US1874835A - Chemical manufacture - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30, 1932. D. 'rowN'l-:ND ET AL CHEMICL MANUFAGTURE Filed July 30. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS 30, 1932. Y D, TOWNEND E1' AL 11,874,835

' 'CHEMICAL NIANUFAG'EURE v Filed July 5o, 1951 2 sheetsysneet z INVENToRs an lc 70W/79nd ym' VBA-vial )7h/ww' VM.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 30, 1932 y i 2i.;i:..x.f;`

DANIEL TOW-NEND, OF `IRQVI'.DlllIhTCIil, AND NELSON-C.-WHITE, OF CRAITSTON,` RHOD I ISLAND, AssIGNoRs Tormrms POINT MANUFACTURING 303x, N. Y., A coRroRA'rroN- or RHODE rsLANni gf j u v,cnrmincian fnanurncrnnn i A'p'p'liatin aigri juli 3d,

This invention relates to improvements in electrolytic cells of the diaphragmutype such as are commonly used in the-electrolysis 4of sodium chloride brines `iforthe production of chlorineand caustic' soda liquor. rIhis ltype of electrolytic cell comprises', generally', a cell chamber, a cathode Vmember arranged .within the cell chamber,"an'anode member arranged within the cathode member, a' diaphragm arranged between theanode member and the cathode member, and a cellI cover shaped to form a chamber forcollecti'on of the gas produced by the electrolysis. The anode member is Vusually of carbon andl the 'diaphragm is usually either ofpaperorcloth or composite paper-cloth ucom'struction..l Re# placement of the vanode member and of ythe diaphragm, commonly designatedrebuilding of the cell, is a regularly occurring part of the operation of suchV electrolytic cells.

From the standpoint of economy of'oper'ation, the cells must be arranged to facilitate such rebuilding, that is thecells must afford a maximum of accessiblity. Atthe same time, gas leakage must be reduced to afminimum; These two factors 'are not,4 entirely consistent since the provision of means for ready access to the cell interior usually 'involves multiplie cation of joints subject to gasflealrageor rref lated diiculties. This invention provides an improved electrolytic "cell of this typeatfording a number of important advantages with respect to l accessibilityl while eliminating joints subject to gas leakage. f l f Theimproved electrolytic cell of the rpresent invention comprises a cellchamberfopen lat the top,"a cathode member arranged' with'-,

in theJ cell chamber having a portion extende ing outwardly across the upper edge of the' cell chamber, ythis outwardly'extending portion being formed to provide njitsupp'er Iside a sealing-tongue, a cellcoveriprovided a sealing groove fitting the 'sealing .tonguefon the outwardly extending portion of: the cathodemember, an anode memberfarranged within the cathode member'and a' diaphragm arranged between :the anode memberand the cathode member, the tipof the sealingf'tongiie j on theupper side of the cathode 'memberex tending above'the normal liquidA level inthe v.the invention. y j f 4 f will be further describedlin cell and th'einne'ry lip of the sealing groovein the vc',ove i"extendingbelowthe normal liquid Y replacement' of the i cell cover' on the cathode member re-establishes the seal between these two elements.V *The anode member is -advan# ftageously. arranged to4 'be supported .by the cell cover, so' that the sealing' cover and" anode simplefoperation. t "dvantageousl'y, the "cellf chamber 'provided` with fai' sealing tongue around its upper edge andthejol'itwardly ex-4 tending. portion of'` thecathode member is GORPORATION, CF1-NEW Y .,:membergassembly canbe'removed by a single formed vtoprovide onits 'lower sidev a sealing grooveifltting.the sealing tongue onthe upper edge offthe cell chamber. Thisadditional seal is include the more V'slpeciicY aspects of {Thefinvention 'connection with the accompanying drawings which" illustrate, diagrammaticallyi and con.-` ventionally, one form of electrolytic cell enig bodyingjthe invention. In vtheV accompany iiigdrawingsfFig. lis'anelevation, partly s in section andfwith parts broken away, -`of a cell embodyingy the f invention, Fig."2 is a 'seclargeddetail, section, of the j ointbetween the cellchamb'er ,and the "cell cover, and Figs. 4 :andy t5" are "enlarged "details" of arrangementsl for;sealingthejoints'between thegasfoffl f tion'9extendingfoutwardl acrss theupper edgefihsfehamberl.6. .i @rodeada tending portie''Ii-being,` formed, as illustrated HIS,

2.0 Y, v c l supported solely by the cover member 11,

groove 12 fitting the second sealing tongue on the outwardly extending portion 9v of the cathode member 8, a plurality of anode members 13 arranged within the cathode member 8, and a diaphragm 145 arranged betweenthe anode member '13 and the cathode member 8. The sealing tongue 7 and thel co-l operating sealing groove in the lower side of the outwardly Aextending portion 94 of f the cathode member are advantageous but are not essential in the broader aspects .of the invention. The normal liquid level in the cell is indicated at 15. The normal liquid level falls between the upper edge, or tip,

of the sealing tongue on lthe outwardly'ex-Y tendingportion 9 of the cathode member and'the'lower edge of the inner lip'of Vthe sealing groove 1 2 in the coverfmemberrll', As inl thefcell illustrated, the anode .meins bers 13 are advantageously arrangedto be so that the cover member and the imode member assembly may be removedY audit@L placed as a unit.,` The .anode l'members 13, yin the'V cell illustrated, are supported by bus bars 16 which 'in turn are supported bypr0 j ection 1 7 on the cover member.

