JPH06114376A - Water electrolyzing electrode and ion water maker equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To conserve the material cost and processing cost of the water electrolyzing electrode of an ion water maker and to suppress the propagation of bacteria on the surface of the electrode when the electrode is not used for a long period of time. CONSTITUTION:Water electrolyzing electrodes 13 formed from a conductive matrix composed of a synthetic resin material to which a carbonaceous material and silver are added in proper amts. are arranged in mutually opposed relationship through a diaphragm 11 and the electrolytic chambers 10A, 10B on both side of the diaphragm.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrode for electrolyzing water and an ion water generator which incorporates the electrode to generate acidic ion water and alkaline ion water useful for health and medical purposes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ionized water generator has an electrolytic cell having a pair of electrolytic chambers defined by a porous diaphragm in its internal space, and an electrolytic cell disposed in each electrolytic chamber and facing each other on both sides of the diaphragm. A pair of electrodes, a DC power supply for supplying current to both electrodes, a water inlet for supplying raw water to both electrolysis chambers, and a water sampling port for sampling acidic ion water or alkaline ion water generated in both electrolysis chambers. It has a basic configuration including. That is, this ionized water generator supplies raw water such as tap water to both electrolysis chambers from the water inlet and connects one electrode to the anode of the DC power supply and the other electrode to the cathode of the DC power supply. When a current is supplied by, the water is oxidized in the electrolytic chamber on the anode side by the anodic electrolytic reaction, so acidic ionized water with high hydrogen ion H ⁺ concentration is generated, and the water is reduced by the cathodic electrolytic reaction in the electrolytic chamber on the cathode side. So that the hydroxide ion OH
^- generated high concentration Arikariion water, in which the water outlet adopted provided on both electrolysis chamber is selectively water sampling the desired ion water. Alkaline ionized water (cathode water) has been confirmed to be effective for chronic diarrhea, indigestion, abnormal fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract for drinking, and medical effect for antacid. Has been recognized as an effect on beauty.

Since it is necessary to suppress corrosion due to electrolysis in both electrodes, a noble metal electrode in which titanium is coated with platinum, oxides such as ferrite and iridium oxide, carbon, and silicon carbide are typically used. Ceramics having conductivity such as are used.

[0004]

According to the conventional ion water generator, the electrodes are very expensive. That is, the cost of the material itself is high for the noble metal electrode, silicon carbide, iridium oxide, etc., and the processing cost is high because carbon, ferrite, silicon carbide, etc. are very hard materials. It will push up the price. In addition, when it is not used for a long period of time, microorganisms may propagate on the electrode surface, for example, the taste of alkaline ionized water may deteriorate.

The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and its technical problem is to reduce the material cost and the processing cost while maintaining the conductivity as an electrode. In addition, it is to prevent the growth of microorganisms on the electrode surface.

[0006]

The above-mentioned technical problems are as follows.
The present invention can effectively solve the problem. That is, the electrode for water electrolysis according to the present invention is one in which an appropriate amount of carbon-based material and silver are added to a base material made of a synthetic resin material. Moreover, the ionized water generator which concerns on this invention electrolyzes water by the said electrode for water electrolysis.

[0007]

The carbonaceous material added to the electrode base material made of synthetic resin material imparts conductivity to the synthetic resin material which is originally insulating. The synthetic resin material to which the carbon-based material is simply added has a high resistance value, and the silver added to the synthetic resin material has a function of significantly lowering the resistance value, that is, improving the conductivity. Moreover, the added silver has a bactericidal action against the microorganisms on the electrode surface. Therefore, the electrode made of this material is useful as an electrode for water electrolysis in the ion water generator. As the carbon-based material,
Typical examples include carbon fiber, carbon black, and graphite.

[0008]

EXAMPLE A typical example of an electrode for water electrolysis is polyphenyl sulfide, which is a moldable synthetic resin material, as a base material, and carbon fiber, carbon black and silver are added to the base material to obtain good conductivity. Is given. For example, polyphenyl sulfide is 57%, carbon fiber is 30%, carbon black is 10%, and silver is 3% by weight. And the electrode 1
3 is obtained by weighing the above-mentioned materials, mixing them with a ball mill or the like to sufficiently homogenize them, putting them in a predetermined mold, and press-molding.

