EP0044472A1 - Separatorelektrolysezelle mit handschuhartig ausgebildeten Membranen - Google Patents

Separatorelektrolysezelle mit handschuhartig ausgebildeten Membranen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0044472A1
EP0044472A1 EP81105322A EP81105322A EP0044472A1 EP 0044472 A1 EP0044472 A1 EP 0044472A1 EP 81105322 A EP81105322 A EP 81105322A EP 81105322 A EP81105322 A EP 81105322A EP 0044472 A1 EP0044472 A1 EP 0044472A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
separator
glove
electrolytic cell
electrodes
shaped
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP81105322A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Tokuzo Iijima
Yasushi Samijima
Kazuo Kishimoto
Kimihiko Kono
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kanegafuchi Chemical Industry Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Kanegafuchi Chemical Industry Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kanegafuchi Chemical Industry Co Ltd filed Critical Kanegafuchi Chemical Industry Co Ltd
Publication of EP0044472A1 publication Critical patent/EP0044472A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B13/00—Diaphragms; Spacing elements
    • C25B13/02—Diaphragms; Spacing elements characterised by shape or form
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B9/00—Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
    • C25B9/17—Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof
    • C25B9/19—Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof with diaphragms

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a separator electrolytic cell. More particularly, it relates to a finger type electrolytic cell inexpensive in manufacture and suitable for a large capacity which facilitates installation or removal of a separator, especially a cation exchange membrane and further simplifies assemblage or disassemblage of anodes and cathodes.
  • Electrolytic cells used for these processes are filter press type cells in which, for instance, a separator such as an ion exchange membrane and a microporous membrane is positioned between a cathode compartment frame and an anode compartment frame to give a unit and several or several tens of the units are assembled.
  • the cells of such type are limited in a size of each compartment and a separator has to be positioned to every unit, so that it is difficult to assemble so many units.
  • a supply inlet for a solution to be electrolysed and a removal outlet for a liquor after electrolysis have to be provided.
  • a great number of supply inlets and removal outlets provided in the anode and the cathode compartments not only require voluminous and complicated operation of connecting many units to each other upon assemblage, but also inrease a risk of leakage of liquors produced by the electrolysis from connected portions. Furthermore a risk of leakage from connected portions between the compartment frames also increases inevitably as the number of compartment frames connected increases, which is said to be a fatal disadvantage to the filter press type cells. To prevent this disadvantage a strict mechanical tolerance in design as well as manufacture is needed, thereby inviting an increase in cost of manufacturing. In addition, as the number of compartment frames increases, a greater pressing force must be exerted to thus result in an increased risk of physical damages of the compartment frames and an increased cost.
  • cation exchange membranes are normally produced in a form of thin sheet with the thickness of several hundred microns and limited dimensions because of making the most use of the performance thereof and of commercial factors in manufacture. That may be a reason why a filter press type cell is widely used as an electrolytic cell bearing a cation exchange membrane.
  • Japanese Utility Model non-examined publication No. 51,333/1977 discloses an electrolytic cell which comprises anode and cathode compartments having continuously meandering concavo-convex anode and cathode, respectively, and a continuous film-like separator interposed between the anode and the cathode, the anode and cathode compartments are assembled in such a manner that the concave of the cathode or the anode and the convex of the anode or the cathode are interleaved with the separator intervened therebetween.
  • This proposed invention provides a superior electrolytic cell which eliminates the foregoing problems the conventional arts have, it has still a drawback that a fairly lot of labor is needed in securing the sheet-like separator to the separator installation devices, and thus a measure for reduction of said labor is expected.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,024 discloses an electrolytic cell which is comprised of electrodes interleaved between electrodes of opposite polarity, to which cathode electrodes an enveloping synthetic separator is secured. While the electrolytic cell of this type is likely to save operation in securing the separator to the separator installation devices by intricate securing means, a lap expanding outwardly from the open end periphery of the separator has to be provided to the enveloping separator in order to ensure the tight sealing and has to be placed between an anode and a back screen, then fastened together. However, formation of the separator in such a shape is not necessarily easy and an anode plate of a complicated construction is required, thus leaving some problems on the practical usefulness.
  • the present invention encompasses a novel separator electrolytic cell bearing glove-shaped membranes characterized in that on a releasable lateral plate one polar electrodes of either cathodes or anodes are mounted substantially vertical to the lateral plate and a bottom plate and on at least one wall plate comprising another lateral plate opposing the foregoing lateral plate, the bottom plate and a cell top cover the other polar electrodes are mounted substantially parallel to and facing close to the foregoing electrodes, said electrodes mounted on the releasable lateral plate being covered with glove-shaped separators secured to a separator installation support shading said lateral plate, said separator possessing an open end in which said electrode is inserted.
  • the separator installation support (1) is basically of a flat plate shape having sufficient area to cover a releasable lateral palte of the electrolytic cell and is equipped with open portions (2), (2'), (2") --- which permit passage of electrodes mounted on the lateral plate.
