US3347769A - Means for adjusting anodes in electrolytic cells having horizontal cathodes - Google Patents

Means for adjusting anodes in electrolytic cells having horizontal cathodes Download PDF

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Publication number
US3347769A
US3347769A US361495A US36149564A US3347769A US 3347769 A US3347769 A US 3347769A US 361495 A US361495 A US 361495A US 36149564 A US36149564 A US 36149564A US 3347769 A US3347769 A US 3347769A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
shaft
anode
cell
cover
plug
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
US361495A
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English (en)
Inventor
Honsberg Werner
Mueller Heinrich
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BASF SE
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BASF SE
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Publication date
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Publication of US3347769A publication Critical patent/US3347769A/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
    • C25B15/00—Operating or servicing cells
    • C25B15/04—Regulation of the inter-electrode distance
    • 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
    • C25B9/00—Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
    • C25B9/60—Constructional parts of cells
    • C25B9/63—Holders for electrodes; Positioning of the electrodes
    • 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
    • C25B9/00—Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
    • C25B9/60—Constructional parts of cells
    • C25B9/65—Means for supplying current; Electrode connections; Electric inter-cell connections
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/18—Mechanical movements
    • Y10T74/18568—Reciprocating or oscillating to or from alternating rotary
    • Y10T74/18576—Reciprocating or oscillating to or from alternating rotary including screw and nut
    • Y10T74/18712—Contamination related
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T74/00—Machine element or mechanism
    • Y10T74/18—Mechanical movements
    • Y10T74/18568—Reciprocating or oscillating to or from alternating rotary
    • Y10T74/18576—Reciprocating or oscillating to or from alternating rotary including screw and nut
    • Y10T74/18752—Manually driven

