit the cathode 33 to be
maintained at a pre-determined spacing from the anode 23 of the
cell 3 and to be maintained in an electroconductive relationship
with the anode 23 of the next adjacent cell in the
electrolyzer.
A permeable barrier 11 is provided above the cathode. The permeable
barrier may be in the form of a diaphragm or permionic membrane as
described hereinbefore. Typically, the cathode half cell has a
height measured from the catholyte-resistant floor to the top of
the cathode of from about 1 inch to about 5 inches.
The lower half of the bipolar unit 61 includes the anodic half cell
of the next adjacent individual cell in the electrolyzer. The
anodic half cell is fabricated of an anolyte-resistant material on
the ceiling 67 and walls of the anodic half cell. The
anolyte-resistant material may be the structural material on the
half cell. Alternatively, the anolyte-resistant material may be a
coating, film, lamination, or layer upon the structural material
used to fabricate the cathodic half cell.
Typically, the anolyte-resistant material is a valve metal. The
valve metal are those metals which form a corrosion-resistant,
electrically insulating oxide upon exposure to acidic aqueous
media.
The valve metals include titanium, zirconium, hafnium, columbium,
tantalum, and tungsten. Most commonly, titanium or tantalum is the
valve metal utilized for the anolyte-resistant, anolyte-retaining
structure of chlor-alkali electrolytic cells. Titanium is preferred
for this service because of its cost and ready availability.
However, the anolyte-resistant material may also be a rubber or
plastic coating or sheathing upon the catholyte-resistant material
used in fabricating the upper half of the cell.
The anodic half cell includes brine feed means 77. The brine feed
means 77 may be in the form of sparger 78 for spraying the brine
feed out of apertures 79 therein at either a horizontal angle or
upwardly inclined from the horizontal. Alternatively, the brine
feed may be in the form of a simple pipe leading into the anolyte
chamber.
The anodic half cell includes the anode 23. The anode 23 may be in
the form of a valve metal having a suitable electroconductive
coating thereon, where the valve metals are as described
hereinabove. Most commonly, the anode will be fabricated of
titanium or tantalum, with titanium being preferred for
chlor-alkali service. The electroconductive coating on the anode is
provided by a corrosion-resistant material having a low chlorine
overvoltage, e.g., below about 0.250 volt at 200 Amperes per square
foot. The electroconductive coating is most frequently provided by
a metal of the platinum group, i.e., ruthenium, rhodium, palladium
osmium, iridium, platinum, and alloys thereof; oxides of the
platinum group metal as ruthenium oxide, rhodium oxide, palladium
oxide, osmium oxide, iridium oxide, platinum oxide, and oxides
thereof; oxygen-containing compounds of the platinum group metals
such as alkaline earth ruthenates, alkaline earth rhodates,
alkaline earth ruthenites, alkaline earth rhodites, cobalt
palladite, cobalt platinate, ruthenium titanate, ruthenium
titanite, and the like. Alternatively, the electroconductive
coating may be provided by mixed crystals of the oxides of the
platinum group metal and the oxides of the valve metals, i.e., the
electroconductive surface may be provided by a mixture of ruthenium
oxide and titanium dioxide or ruthenium dioxide and zirconium
dioxide or rhodium oxide and titanium dioxide or rhodium oxide and
zirconium dioxide or the like. Additionally, other oxide materials
may be present in the electroconductive surface, such as, for
example, tin oxide, lead oxide, bismuth, antimony, arsenic, or the
like.
Generally, the anodic half cell has a height of from about 3 inches
to about 24 inches or more and most frequently from about 4 inches
to about 7 inches when measured from the bottom of the anode 23 to
the ceiling 65 of the anolyte chamber 21.
An individual electrolytic cell 3 of the bipolar electrolyzer is
formed by the anodic half cell of one bipolar unit and the cathode
half cell of the next adjacent bipolar unit with the anode above
the permeable barrier, the cathode below the permeable barrier, and
the anode-cathode permeable barrier being parallel to each other
and in horizontal relationship.
In the operation of such a cell, a head of brine is maintained
within the anolyte chamber 21 by a chlorine gas pad 41 in the upper
portion of the anolyte chamber 21. A chlorine line 43 leads from
the anolyte chamber 23 to liquid-containing tank 51. The level of
the outlet to pipe 43 from the anolyte chamber 21 is referred to as
the overflow level of the cell.
Within the liquid-containing tank 51 the chlorine is discharged in
such a way as to cause the chlorine to be discharged as many small
bubbles rather than as a few large bubbles. For example, the
chlorine may be discharged downward into the liquid through a
downward facing pipe through a screen or mesh. Alternatively, the
chlorine gas discharged into an upward facing pipe 58 within a
bubble cap 59 or the like thereabove. As shown in the figures, the
bubble cap 59 may be provided having serrated edges in order to
break up the flow of chlorine into small bubbles. In this way, a
uniform pressure of from about 0.5 to about 5.0 pounds per square
inch gauge is provided within the anolyte chamber 21.