  • collars (3) are protruded along their periphery substantially vertical to the separator installation support (1).
  • the separator installation support (1) as aforesaid may be made of an anti-corrosive and heat-resistant synthetic resin including polyvinyl chloride, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, a fluorinated resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene and polyvinylidene fluoride, a material lined with the foregoing resins or rubbers, an anti-corrosive metal such as titanium, a titanium-paradium alloy and stainless steel, and the like.
  • the separator installation support material is preferably an insulated material resistant to both anodic and cathodic solutions.
  • the surface and the reverse side of the separator installation support may also be made of different materials resistant to each solution they are in contact with.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates steps of forming the separator (4) secured to the separator installation support (1) shown in Fig. la to Fig. lc, in which a sheet-like separator shown in the step (I) is folded down at a central fold (6) as shown in the step (72), then in the step (III) two end brims (7)(8) are bonded together.
  • the glove-shaped separator (4) as depicted in the step (IV), having an open end is obtained.
  • a cation exchange membrane or a microporous membrane may be suitably used and to the present electrolytic cell is a cation exchange membrane the most preferable.
  • the cation exchange membrane suitably used in the present electrolytic cell may preferably be made of a polymer having a fluorine-containing backbone with pendant cation exchange groups such as sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups and phosphoric acid groups, singly or in combination of two or more.
  • the glove-shaped separator (4) so formed as to possess the shape and the length equal to the inner peripheral length of the collar (3) protruded on the separator installation support (1) may be bonded or welded in its open end to and along the inner periphery of the collar (3), but may be secured more advantageously by a mechanical means which enables the exchanging of the separator.
  • a mechanical means which enables the exchanging of the separator.
  • the open end of the glove-shaped separator (4) is inserted in the open portion (2) of the separator installation support (1), then placed between the collar (3) and a pressing plate (9), and further a packing (10) is interposed between the separator (1) and the collar (3), these being secured together by the use of clips made of an anti-corrosive material such as titanium.
  • the separator securing process depicted as above only illustrates a typical exemplification and accordingly there may be suitably applied a variety of securing means and instruments including bolts and nuts, clips, spring clips, clamps, springs, singly or in combination of two or more, which are suggested in Japanese Utility Model Application Nos. 178,714/1977, l07,l97/ 1978, 57,341/1979 and 91,756/1979.
  • titanium is preferred for use in the anode compartment and ss, sus, etc. are preferred for use in the cathode compartment, but it is not particularly limited unless corrosive to anodic and cathodic solutione.
  • the packing (10) may be preferably in the form of a string, a flat sheet or.a protrusion-provided sheet made of a foamed article of polytetrafluoroethylene, a rubber or the like.
  • the pressing plate (9) may preferably be made of titanium, SS, SUS, a synthetic resin, a glassfibre reinforced resin or the like.
  • a separator installation apparatus by the use of a mechanical means as mentioned in detail earlier ensures and facilitates the installation of a separator (4) to and along the collar (3) on the separator installation support, so that changing of the separator damaged or blocked is possible very feasibly, thereby being by far superior as compared with bonding, welding or the like.
  • the installation of the separator by the mechanical securing means is in fact of exceeding importance even for the following reasons, especially when a cation exchange membrane is used as a separator. That is, it is required to position the separator as tight as possible between the cathodes and the anodes.
  • the cation exchange membrane normally expands and contracts according to moisture contained in the circumstances, while a microporous membrane exhibits almost no such a phenomenon. Accordingly the cation exchange membrane, even when installed as tightly as possible in the air., is apt to expand to thereby produce slack and wrinkles during the operation since it comes into contact with an aqueous alkali metal halide solution and an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide liquor.
  • Slack and wrinkles necessarily cause residence of halogen gas at the anode side of the membrane, thus resulting in low quality of the product.
  • release of hydrogen gas is prevented to produce gas-gap, thereby leading to an increase in the cell voltage.
  • the membrane prior to the installation of the membrane to.the cell, it is at first wetted with water, brine or an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide liquor; then installed in a wet condition.
  • a mechanical securing is superior to welding, bonding or cementing, because the wetted membrane can not be welded and bonding of the wetted membrane, even when bonded, not only reduces bonding force, but also causes hydrolysis of adhesives.
  • slack or wrinkles will occur during the course of operation over a long period of time. In such cases, when the membrane is installed by a mechanical means, slack and wrinkles can be easily removed by doing even again, thus operation being further continued without slack and wrinkles.
  • Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a state that a globe-shaped finger fabricated by securing the glove-shaped separator (4) to the separator installation support (1) is assembled together with the electrodes in the cell.
  • electrodes (14) for example, anodes
  • a lateral plate (15) positioned in parallel to a row of the electrodes (14) is releasable.
  • the other electrodes (16) for example, cathodes mounted parallel to and facing close to the electrodes (14).
