US20040094405A1

US20040094405A1 - Device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions

Info

Publication number: US20040094405A1
Application number: US10/294,586
Authority: US
Inventors: Yung-Min Chen; Jer-Yuan Shiu; Jiunn-Ren Lin; Kuang-An Yang; Wen-Tse Ko
Original assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute ITRI
Current assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute ITRI
Priority date: 2002-11-15
Filing date: 2002-11-15
Publication date: 2004-05-20

Abstract

A device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions having a driver, a cathode, an anode, an electrode axis, an insulation inner tube, an electrode outer tube, and an insulation outer tube, the anode has a plurality of through holes and an axis hole in the center position thereof, the anode is placed above the cathode, the electrode axis is driven to rotate by the driver, the insulation inner tube encasingly covers the electrode axis and goes through the axis hole on the anode, with the bottom end thereof being connected to the cathode, whereas the electrode outer tube encasingly covers the insulation inner tube, with the bottom end thereof being connected to the anode, the insulation outer tube is installed on the anode and covers the outer part of the electrode outer tube, forming a channel between the insulation outer tube and the electrode outer tube, the through holes on the anode are disposed within the area of the channel as the escape paths for the gas product generated at the anode, thereby the gas will not recombine with the metal product produced at the cathode, a design that can effectively reduce the product loss and lower the energy consumption.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to a device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions, more particularly, a device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions through providing with path for gas products generated by anode electrolysis reaction to escape, preventing the anode product (chlorine) from reacting with the cathode product (lithium), thus the electrolysis energy consumption can be lowered whereas the products therefrom can be increased.

2. Related Art

The U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,790 discloses a metal separation device. As shown in FIG. 3, the device comprises a

silica shell

201, an insulation lid 202, a cathode 30, an anode 40, a through hole 41, a copper rod 203, a coaxial copper tube 204, a driving stick 205, a ceramic insulation inner tube 50, and a ceramic insulation outer tube 60. The silica shell 201 and the insulation cap 202 are insulators that can withstand high temperatures. The copper rod 203 is covered by the ceramic insulation inner tube 50, which is in turn covered by the coaxial copper tube 204. The coaxial copper tube 204 is further covered by the ceramic insulation outer tube 60. The lower end of both the coaxial copper tube 204 and the ceramic insulation outer tube 60 is fixatedly installed with the anode 40, which is penetrated through by the copper rod 203 and the ceramic insulation inner tube 50. A plurality of through holes 41 is formed at positions on the anode 40 away from the ceramic insulation outer tube 60. The lower end of both the copper rod 203 and the ceramic insulation inner tube 50 is installed with the cathode 30, which is parallel to the anode 40.

The

anode

40 and the cathode 30 are installed in the electrolyte 70 in the silica shell 201. The top of the copper rod 203 is connected to the driving stick 205 driven by a motor (not shown in drawings). The ceramic insulation inner tube 50 disposed between the copper rod 203 and the coaxial copper tube 204 works as a through hole for separation.

During electrolysis, the

driving stick

205 is driven by the motor to bring the cathode 30 into rotation, whereafter metal product produced by the electrolysis reaction at the cathode 30 is thrown out by the centrifugal force to float upwards and to conglomerate together. Gas produced at the anode 40 escapes via the through hole 41.

During the floating process, the gas product generated at the

anode

40 may react again with the metal product at the cathode, which causes decreased current efficiency, smaller product, and energy waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the invention is to provide with a device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions. The device is provided with a path for the gas product generated at the anode to escape to prevent the anode product (chlorine) and the cathode product (lithium) from further reactions, which lowers the energy consumption but increases the product.

To achieve the above object, the device comprises a driver, a cathode, an anode, an electrode axis, an insulation inner tube, an electrode outer tube, and an insulation outer tube. The anode, placed above the cathode, has a plurality of through holes and an axis hole in the center position. The electrode axis is driven to rotate by the driver. The insulation inner tube encasingly covers the electrode axis and goes through the axis hole on the anode, with the bottom end thereof being connected to the cathode. The electrode outer tube encasingly covers the insulation inner tube, with the bottom end thereof being connected to the anode. The insulation outer tube is disposed on the anode and encasingly covers the outer part of the electrode outer tube, forming a channel between the insulation outer tube and the electrode outer tube. The plurality of through holes on the anode is located within the area of the channel as the escape paths for the gas product generated at the anode.