The method of this invention may also be used in mercury cells 5
that have been converted to diaphragm cell operation. Such a
mercury cell conversion 5 is shown in FIG. 4. Mercury cells 5
typically have an inclined metal plane or surface 35 for conveying
the mercury. Cathode bus bars 81 feed the current to the inclined
surface 35. The inclined surface 35 is most commonly fabricated of
iron, cobalt, nickel, steel, stainless steel, or any material that
is not readily attacked by nascent hydrogen, caustic soda, or
mercury. Generally, the bottom 35 has a slope of from about 1/2
percent to about 2 percent in the direction of the mercury flow. In
a mercury cell converted to diaphragm cell service, sufficient
slope should be maintained to allow the cell liquor to be collected
at one end of the cell, but the slope should not be so great as to
permit the opposite end of the cell to run dry. For example, a
slope of from about 1/4 of 1 percent to about 1/2 of 1 percent may
be maintained.
The anodes 23 are typically suspended from the cell top 83 and
spaced from the cell bottom 35 a distance sufficient to provide a
spacing of from about 0.085 inch to about 0.125 inch above the
mercury, i.e., a spacing of from about 0.15 inch to about 0.30 inch
above the cell bottom. A typical mercury cell 5 also includes brine
feed means and mercury feed means at the higher end of the cell,
brine recovery and mercury recovery at the lower end of the cell,
and chlorine recovery along the length of the cell.
When, however, it is necessary to convert a mercury cell to
diaphragm cell operation, an electrolyte permeable cathode 33
spaced from the cell bottom 35 is provided. The electrolyte
permeable cathode 33 is generally spaced from about 2 inches to
about 5 inches from the cell bottom 35 and is spaced therefrom by
channel frames 37. The channel frames 37 may have perforations
therein to allow cell liquor to flow along the length of the cell
35 to the cell liquor recovery means 71. The channel frames 37 may
be joined to the cell bottom 35, for example, by welding or
bolting. Alternatively, the channel frames 37 may simply be laid
upon the cell bottom 35. The cathode 33 may be joined to the
channel frames 37 by welding or bolting of the like. Alternatively,
the cathode 33 may just be laid on top of the channel frames
37.
The channel frames 37 may conduct current from the cathodes 33 to
the cathode bus bars 81. Alternatively, electrical conductors 85
may conduct the electrical current from the cathodes 33 to the
cathode bus bars 81. The electrical contact may be provided by
clips 86 on the cell bottom 35 engaging the cathode 33 or by clips
on the cathode engaging conductors on the cell bottom 35.
Permeable barrier means 11 are provided on the cathode 33. The
permeable barrier means 11 define the upper limit of the catholyte
chamber 31 and the lower limit of the anolyte chamber 21.
In a mercury cell conversion 5, the anodes 23 are raised above the
normal mercury cell anode position to allow for the cathode 33 and
permeable barrier 11 to be inserted in the cell 5. In this way, the
cathodes 33 originally intended for use with the cell 5 may be
salvaged and used for diaphragm cell or permionic membrane cell
operation, therefore effecting an economy of capital investment.
Generally, the anodes 23 are spaced from about one-sixteenth inch
to about three-fourths inch above the cathode 33, and generally
less than three-eighths inch above the cathode 33 when the
permeable barrier is a deposited asbestos diaphragm. However, when
the barrier is an asbestos paper diaphragm, as a 50 ml asbestos
paper diaphragm, the anode may be spaced as close as from about
0.05 inch to about 0.125 inch above the cathode.
In a mercury cell conversion, the cell top conventionally used for
mercury cell operation may be replaced by a metal or heavy plastic
cell top 83 to allow for the containment of the pressurized
chlorine gas pad 41.
In the operation of the cell shown in FIG. 4, brine feed is through
the brine feed means 77. An electrical current passes from the
anode 23 through the permeable barrier 11 to the cathode 33 thereby
causing chlorine to be generated on the anodes 23 and hydrogen to
be generated on the cathode 33. Chlorine gas evolved at the anode
33 is removed through conduit 43 under elevated pressure, e.g.,
from about 0.50 pounds per square inch to about 5.0 pounds per
square inch gauge to a liquid-containing tank 51.
Discharge of the chlorine into the liquid-containing tank 51 is
from a conduit 43 which delivers the chlorine into the liquid 53.
The downward direction of the discharge into the liquid may be
brought about either by a bubble cap arrangement 59 or by a
downward-facing conduit within the liquid-containing tank. By
either method, the pressure of the chlorine gas pad 41 is
maintained at between 0.50 pounds per square inch gauge and 5.0
pounds per square inch gauge, thereby to augment the flow of
anolyte liquor to the permeable barrier.
The liquid within the liquid-containing tank 51 may be brine or
water. Most frequently the liquid will be brine, which may be
either saturated brine of depleted brine. Brine is preferred
because of the overflow into the tank 51 from the cell 1, 3, or 5
through conduit 43 and the backflow into the cell 1, 3, or 5 from
the tank 51 through the conduit 43. Frequently, especially at high
current density operations, e.g., above about 400 Amperes per
square foot, and especially above about 600 or even 800 or more
Amperes per square foot, a considerable excess of brine is fed to
the cell, e.g., a 400 percent or 600 percent, or even an 800
percent excess of brine is fed to the cell. The excess brine may be
recovered through conduit 43 and movable pipe 60 and recycled to
the cell with the feed brine.
It is to be understood that although the invention has been
described with specific reference to specific details and
particular embodiments thereof, it is not to be so limited in that
changes and alterations therein may be made which are in the full
intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended
claims.
* * * * *