' inthe @en illustrated the Cathodemember y is supported from the upper 'edge of the cell chamber 6 by the outwardly extendingportion9 of the cathode member, and the diaphragmA 14; is,supportedby the cathode mmber 8. `It will be apparentthatremoval of of the cover member andthe anode "inembers affords an immediate and complete, ac*- v ce'ss'to thev'diaphragm. In the cell illus# trated, each of the yez'zte'nsions 1 8k of anode members l 13 is provided with a skirt 19 exe tending downwardly into a lute 2 0 filledV with oilor some appropriate 'putty'or cerne;et,` gesistant to the action of the gas or mixture produced inthe cell. The gas oii'l-tlake pipe V2 1 is similarly provided with. afskirt 2 2 extending downwardly into a lutef23'ffllled withfan appropriate sealing medium. 4*Conjnection 2 4 is provided for supplying'brine,`

or other solution to be subjected to electroly;

Y sis, to the cell. The outwardlyfextending portions 9ct the cathode member 8V areCQnf nected to bus bars 25. Connection 26, is. ro:

v idedffor the discharge of the electrolyyze lsolution.v the electrolysis oli sodium chloride l v brines for the production of chlorine and caustic soda liquor, rior example, in the form Y' ofzlelectrolytics cell illustrated. in the, drawings, sodiumchloride brine isV sup l,liedtol the space between the diaphragm'and theanode members xthrough connection 124, chlorine Vormedfiscollected in the chamber provided in thecell cover and discharged,throughv pipe 21, hydrogenformed. is collected in andadischarged from the space between the; cathode member and'fthe c cell- 'cl 1 `an 1bf r,"V and caustic by percolation of the brine through the diaphragm is discharged through connection 26. The space between the cathode member and the cell chamber is normally lilled with gas, a liquid level suilicienty merely to eiiect discharge of the caustic soda liquor through the connection 26 being maintained beneath the lower part of the cathode member.

The cell chamber, the cathode member, the diaphragm, and the anode member may be canstructed of .any of tlieconventional materials. The cell cover may be constructed Vof concreteor hard rubber, lfor use in the electrolysis of brine for the production of chlorine Vand caustic soda for example, or of other material resistanty to the gas or gas mixture produced the. cell. The cellcover is advantageously constructed in but a single piece, asa unitary castingfor' example. ',The skirts 19 and 22may, for example, be'constructed of steel covered with vulcanized rubber, for use l`in the electrolysis of brine for the, production of* chlorinevr and causticv i 1. VAn electrolytic. cell comprisingy afcell' chamber open atthe top, a cathodevmember arrangedwithin said'y chamber having a portion extendingoutwardly across the V upper edgeof saidchamber,sjaid outwardly extending portionb'eing formed to provide on its uppersidevapsealmgtongue, a cellcovcr pro- .v

vided with a sealinggroovelitting said sealtongue, an, anodemember arrangedwitliin saidr cathode member and a diaphragm arranged between said anode memberand. said cathode member, "the y.tip of /said sealing tongue extending Vabove the. normal liquid level inthe cell and the inner lip of said sealing groove extending belowrthe normal liquid level in, the cell;4 if

electr lytic cell comprising a cell chamber open at the top, @cathode lmember arranged within saidz chamber, hay-ing a k.portion extending outwardl acrossthe upper edgefof chamber, saidI ine c Perrier. :heiss-,formed t0; provide' O11 its upper side sealingltongue, a vcell cover providedl'with a sealing lgroove.fitti-ng said'sealf legionella@ anode member arranged Withir'saidzathodemember andrsurportedsolely byseiewe and e (larhreemarrenged be# outwardly extend.-

tween said anode member and said cathode member, the tip of said sealin tongue extending above the normal liqui level in the cell and the inner lip of said sealing groove extending below the normal liquid level in the cell. 4

3. An electrolytic cell comprising a cell chamber open at the top and provided with a Y sealing tongue around its upper edge, a cathode member arranged within said chamber having a portion extending outwardly across the upper edge of said chamber, said outwardly extending portion being formed t0 provide on its lower side a sealing groove fitting said sealing tongue and on its upper side a second sealing tongue, a cell cover provided with a second sealing groove fitting said second sealing tongue, an anode member ar-V ranged within saidV cathode member and a diaphragm arranged between said anode member and said cathode member, the tip of said second sealing tongue extending above the normal liquid level in the cell and the inner lip of said second sealing groove extending below the normal liquid level in the cell.

4. An ele'ctrolytic cell comprising a cell chamber open at the top and'provided with a sealing tongue around its upper edge, a cathode member arranged within said chamber 'f having a portion extending outwardly across the upper edge of said chamber, said outwardly extending portion being formed to provide on its lower side a sealing groove fitting said sealing tongue and onits upper side a second sealing tongue, a cell cover pro vided with a second sealing groove ffitting said second sealing tongue, an anode member larranged within said cathode member and supported solely said cover, and a diab phragm arranged byetween said anode member and said cathode member, the tip of said Y second sealing tongue extending abovethe normal liquid level in the-cell and the inner lip of said second sealing groove extending 'i below the normal liquid level in the cell.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures.

DANIEL TOWNEND. NELSON C.

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