The electrode for water electrolysis according to the above-mentioned embodiment can be used in, for example, an ion water generator having a structure as shown in FIG. That is, in the figure, reference numeral 10 is 0.1
Porous membrane with innumerable micropores of ~ 0.5 μm 1
1 is an electrolytic cell having an internal space defined by a pair of electrolytic chambers (anode chamber 10A and cathode chamber 10B), and reference numeral 1
The electrode of the above-mentioned embodiment shown by 3 is arranged in the anode chamber 10A and the cathode chamber 10B, and is adhered and fixed to the inner surface of the electrolytic cell 10 via the adhesive member 12, respectively. Reference numeral 14 is a pair of porous spacers arranged with appropriate gaps between the diaphragm 11 and both electrodes 13, V is a DC power supply for supplying a current between both electrodes 13, and S is a power switch. Anode chamber 10A and cathode chamber 10 are provided on both wall surfaces of electrolytic cell 10.
A water inlet 15 to B, a water outlet 16 from the anode chamber 10A and a water outlet 17 from the cathode chamber 10B are provided.

In the ion water generator having the above structure, untreated water W from a water supply source (not shown) is branched and supplied from the water inlet 15 to the anode chamber 10A and the cathode chamber 10B. At this time, by closing the switch S and supplying a current between both electrodes 13, the next anodic electrolysis reaction occurs in the anode chamber 10A. H ₂ O → 2H ⁺ + 2e ⁻ + 1 / 2O _{2 Further} , the following cathodic electrolysis reaction occurs in the cathode chamber 10B. ^{_{H 2 O + e - → OH}} - + 1 / 2H 2

Since the hydrogen ion H ⁺ generated in the anode chamber 10A and the hydroxide ion OH ⁻ generated in the cathode chamber 10B by this reaction associate with the water molecule having a strong polarity,
The size which cannot pass through the diaphragm 11 is retained in the anode chamber 10A and the cathode chamber 10B, respectively, while the water molecules can freely pass through the diaphragm 11, so that the electrolysis of the water W is continuously performed. Therefore, the concentration of hydrogen ions H ⁺ increases in the anode chamber 10A, the pH decreases, and acidic ion water Wa is generated, while the concentration of hydroxide ions OH ⁻ increases in the cathode chamber 10B. The pH rises and the alkaline water Wb is produced. Then, the acidic ionized water Wa or the alkaline ionized water Wb is selectively taken from the water outlets 16 and 17 by operating a valve (not shown).

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the material distribution of the electrode 13 for water electrolysis may be a ratio other than the above, and by forming the wall surface of the electrolytic cell 10 with a synthetic resin material having conductivity, the electrolytic cell 10 can form the electrode 13. The structure can also be combined, and other detailed shapes and the like are also arbitrary.

[0013]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, an electrode is made of a cheap synthetic resin material as a base material, to which conductivity is imparted by adding a carbon material and silver. Therefore, in addition to being able to reduce the material cost, it can be obtained by resin molding means such as compression molding, so the processing cost is also suppressed, thus providing a low-priced electrode and eventually a low-priced ion water generator. can do. Further, since the electrode contains silver having a bactericidal effect, it is possible to prevent the growth of microorganisms on the electrode surface and supply safe ionized water even when it is not used for a long time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an example of an ion water generator using a water electrolysis electrode of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Electrolyzer 10A Anode chamber (electrolysis chamber) 10B Cathode chamber (electrolysis chamber) 11 Separator 13 Water electrolysis electrode Wa Acid ion water Wb Alkaline ion water

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electrode for water electrolysis, comprising a base material made of a synthetic resin material, and an appropriate amount of a carbon material and silver added thereto. 2. An ion water generator comprising a water-permeable membrane and the water electrolysis electrodes according to claim 1, which are arranged to face each other with an electrolytic chamber on both sides of the membrane interposed therebetween.