Process and apparatus for electrolyzing salt solutions

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONVERTING ELECROLYTIC SALT SOLUTIONS INTO THEIR CORRESPONDING ACID AND BASE SOLUTIONS IN A FOURCOMPARTMENT ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING A TERMINAL ANODE COMPARTMENT SEPARATED FROM ITS ADJACENT ANODE FEED COMPARTMENT BY A FIRST FLUID-PERMEABLE POROUS DIAPHRAGM, A TERMINAL CATHODE COMPARTMENT SEPARATED FROM ITS ADJACENT CATHODE FEED COMPARTMENT SEPARATED FROM ITS ADJACENT CATHODE FEED COMPARTMENT SEPARATED FROM ITS ADJACENT CATHODE FEED COMPARTMENT BY A SECOND FLUID-PERMEABLE POROUS DIAPHRAGM, SAID FEED COMPARTMENTS BEING SEPARATED AND DEFINED FROM EACH OTHER BY A CATION-SELECTIVE ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE, THE METHOD COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID SALT SOLUTION INTO THE ANODE FEED COMPARTMENT WHILE MAINTAINING A PRESSURE IN SAID FEED COMPARTMENT TO CAUSE SAID SALT SOLUTION TO PASS THROUGH SAID FIRST LIQUID PERMEABLE DIAPHRAGM INTO SAID ANODE COMPARTMENT, INTRODUCING AN ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTION INTO THE CATHODE FEED COMPARTMENT WHILE MAINTAINING A PRESSURE IN SAID FEED COMPARTMENT TO CAUSE SAID ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION TO PASS THROUGH SAID SECOND LIQUID-PERMEABLE DIAPHRAGM INTO SAID CATHODE COMPARTMENT, PASSING A DIRECT CURRENT TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID COMPARTMENTS, MEMBRANES AND POROUS DIAPHRAGMS, TO CAUSE MIGRATION OF CATIONS FROM THE ANODE FEED COMPARTMENT INTO THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT, AND REMOVING THE CORRESPONDING ACID AND BASE SOLUTIONS AND GASEOUS ELECTRODE PRODUCTS FROM THE ANODE AND CATHODE COMPARTMENTS RESPECTIVELY.