US1908134A - Electrolytic cell of the mercury type - Google Patents

Electrolytic cell of the mercury type Download PDF

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Publication number
US1908134A
US1908134A US495692A US49569230A US1908134A US 1908134 A US1908134 A US 1908134A US 495692 A US495692 A US 495692A US 49569230 A US49569230 A US 49569230A US 1908134 A US1908134 A US 1908134A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
mercury
cathode
compartment
metal
electrolytic cell
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US495692A
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English (en)
Inventor
Engelhardt Victor
Schonfeldt Nikolaus
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.)
Siemens and Halske AG
Siemens Corp
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Siemens Corp
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 Siemens Corp filed Critical Siemens Corp
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Publication of US1908134A publication Critical patent/US1908134A/en
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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
    • C25B11/00—Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for
    • C25B11/02—Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for characterised by shape or form
    • C25B11/033—Liquid electrodes

Definitions

  • Our invention relates to electrolytic cells, and more particularly electrolytic cells for the electrolysis of alkali or alkaline earth according to the, mercury process require generally considerable quantities of mercury or constant supervision and attendance.
  • the object of our invention is to provide a cell in which these drawbacks are effectively eliminated.
  • Our improved cell requires only a very small quantity of mercury and no constant supervision and thus ensures a particularly high economy.
  • We attain this end in view by designing only a portion of the vertical partition dividing the anode compartment from the cathode compartment adjacent to the bottom of the electrolyser as a porous diaphragm.
  • the preferably rigid diaphragm need only be very low, for instance a few millimetres high.
  • the diaphragm which at the same time serves as a support for the considerably larger impermeable portion of the partition is advantageously designed as a closed circular ring. or as polygon and the mercury is arranged on the inside of the ring or polygon.
  • the anode which may be of similar shape, is located at the outside of the diaphragm.
  • the height of the mercury is chosen slightly higher than the height of the diaphragm.
  • the anode is preferably also slightly higher than the diaphragm.
  • the mercury itself or a special metal body located above the mercury may be employed as cathode. This special cathode may also be electrically connected to the mercury.
  • the object of our invention is to eliminate I this drawback and thus to render the process much more reliable.
  • Numerous experiments and thorough researches have shown that the speed of decomposition of the amalgam can be considered as a function of two values, viz. 1 the distance of the respective metal from the mercury in the electromotive series of the elements and 2 the reciprocal value of the overpotential of the metal.
  • the metal selected in accordance with the required output of the plant can be connected to the mercury cathode through a suitable resistance.
  • the metal is, for instance, employed in the form of wire netting supported upon feet of graphite.
  • the wire netting or gauze may preferably consist of iron wire upon which according to the output of the respective plant a corresponding metal coat ing is electrolytlcally deposited, for instance a coating of cadmium with or without application 0 one or more intermediate layers.
  • Fig. 1 a perspective view, partly in section, and
  • the vessel 6 is composed or built up of a plurality of differentparts.
  • the diaphragm d On a bottom plate a is placed the diaphragm d of only a few millimetres height which in its turn carries or supports the considerably higher impermeable partition 6.
  • the said three par-ts 0, d and e are preferably combined into a single structure.
  • a quantity of mercury f At the inner side of the diaphragm all there is arranged a quantity of mercury f and at the outer side of the diaphragm there is located the anode g.
  • the heights of the quantity of mercury f and the anode g are slightly greater than that of the diaphragm d.
  • the feet '11 which consist of graphite, for example, rest upon the bottom 0 of the inner vessel 1) and this dip into the mercury f, serving as leads for the supply of current to the mercury cathode.
  • a bipolar connection to the mercury f may be effected by placing a cathode secured in position merely by a suspension or by resting upon non-conducting blocks at some distance above the mercury.
  • the solution of the alkali halide and into the cathode compartment K preferably pure water.
  • a suit able metal may: be chosen, for example, cadmium.
  • a coating of cadmium is electrolytically deposited upon a netting of iron wire.
  • the thus prepared wire gauze h is provided with feet of graphite i and placed on the bottom of the receptacle 6.
  • the 'graphite members 9' then serve simultaneously as leads to the mercury cathode d.
  • the rate of decomposition of the amalgam which occurs when employing a certain metal may be controlled by varying the resistance located between the metal gauze It and the mercury cathode f, in the example illustrated the resistance of the rods of graphite i.
  • This may, for instance, be effected by impregnating or coating the rods of graphite i with a liquid insulating agent, such as a suitable varnish.
  • the resistance may also be omitted altogether so that the mercury is then in bipolar connection.
  • porous plates of suflicient strength to resist chemical actions for instance plates of chromic oxide, aluminum oxide, infusorial earth (Kieselguhr), vulcanite and the like.
  • the bottom of the vessel 6 may be provided with suitable projections, for instance.
  • the mercury may then be arranged in the shape of a ring, for example.
  • an electrolytic cell for the electrolysis of alkalis or alkaline-earths of the halogens according to the mercury process, in combination, an anode compartment, a cat11- ode compartment, a partition dividing said anode compartment from said cathode compartment only the portion of which adjacent to the bottom of the electrolyser is porous, mercury Within the cathode compartment covering the entire porous portion of said partition, and a cathode located above the mercury, which is electrically connected to the mercury through high-ohmic resistances.
  • a containing vessel forming an anode compartment, an interior cathode compartment resting on the bottom of said containing vessel, the walls of said cathode compartment being impermeable for the greater part of their height but having a narrow, porous, horizontal section adjacent the said bottom of said containing vessel.
  • amalgam and the said cathode being electrically connected by a resistance ele-' ment whose resistance is capable of being varied, whereby the rate of decomposition of the amalgam may be controlled.
  • a cathode comprising a wire gauze coated with cadmium.
  • VICTOR ENGELHARDT NIKOLAUS SCHONFELDT.

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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 Metals (AREA)
US495692A 1929-12-18 1930-11-14 Electrolytic cell of the mercury type Expired - Lifetime US1908134A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE1908134X 1929-12-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US1908134A true US1908134A (en) 1933-05-09

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ID=7748757

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US495692A Expired - Lifetime US1908134A (en) 1929-12-18 1930-11-14 Electrolytic cell of the mercury type

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US1908134A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE374974A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE556948C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3325382A (en) * 1962-03-01 1967-06-13 Pullman Inc Process for electrolysis of alkaline earth metal compounds in a mercury cell

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2762765A (en) * 1951-06-06 1956-09-11 Hooker Electrochemical Co Methods and apparatus for electrolytic decomposition
DE949049C (de) * 1952-07-22 1956-09-13 Dr Alfred Wurbs Elektrolysenzelle fuer das Amalgemverfahren mit geneigten, von Quecksilber ueberflossenen Kathoden

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3325382A (en) * 1962-03-01 1967-06-13 Pullman Inc Process for electrolysis of alkaline earth metal compounds in a mercury cell

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE556948C (de) 1932-08-17
BE374974A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

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