Method and apparatus for electrolytic decomposition of amalgams

Claim 1

IN AN ALKALI-METAL-CHLORIDE ELECTROLYSIS PROCESS WHEREIN AN ALKALI METAL CHLORIDE SOLUTION IS ELECTROLYZED IN A PRIMARY CELL HAVING A GRAPHITE ANODE AND A MERCURY CATHODE TO FORM CHOLRINE GAS AND AN ALKALI METAL AMALGAM, SAID AMALGAM BEING CONDUCTED TO A SECONDARY AMALGAM DECOMPOSITION CELL CONTAINING A HYDROXIDE ELECTROLYTE AND HAVIN A DEPOLARIZATION ELECTRODE FROM WHICH HYDROGEN IS LIBERATED, SAID AMALGAM SERVING FROM SAID DECOMPOSITION CELL AS AN AMALGAM ELECTRODE AT WHICH THE AMALGAM IS DECOMPOSED TO FORM ALKALI-METAL IONS AND ALKALI-METAL-FREE MERCURY, SAID ALKALI-METALFREE MERCURY BEING RETURNED TO SAID PRIMARY CELL FOR REUSE AS THE MERCURY CATHODE THEREOF, THE METHOD OF CAUSING SAID DECOMPOSTION CELL TO FUCTION AS A VOLTAGE SOURCE TO PRODUCE ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO ASSIST IN THE ELECTROLYSIS OF THE SOLUTION IN THE PRIMARY CELL, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CONNECTING THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF A DIRECT-CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE TO THE DEPOLARIZATION ELECTRODE OF SAID DECOMPOSITION CELL, CONNECTING THE POSITIVE TERMINAL OF SAID DIRECT-CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE TO THE GRAPHITE ANODE OF SAID PRIMARY CELL, ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE AMALGAM ELECTRODE OF SAID DECOMPOSITION CELL TO THE MERCURY CATHODE OF SAID PRIMARY CELL SO THAT SAID DECOMPOSTION CELL WILL BE CONNECTED AS A CURRENT-SUPPLYIN GALVANIC CELL IN SERIES WITH SAID PRIMARY CELL AN ELECTRODE DIRECT-CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE, AND USING AS THE DEPOLARIZATION ELECTRODE OF SAID DECOMPOSITION CELL AN ELECTRODE HAVING A POROUS SINTERED ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE SURFACE, SAID SINTERED SURFACE CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL POWDER AND IRON POWDER.