The electrolyte is salt chemicals, such as KCl and LiCl.

The area of the cathode is preferably larger than that of the anode, so as to increase the metal product at the cathode.

The insulation inner tube is a ceramic insulation inner tube. The insulation outer tube is a ceramic insulation outer tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: [0013]
FIG. 1 shows a structure of the disclosed device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions; [0014]
FIG. 2 shows a structure of the disclosed device in FIG. 1 with an electrolyte; and [0015]
FIG. 3 shows the structure of a conventional metal separation device. [0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, the disclosed [0017] device 100 preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions comprises a driver 90 (e.g. motor), an electrode axis 10, an insulation inner tube 50, an electrode outer tube 20, an insulation outer tube 60, an anode 40, and a cathode 30. The electrode axis 10 is driven by the driver 90 into rotation. The bottom end of the electrode axis 40 is connected to the cathode 30. The anode 40 has a plurality of through holes 41 and an axis hole at the center. The anode 40 is placed above the cathode 30. The insulation inner tube 50 encasingly covers the electrode axis 10 and goes through the axis hole of the anode 40. The bottom end of the electrode axis 10 is connected to the cathode 30. The electrode outer tube 20 encasingly covers the insulation inner tube 50, with the bottom end thereof being connected to the anode 40. The insulation outer tube 60 is installed on the anode 40 and encasingly covers the outer part of the electrode outer tube 20. A channel 61 is formed between the insulation outer tube 60 and the electrode outer tube 20. The through holes 41 on the anode 40 are disposed within the area of the channel 61. The through holes 41 and the channel 61 form a path for the gas product generated at the anode to escape.
With reference to FIG. 2, the disclosed [0018] device 100 is installed in a silica shell 80 filled with the electrolyte 70, wherein the paralleled anode 40 and cathode 30 are immersed. The electrolyte 70 can be salt chemicals such as KCl and LiCl. In an embodiment of the invention, the electrolyte 70 is LiCl.
During the electrolysis reaction, the [0019] electrode axis 10 is driven by the driver 90 to bring the cathode 30 into rotation. The anode 40 and LiCl undergo an oxidation reaction and thus produce chlorine. The cathode 30 and LiCl undergo a reduction reaction and thus produce lithium. The lithium is first pulled outward by the centrifugal force from the rotation of the cathode 30 and then floats upward. The chlorine produced at the anode 40 enters the channel 61 via the through holes 41 and rapidly escapes along the channel 61. The chlorine is thus avoided from having reactions with lithium into LiCl. Therefore, the device can reduce the loss of metal product and, at the same time, lower energy consumption.
The [0020] cathode 30 is preferably to have a larger area than that of the anode 40. Using a smaller anode 40 can reduce the chlorine production during electrolysis, thereby increasing the production of lithium at the cathode.
The insulation [0021] inner tube 50 and the insulation outer tube 60 are made of ceramics. The insulation inner tube 50 is utilized to separate the electrode axis 10, the electrode outer tube 20 and the anode 40 from one another.
With the premise of not affecting the current density on the electrode, the invention has the design of a plurality of through [0022] holes 41 with a small diameter. For example, a circular anode 40 has an outer diameter of 55 mm and an inner diameter of 20 mm, with the number of through holes 41 being at least 48.
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention. For example, one can make the anode, instead of the cathode, to rotate to achieve the same effect. [0023]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions, comprising:

a driver;

a cathode;

an anode having a plurality of through holes and an axis hole at the center thereof, with said anode being placed above the cathode;

an electrode axis to be driven by said driver into rotation;

an insulation inner tube encasingly covering said electrode axis and goes through said axis hole of said anode, with the bottom end thereof being connected to said cathode;

an electrode outer tube encasingly covering said insulation inner tube, with the bottom end thereof being connected to said anode; and

an insulation outer tube installed on said anode, encasingly covering the outer part of said electrode outer tube, so as to form a channel between said insulation outer tube and said electrode outer tube, the plurality of through holes on said anode being disposed within the area of said channel.

2. The device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is a chemical selected from the group comprising KCl and LiCl.

3. The device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions of claim 1, wherein the area of said cathode is larger than that of the anode.

4. The device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions of claim 1, wherein said insulation outer tube is made of ceramic.

5. The device for preventing electrolyzed products from further reactions of claim 1, wherein said insulation inner tube is made of ceramic.