  • the glove-shaped finger comprising the separator installation support (1) and the glove-shaped separator (4) is placed between the lateral plate (15) and flanges (17), (17') and (17") provided at the edges of the cell (12) and fastened tight in such a way that the collar (3) is located near the lateral plate (15), i.e.., the separator (4) protrudes into the cell.
  • the so assembled cell is comprised of a first electrode compartment (20) (for example, cathode compartment) surrounded with the releasable lateral plate (15) and the glove-shaped finger, and a second electrode compartment (21) (for example, anode compartment) surrounded with the remaining cell walls and the glove-shaped finger.
  • the first electrode compartment (20) is provided with electrodes (16) (for example, cathodes) and the second electrode compartment (21) is provided with opposite polar electrodes (14) (for example, anodes).
  • a cathode a lath, a foraminous plate and the like is preferable which is made of SS, SUS and the like.
  • an anti-corrosive anode is preferred which is made of a platinum group metal, an alloy thereof or a metal lined with oxides thereof.
  • the glove-shaped finger is secured to the lateral surface of the cell (12) by securing it to the lateral plate (15) on which the electrodes (16) are mounted and the other electrodes (14) are mounted on the bottom plate (13), but a variety of modifications are possible in a direction of mounting the electrodes (14). That is, the electrodes (14) may be mounted on a lateral plate opposing the lateral palte (15) or on the cell top cover (24), and likewise the glove-shaped finger and the electrodes (16) may also be inserted in the cell upwardly from the bottom plate (13) or downwardly from the top, provided that both electrodes oppose each other maintaining their parallel relationship.
  • opposite lateral plates of the cell (12) are allowed to be releasable respectively and either cathodes or anodes are mounted on one of the lateral plates substantially vertical to the lateral plate and the bottom plate and the other electrodes are mounted on at least one cell wall comprising the bottom plate and the cell top cover substantially parallel to and facing close to said electrodes, further the electrodes mounted on the lateral plate are covered with the glove-shaped separator secured to the separator installation support having open portions through which said electrodes are passed and shielding said lateral plate, i.e., the cell is fabricated so as to allow glove-shaped fingers extending from the opposite two lateral paltes interleave, thereby duplicating the capacity of the cell. Furthermore, it is also possible with ease by selecting a material in contact with a respective electrolyte to provide anodes in the first electrode compartment (20) and to provide cathodes in the second electrode compartment (21).
  • Electrodes (14) In the assemblage of the present electrolytic cell, it is preferred to position electrodes (14) in a slightly contracted form in their thickness so as not to damage the glove-shaped separator (4), then to expand them during electrolysis to thus reduce anodes-cathodes spacing.
  • the present invention not only provides an advantage of decreasing cell voltage exerted by enlarging the thickness of electrodes (14) upon electrolysis to bring anodes to cathodes as closely as possible, more preferably to bring anodes and cathodes into contact with both surfaces of the separator, but also realizes enlargement of scale by increasing the length or the number of fingers, while adding no essential difficulties in installation of the separator and assembly of the cell.
  • an inlet for water or a diluted aqueous caustic alkali solution an inlet for brine, an outlet for the product liquor i.e., an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide liquor, outlets for gases generated, i.e., hydrogen gas and a halogen gas, respectively, and an outlet for depleted brine, as is the case with the conventional separator type electrolytic cell.
  • gases generated i.e., hydrogen gas and a halogen gas
  • the present electrolytic cell is constructed such that the glove-shaped separator can be prepared by exceedingly simple steps, the lap is no longer required to be provided at the open end, the glove-shaped separator can be secured in an exceedingly reduced time by simplified operations and instruments to the separator installation support to give the glove-shaped finger, and that a finger type electrolytic cell like a conventional diaphragm electrolytic cell can be provided very feasibly. Furthermore, as compared with a filter press type cell which is generally used when a sheet-like separator is employed, it is possible to supply a cell with a greater capacity per the same floor area.
  • a filter press type cell with a capacity of 150 KA at 20 A per dm 2 requires a floor area of 8 to 10 m 2
  • the present electrolytic cell with the same capacity needs only 4 to 6 m 2 floor area.
  • the present electrolytic cell has numerous advantages that assembly or disassembly is by far easier than any other finger type electrolytic cell having ever been proposed before by the present inventors, and that more perfect sealing is provided to thus prevent leakage of electrolyte.
  • the present electrolytic cell is suited to a construction of a mono-polar cell and it is also advantageous that it is possible to utilize the existing equipments including a current trnasformer effectively in conversion of a mercurial cell or an asbestos diaphragm cell to an ion exchange membrane cell.
  • the present electrolytic cell has a lot of advantages over a filter press type cell.
  • the present electrolytic cell has not so many joints and has a greater capacity per a unit installation area as well as a high efficiency per a unit volume of a cell. It further requires neither expensive materials for parts including cathodes and anodes nor strict mechanical tolerance, thereby resulting in an decrease in production cost.
  • the assembly and disassembly are easy and simple, even if a glove-shaped separator is employed, further, sealing is easy so that labor is drastically saved.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Non-Metals, Compounds, Apparatuses Therefor (AREA)
EP81105322A 1980-07-17 1981-07-09 Separatorelektrolysezelle mit handschuhartig ausgebildeten Membranen Withdrawn EP0044472A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP9845480A JPS5723078A (en) 1980-07-17 1980-07-17 Diaphragm type electrolytic cell having bag-shaped diaphragm
JP98454/80 1980-07-17