Definitions

  • Adjustable mounting means for the anode plate in an electrolytic cell having a horizontal cathode with the anode plate attached to a vertical shaft extending through an opening in the cover of the cell, the adjustable mounting means including a supporting member resting loosely On the cell cover and carrying a rotatable nut which is threaded on the upper end of the anode shaft to lower or lower or raise the anode plate, and an elastomeric plug inserted in the opening of the cell cover around the shaft to hold the shaft in a vertical position and to seal off the opening, this plug having grooves extending outwardly from its inner circumferential surface which contacts the shaft.
  • the combination of apparatus is useful in the construction of alkali metal chloride electrolytic cells.
  • This invention relates to an alkali metal chloride electrolytic cell having horizontal cathodes and relates particularly to means for adjusting the anodes in such an electrolytic cell.
  • the graphite anodes in alkali metal chloride electrolytic cells undergo electrochemical and mechanical wear in use. Consequently the anodes, which are usually in the form of plates, become gradually thinner until eventually their replacement by fresh anodes becomes inevitable.
  • the distance between the anode and cathode increases continually owing to the wear, so that the internal resistance of the cells increases and the cell voltage rises. Rise in the cell voltage is counteracted by periodically moving the anode towards the cathode.
  • Graphite anodes of electrolytic cells of this type usually consist of plates and a shaft which serves to secure the anode to the cell cover and also to supply current to the anode.
  • the shaft is either screwed into-the anode plate or connected by a tapered surface, and both parts may be pegged by means of hard rubber pegs to make the connection secure.
  • the simplest mounting known consists of a bored rubber bung, the anode shaft being passed through the hole in the bung.
  • the rubber bung is pushed into the opening in the cell cover with such force that not only is a guide provided for the anode shaft, but the anode is held securely in position owing to the high friction between the shaft and the bung. Guiding of the anode is unsatisfactory in the said arrangement. Moreover movement of the anode can only be effected downwardly and a considerable pressure must be exerted on the shaft to achieve such movement.
  • Another prior art adjusting means consists of a supporting frame rigidly mounted on the cell cover over the anode opening and provided with a movable guide nut.
  • the guide nut engages in a threaded steel sleeve applied to the upper portion of the anode shaft, by means of which it is possible to adjust the height of the anode.
  • a special guide for the shaft is necessary.
  • a gastight seal of the shaft with respect to the cell cover is achieved by a system consisting of a stuffing box rigidly secured to the cell cover and having a rubber ring and gland. While this system ensures a satisfactory guiding and adjustment of the anode shaft, it requires great expenditure for material and by reason of its relatively complicated construction its mounting is timeconsuming and in part diflicult when it is necessary to change an anode.
  • An adjusting means is also known in which the upper part of the anode shaft, which is provided With a screwthread, is passed through a nut which bears on a supporting member rigidly arranged on the cell cover.
  • a seal is effected by means of a diaphragm of soft rubber which is secured to a i'ubberized support provided on the cell cover. It is also very difilcult to change anodes with this arrangement.
  • the sealing membrane has only a short life because of the large surface which it offers to attack by chlorine. It is an object of the present invention to provide means for adjusting anodes in electrolytic cells having horizontal cathodes which are simple in design, which allow easy movement of the anode and which ensure satisfactory guiding of the anode during the movement.
  • the anode shaft is provide at its upper end with a screwthread which engages with the screwthread of a nut carried by supporting means resting on the cell cover
  • these objects are achieved in that the nut is carried by, or formed in one with, a rotatable supporting member resting loosely on the cell cover and the anode shaft, at the level at which it passes through the cell cover, is sealed by means of a plug of elastomeric material having a central opening provided with grooves or a labyrinth.
  • the plug of elastomeric material having a grooved or labyrinth opening, for example of natural rubber or silicone rubber, used for the seal is advantageously cylindrical. To ensure a particularly firm seating of the plug in the opening in the cell cover, the latter is extended upwardly to form a support. With an opening having this shape, the plug is advantageously shaped so that its upper portion is extended to form a collar which is turned over the upper end of said support.
  • the outer surface of the anode shaft and the inner surface of the plug which is provided with parallel grooves or with interengaging helical grooves may be greased with a suitable grease.
  • the inner surface of the plug is provided with about four grooves. It is of course also possible to decrease the number of grooves to one or to increase the number.
  • the anode shaft and the thread superposed thereon or provided therein may be made of graphite or metal. It is advantageous to choose a metal nut when the thread is made of graphite, and vice versa.
  • the adjusting means according to this invention offers a number of advantages over the conventional adjusting means having comparable adjustment accuracy. Breakage of the anode plates during assembly of the cells is avoided by the loose mounting of the adjusting nut on the cell cover in association with the sprung guiding of the anode shaft in the grooved plug.
  • the anode is positively located in horizontal position. In the case of sudden pressure impulses, which sometimes occur in the gas space of the cell, if a chlorine detonating gas explosion should occur at a point in the gas system, the anode at the point in question is merely lifted slightly and the shaft thereof is forced through the grooved plug.
  • the adjusting means according to this invention consists of only a few inexpensive and simple elements, only very short interruption of operation is necessary to change anodes. Owing to the simple construction of the adjusting means, change of anodes can be carried out by unskilled labour. Another considerable advantage is that the anodes are maintenance free throughout their lifetime. The easy running of the adjusting nut on the thread makes it unnecessary to provide a separate guide for the anode shaft in vertical direction in order to prevent rotation of the shaft.
  • FIGURES l to 4 of the accompanying drawings show embodiments of adjusting means according to this invention.
  • the anode plate 2 is rigidly connected with the anode shaft 1.
  • the upper portion of the shaft is provided with a screwthread 3 which engages in a not 5 formed in one with a support member 4.
  • the support member rests loosely on the cover 6 of the cell.
  • the opening in the cell cover for the anode shaft has an upward flange 7 in which is placed a plug 8 having a grooved opening and which tapers downwardly.
  • graphite anode may be raised or lowered by rotating the support member directly by hand or indirectly by means of a suitable key.
  • lowering the anode it is not necessary to exert pressure on the anode shaft, but rather this happens merely by the weight of the anode itself.
  • FIGURE 2 illustrates an adjusting means in which the nut 21 is separate from the support member 22, the latter being stationary and the nut being adapted to rotate on it.
  • the anode shaft 23 and the anode (not shown) carried by it may be raised or lowered by rotation of the nut. Rotation of the nut may be carried out with a special key or manually. In the latter case, the nut may advantageously be provided with a handle 24.
  • the threaded portion of the anode shaft may be made of metal and fixed to the anode shaft in a conventional way.
  • the nut may be made of graphite to prevent seizing.
  • FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation of a grooved plug 31 having five grooves 32 and a superposed collar 33.
  • the anode shaft 41 is passed through a nut 42 made in one with the support member 43.
  • the support member which is not rigidly connected with the cell cover 44 rests'on a slide ring 45 which lies loosely on the cover.
  • the slide ring may be made from metal or, if electrical insulation between electrode and electrolyzer is desirable or necessary, from plastics.
  • the collar 47 of plug 48 is turned over the flange 46 provided on the cell cover.
  • the outer surface of the plug is greased to improve the seal between the outer surface of the plug and the inner surface of the flange.
  • the inner surface of the plug is also advantageously greased.
  • an electrolytic cell having a substantially horizontal cathode, a cover enclosing said cell, an anode plate arranged within said cell on a vertical shaft extending through an opening in said cover and means for adjustably mounting said anode plate
  • said means for mounting said anode plate comprises a support member resting loosely on said cell cover and carrying a rotatable nut threadably engaging the upper portion of said shaft for axial adjustment thereof, and an elastomeric plug inserted in the opening of said cell cover around said shaft to maintain said shaft in its vertical position, said plug being grooved radially outwardly on its inner surface which is in sealing contact with said shaft.

