GB1101416A - Electrolytic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:1101416/C6-C7/1> A diaphragm cell for the electrolytic production of chlorine, hydrogen and alkali comprises a container defining one or more electrolysis chambers, an anode block in the or each chamber consisting of parallel anode plates attached to a common current-conducting support protected from the action of chlorine and the electrolyte, the supports resting on the floor of the chamber, a cathode block removably disposed in the or each chamber and comprising box-shaped cathode elements positioned between the anode plates, said elements being joined to a common housing, and anode and cathode block current leads extending into the or each chamber. Typically the anodes 11 are vertical plates secured to a conducting base 14 in an insulating housing 14a Fig.3 (not shown) resting on the bottom of the cell and having an anode conductor 15 and the cathodes which rest on the housing 14a are formed by plates 16 of perforated sheet or wire mesh coated with a diaphragm material secured to a hollow box 5 provided with a hydrogen outlet 20 and a cathode conductor 19. Openings 7, 8, 9 in the cell cover are provided for electrolyte feed and chlorine and hydrogen outlets and alkali is discharged at 10. In an alternative form Figs. 5 to 16 (not shown), in which the current connections to both the anode and cathode blocks are made at the top of the supports for the plate electrodes, the anode and cathode supports rest on the floor of the electrolysis chambers, the vertical electrode plates extending laterally from the supports. For a cell with separate chambers the electrodes extend from only one side of the support but for a single chamber cell with more than one of each of anode and cathode blocks a combination of electrode units with plates extending from one and both sides of the supports is used (Figs. 15, 16). Reference is made to cells with horizontally disposed anodes arranged in vertical rows.