Process for the electrolytic recovery of chlorine from hydrogen chloride or hydrochloric acid

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTROLYTIC PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CHLORINE FROM AQUEOUS HYDROCHLORIC ACID, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE: (A) REACTING AQUEOUS HYDROCHLORIC ACID, AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN AT LEAST 40*C. AND THE BOILING POINT OF SAID AQUEOUS HYDROCHLORIC ACID, WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND METALLIC MERCURY, IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE SALT OF A METAL HAVING AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT VALENCE STATES, TO FORM DISSOLVED MERCURY-(2)-CHLORIDE, THE CATALYSTIC MEAL SALT IN ITS HIGHER VALENCE STATE HAVING SUFFICIENT OXIDIZING POWER TO OXIDIZE METALLIC MERCURY AND MERCURY-(1)-CHLORIDE AND IN ITS LOWER VALENCE STATE BEING CAPABLE OF REOXIDATION TO THE HIGHER VALENCE STATE BY OXYGEN IN SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS; (B) ELECTROLYZING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS SOLUTION, CONTAINING MERCURY-(2)-CHLORIDE, BETWEEN AN ANODE AND A CATHODE TO FORM CHLORINE AT THE ANODE AND METALLIC MERCURY AT THE CATHODE; (C) RECONDUCTING METALLIC MERCURY SEPARATED AT THE CATHODE TO A STOCK OF MERCURY SERVING FOR PREPARATION OF FURTHER MERCURY-(2)-CHLORIDE; (D)