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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 Non-Metals, Compounds, Apparatuses Therefor (AREA)
  • Electrodes For Compound Or Non-Metal Manufacture (AREA)
US361495A 1963-05-24 1964-04-21 Means for adjusting anodes in electrolytic cells having horizontal cathodes Expired - Lifetime US3347769A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEB72039A DE1224285B (de) 1963-05-24 1963-05-24 Vorrichtung zum Verstellen von Anoden in Chloralkali-Elektrolysezellen mit horizontalen Kathoden

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3347769A true US3347769A (en) 1967-10-17

Family

ID=6977264

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US361495A Expired - Lifetime US3347769A (en) 1963-05-24 1964-04-21 Means for adjusting anodes in electrolytic cells having horizontal cathodes

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3347769A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1224285B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1054983A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3455810A (en) * 1965-02-04 1969-07-15 Uddeholms Ab Fastening means for an electrode in a so-called horizontal electrolytic cell
EP0014595A1 (en) * 1979-02-12 1980-08-20 Diamond Shamrock Corporation Anode and base assemblies for electrolytic cells and method of manufacture thereof
US4946309A (en) * 1985-01-26 1990-08-07 Phoenix Aktiegesellschaft Sealing profile

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US379464A (en) * 1888-03-13 Randolph
US2643147A (en) * 1948-09-01 1953-06-23 Gen Motors Corp Packing
US2793889A (en) * 1951-04-12 1957-05-28 Houdaille Industries Inc Piston rod seal
US3037928A (en) * 1959-02-14 1962-06-05 Feldmuhle Papier Und Zellstoff Metallic current conductor mounting for a horizontal graphite electrode in an electrolytic cell
US3080310A (en) * 1959-12-14 1963-03-05 Krebs & Co Ltd Electrolytic cell with anode adjusting device
US3256172A (en) * 1960-10-29 1966-06-14 Hoechst Ag Device for avoiding short circuit damage in electrolytic cells

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US379464A (en) * 1888-03-13 Randolph
US2643147A (en) * 1948-09-01 1953-06-23 Gen Motors Corp Packing
US2793889A (en) * 1951-04-12 1957-05-28 Houdaille Industries Inc Piston rod seal
US3037928A (en) * 1959-02-14 1962-06-05 Feldmuhle Papier Und Zellstoff Metallic current conductor mounting for a horizontal graphite electrode in an electrolytic cell
US3080310A (en) * 1959-12-14 1963-03-05 Krebs & Co Ltd Electrolytic cell with anode adjusting device
US3256172A (en) * 1960-10-29 1966-06-14 Hoechst Ag Device for avoiding short circuit damage in electrolytic cells

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3455810A (en) * 1965-02-04 1969-07-15 Uddeholms Ab Fastening means for an electrode in a so-called horizontal electrolytic cell
EP0014595A1 (en) * 1979-02-12 1980-08-20 Diamond Shamrock Corporation Anode and base assemblies for electrolytic cells and method of manufacture thereof
US4946309A (en) * 1985-01-26 1990-08-07 Phoenix Aktiegesellschaft Sealing profile

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1054983A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE1224285B (de) 1966-09-08

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