US3449234A - Vertical mercury cathode cell - Google Patents

Vertical mercury cathode cell Download PDF

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Publication number
US3449234A
US3449234A US579944A US3449234DA US3449234A US 3449234 A US3449234 A US 3449234A US 579944 A US579944 A US 579944A US 3449234D A US3449234D A US 3449234DA US 3449234 A US3449234 A US 3449234A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cell
cathode
cloth
mercury
anode
Prior art date
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US579944A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gotthard Csizi
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BASF SE
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BASF SE
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BASF SE filed Critical BASF SE
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Publication of US3449234A publication Critical patent/US3449234A/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
    • C25B9/00—Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
    • C25B9/70—Assemblies comprising two or more cells
    • 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
    • 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
    • C25B9/30—Cells comprising movable electrodes, e.g. rotary electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof
    • C25B9/305—Cells comprising movable electrodes, e.g. rotary electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof comprising vertical-type liquid electrode

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrolytic cell without diaphragms and having vertical mercury cathodes for the decomposition of alkali metal chlorides by the amalgam method and relates particularly to an anode for such an electrolytic cell.
  • the mercury tends to become detached from the cathode walls in the form of drops instead of flowing down the cathode walls in a thin film.
  • This mercury which is present in the drops in depolarized form, is attacked by chlorine however so that loss of mercury is extremely high in this type of cell.
  • the rate at which the mercury falls increases greatly with increasing height of the cell, so that cells having vertical electrodes can only be built to a certain height.
  • corrosion-resistant metals which are not attacked by chlorine, for example platinum, titanium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium and their alloys, may be used instead of graphite for the anode in horizontal cells.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide chlo rine and corrosion-resistant anodes of metals or alloys of the same for use in electrolytic cells without diaphragms and having vertical mercury cathodes for the decomposition of alkali metal chlorides by the amalgam method which are free from the said disadvantages.
  • Anodes in accordance with this invention consist of a fine-mesh wire cloth provided between the cathode and the cell casing and running parallel to the cathode, and bafiles on both sides of the cloth extending over the whole width of the cloth, the babies being parallel to each other and having horizontal longitudinal axes arranged one above the other so that the battles contact the cloth with their longitudinal edges, and each two opposite bafiles form a surface which is interrupted by the cloth, which surface rises toward the cell wall from the side facing the cathode.
  • the wire cloth and the baffies consist of a metal which is resistant to chlorine. and to corrosion, particularly titanium.
  • a cloth consisting of titanium may be provided with a coating of noble metal, for example iridium or particularly platinum or an alloy thereof with other noble metals.
  • the cloth should advantageously be of small mesh and may for example have 20 to 50 meshes per square centimeter with a wire diameter of 0.2 to 0.3 mm.
  • the bafiles which are arranged on both sides of the wire cloth may be secured for example to the cell wall. To permit easy exchange, they are advantageously arranged in a frame inserted into the cell. There is a frame on each side of the cloth at such a distance therefrom that the baflles contact the cloth over their entire longitudinal edge and press against a corresponding battle on the other side of the cloth, so that each pair of baffles forms 'a practically coherent surface through which the cloth is passed.
  • the width of the baffies may be about 0.3 to 1.0 cm., especially 0.5 cm.
  • the spacing of the baffles arranged one above another may be 0.3 to 2.0 cm. and is advantageously about 0.5 to 1 cm.
  • the baffles are so arranged that each surface formed by two baffies slopes up from the cathode to the cell wall, the angle from the horizontal being about 30 to 60.
  • the alkali metal chloride solution is introduced into the lower part of a cell provided with the anode in accordance with this invention, the point of introduction being between the cathode and the wire cloth, and flows upward. Chlorine is developed at the cloth forming the anode and is forced through the cloth together with the exhausted salt solution by the entering fresh salt solution. Gas and salt solution flow upward between the cloth and the cell wall and are withdrawn at the top of the cell.
  • the free electrolyte cross-section between the cathode and anode is not decreased anywhere by the gas formed and interruption of the flow of current between the two electrodes is therefore avoided.
  • FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through such a cell
  • FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section of a part of the anode on an enlarged scale
  • FIGURE 3 is a transverse section through the anode.
  • the same parts are indicated in the figures by the same reference numerals.
  • 1 is the cathode support (which may be made for example of iron)
  • 2 is mercury flowing down over the face of the cathode support facing the anode
  • 3 is a wire cloth of electrically insulating material, for example polyvinyl chloride, by which the rate at which the mercury fiows down on the cathode is retarded.
  • the mercury collects at the lower end of the cathode support in a channel 4 from which it is supplied by means of a pump 5 to a decomposer 6 in which the amalgam formed is decomposed by means of water to form caustic soda solution and hydrogen.
  • the mercury leaving at 7 is supplied to a channel 8 formed as an overflow in the upper portion of the cell and is distributed over the cathode support.
  • the baflies are secured to two frames 11 and 12.
  • a number of connections 14 arranged side by side and one above another are provided on the cell wall 13, and the frames 11 and 12 and the wire cloth 9 are secured thereto by screws 15.
  • the connections 14 serve at the same time to supply current to the anode.
  • the salt solution is supplied to the lower part of the cell through an opening 16 arranged between the anode and the cathode and flows upwardly.
  • the chlorine developed at the anode and the exhausted salt solution is forced through the cloth by the fresh salt solution, flows up in the space between the cell wall and the cloth and is withdrawn through an opening 17 provided in the upper part of the cell.
  • the cell may 'be constructed for example so that the cathode is in the middle of the cell and an anode is provided on each side of the cathode.
  • a cell as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wire cloth has 20 to 50 meshes per square centimeter with a wire diameter of 0.2 to 0.3 millimeter.

Landscapes

  • 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)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)
US579944A 1965-09-25 1966-09-16 Vertical mercury cathode cell Expired - Lifetime US3449234A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEB0083887 1965-09-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3449234A true US3449234A (en) 1969-06-10

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ID=6982174

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US579944A Expired - Lifetime US3449234A (en) 1965-09-25 1966-09-16 Vertical mercury cathode cell

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3449234A (h)
BE (1) BE687285A (h)
DE (1) DE1567906A1 (h)
SE (1) SE306522B (h)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5641388A (en) * 1995-06-05 1997-06-24 Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Method and apparatus for electrolyzing by using vertical circulating capillary tube type mercury bundled electrode

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB189613690A (en) * 1896-06-20 1897-02-27 Alexander Le Royer Improvements in Electrolytic Apparatus.
US1308704A (en) * 1919-07-01 Evariste geeraerd
FR811238A (fr) * 1936-09-24 1937-04-09 Perfectionnements apportés aux électrolyseurs
US2744864A (en) * 1951-02-14 1956-05-08 Merck E Apparatus for the electrolysis of aqueous alkali sulphate solutions

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1308704A (en) * 1919-07-01 Evariste geeraerd
GB189613690A (en) * 1896-06-20 1897-02-27 Alexander Le Royer Improvements in Electrolytic Apparatus.
FR811238A (fr) * 1936-09-24 1937-04-09 Perfectionnements apportés aux électrolyseurs
US2744864A (en) * 1951-02-14 1956-05-08 Merck E Apparatus for the electrolysis of aqueous alkali sulphate solutions

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5641388A (en) * 1995-06-05 1997-06-24 Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Method and apparatus for electrolyzing by using vertical circulating capillary tube type mercury bundled electrode

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE306522B (h) 1968-12-02
BE687285A (h) 1967-03-23
DE1567906A1 (de) 1969-12-18

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