US2829096A - Process of producing alkali metal amalgams in mobile mercury cathode cells - Google Patents

Process of producing alkali metal amalgams in mobile mercury cathode cells Download PDF

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Publication number
US2829096A
US2829096A US601305A US60130556A US2829096A US 2829096 A US2829096 A US 2829096A US 601305 A US601305 A US 601305A US 60130556 A US60130556 A US 60130556A US 2829096 A US2829096 A US 2829096A
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United States
Prior art keywords
mercury
amalgam
alkali metal
electrolysis
zone
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Expired - Lifetime
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US601305A
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English (en)
Inventor
Clement Jean
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Solvay SA
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Solvay SA
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Publication date
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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
    • C25B1/00—Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01—Products
    • C25B1/34—Simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine, e.g. by chlor-alkali electrolysis
    • C25B1/36—Simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine, e.g. by chlor-alkali electrolysis in mercury cathode cells

Definitions

  • the gas may be considerably enriched in hydrogen, the presence of which is due not only to mercury immiscible impurities such as graphite debris, but also to mercury lumps which appear at the surface of the cathode before reaching the weir arranged at the end of the cell.
  • Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the arrangement applied to a vertical cell
  • Figure 2 shows an arrangement correspondingly applied to a horizontal cell.
  • the mobile mercury cathode of a vertical cell flows out of a weir device 1 and streams down the length of the conducting vertical support 2 disposed between two anode plates 3 and 4; at the bottom of the support 2, the mercury containing in solution the amalgam formed in the course of the electrolysis is collected in a trough 5 from where it runs out through a tube 6 to an apparatus for decomposing the amalgam.
  • the required agitation is obtained by a secondary circuit comprising the branches 7 through which part of the liquid cathode is drained by the pumps 8 with'motors 9 and returned by pipes 10 into the collecting trough 5 at a level slightly below the mercury surface.
  • the electric current connections to the cathode and anode, the electrolytic liquid and the outer casing of the cell, and the anodic gas exhausts have not been represented.
  • the apparatus for carrying out the process according to the invention is not limited to the particular representation of the drawing.
  • the agitation may be obtained by a single pump with an inlet branched from pipe 6 and an outlet feeding a collector with a number of branches leading to the collecting trough 5.
  • FIG. 2 shows an example of the application of the principal of the invention to a horizontal cell. Only the elements necessary for the easy explanation and understanding of the invention are given, the cell itself being represented only by the conducting plate 12 and lateral walls 11 interrupted for clarity.
  • the agitation circuit comprising a tube 16 disposed between the bottom of the drain 14 and the pump 17 driven by motor 18.
  • the agitation circuit is completed by two return pipes 20 from the pump 17 into the drain 14 by way of openings 19 arranged below the level of the mercury in the drain.
  • the agitation apparatus does not have the object of separating the mercury lumps, since one seeks on the contrary to diffuse them in the mercury present in the cell. Separation is then carried out in a separate part of the apparatus away from the electrolytic cell.
  • This separate zone which can preferably form one body with the cell works as a decanting vessel, the lumps rising to the surface, collecting there and being then capable of removal by any suitable known means.
  • the process of the present invention therefore offers the advantage of avoiding decomposition of the amalgam in the electrolytic cell by mercury lumps and in consequence the production of hydrogen and corresponding loss of alkali metal.
  • the steps which comprise accumulating the mercury and associated amalgam as a body at the amalgam discharge end of the electrolysis zone in an accumulation zone, continuously withdrawing a portion of i said body of mercury from said accumulation zone, and continuously pumping at least some of said portion as a continuously flowing stream directly into said body of mercury contained in said zone below the surface thereof at a speed sutlicient to maintain continuous agitation in said body of mercury effective to maintain any lumps of amalgam formed in the course of electrolysis in a dispersion in said body of mercury and to suppress separation of said lumps from said body of mercury, whereby the generation of hydrogen is suppressed.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)
US601305A 1955-08-27 1956-07-31 Process of producing alkali metal amalgams in mobile mercury cathode cells Expired - Lifetime US2829096A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE357711X 1955-08-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2829096A true US2829096A (en) 1958-04-01

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ID=3868351

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US601305A Expired - Lifetime US2829096A (en) 1955-08-27 1956-07-31 Process of producing alkali metal amalgams in mobile mercury cathode cells

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US2829096A (fr)
BE (1) BE540863A (fr)
CH (1) CH357711A (fr)
DE (1) DE1010515B (fr)
FR (1) FR1152030A (fr)
NL (2) NL88006C (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2985570A (en) * 1956-09-04 1961-05-23 Hubbard Walter Allen Rapid ion extraction mercury cell
US3481856A (en) * 1965-09-25 1969-12-02 Basf Ag Vertical mercury cathode electrolytic cells
US4209370A (en) * 1976-10-08 1980-06-24 Infanzon Luis A S Process for electrolysis of brine by mercury cathodes

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2323042A (en) * 1939-05-30 1943-06-29 Honsberg Werner Process for the electrolytic decomposition of metal compounds
US2351383A (en) * 1937-06-21 1944-06-13 Wolf Hermann Process for the manufacture of zinc
US2733202A (en) * 1956-01-31 Electrolytic cells
US2744864A (en) * 1951-02-14 1956-05-08 Merck E Apparatus for the electrolysis of aqueous alkali sulphate solutions

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE172403C (fr) * 1894-05-19
DE244842C (fr) * 1909-12-22

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2733202A (en) * 1956-01-31 Electrolytic cells
US2351383A (en) * 1937-06-21 1944-06-13 Wolf Hermann Process for the manufacture of zinc
US2323042A (en) * 1939-05-30 1943-06-29 Honsberg Werner Process for the electrolytic decomposition of metal compounds
US2744864A (en) * 1951-02-14 1956-05-08 Merck E Apparatus for the electrolysis of aqueous alkali sulphate solutions

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2985570A (en) * 1956-09-04 1961-05-23 Hubbard Walter Allen Rapid ion extraction mercury cell
US3481856A (en) * 1965-09-25 1969-12-02 Basf Ag Vertical mercury cathode electrolytic cells
US4209370A (en) * 1976-10-08 1980-06-24 Infanzon Luis A S Process for electrolysis of brine by mercury cathodes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1010515B (de) 1957-06-19
NL209794A (fr)
CH357711A (fr) 1961-10-31
BE540863A (fr)
FR1152030A (fr) 1958-02-10
NL88006C (fr)

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