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0044472A1 true EP0044472A1 (de) 1982-01-27

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ID=14220153

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81105322A Withdrawn EP0044472A1 (de) 1980-07-17 1981-07-09 Separatorelektrolysezelle mit handschuhartig ausgebildeten Membranen

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EP (1) EP0044472A1 (de)
JP (1) JPS5723078A (de)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1523077A (en) * 1975-07-14 1978-08-31 Olin Corp Apparatus and method for securing a fabricated diaphragm to electrodes in an electrolytic cell
GB2013242A (en) * 1977-12-26 1979-08-08 Kanegafuchi Chemical Ind Installation of membrane to electrolytic cell
FR2433059A1 (fr) * 1978-08-10 1980-03-07 Kanegafuchi Chemical Ind Procede et appareil pour la pose d'une membrane sur une cellule electrolytique destinee a l'electrolyse d'une solution aqueuse de chlorure de metal alcalin

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5723085A (en) * 1980-07-15 1982-02-06 Asahi Glass Co Ltd Fitting method for ion exchange membrane

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1523077A (en) * 1975-07-14 1978-08-31 Olin Corp Apparatus and method for securing a fabricated diaphragm to electrodes in an electrolytic cell
GB2013242A (en) * 1977-12-26 1979-08-08 Kanegafuchi Chemical Ind Installation of membrane to electrolytic cell
FR2433059A1 (fr) * 1978-08-10 1980-03-07 Kanegafuchi Chemical Ind Procede et appareil pour la pose d'une membrane sur une cellule electrolytique destinee a l'electrolyse d'une solution aqueuse de chlorure de metal alcalin

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5723078A (en) 1982-02-06
JPS6350435B2 (de) 1988-10-07

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Inventor name: SAMIJIMA, YASUSHI

Inventor name: KONO, KIMIHIKO

Inventor name: IIJIMA, TOKUZO

Inventor name: KISHIMOTO, KAZUO