Process for electrolytic treatment of liquors using pressure cell with porous electrode means

Abstract

Abstract SHOWN IS AN IMPROVED PRESSURE CELL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FEED LIQUOR BEARING DISSOLVED ELECTROLYTE AND PROVIDING, FROM A BATH THEREOF WITH A PAIR OF D.C. ELECTRODES IMMERSED THEREIN AT A MINIMUM DEPOSITION VOLTAGE V1 ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES, A FLUENT ELECTRODEPOSIT ON ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES, WHICH ELECTRODEPOSIT HAS ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY LOWER THAN THAT OF THE BATH, E.G., RESIN, OIL, SLIME, OR GEL. THE APPARATUS IS FOR SUSTAINED OPERATION AT A VOLTAGE ABOVE V1, AND IT COMPRISES OPPOSED ELECTRODES DISPOSED APART IN A CASING FOR FORMING AN ELECTRICAL CELL ZONE THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST ONE OF SUCH ELECTRODES BEING A DEPOSITION ELECTRODE FOR ATTRACTION OF SAID FLUENT ELECTRODEPOSIT, AT LEAST ONE OF SUCH ELECTRODES BEING A RELATIVELY GROSSLY MICROPOROUS PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE THAT FORMS A BOUNDARY AREA FOR SAID ZONE, THE THICKNESS OF SUCH PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL ELECTRICAL FIELD CONSTRICTION OF ITS PASSAGEWAYS TO SUBSTANCES OF LIKE CHARGE, AN INLET TO SAID ZONE FOR CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF FEED LIQUOR THERETO, AN OUTLET FROM SAID ZONE FOR CONTINUOUS WITHDRAWAL OF TREATED FEED LIQUOR THEREFROM, A PERMEATE COLLECTION CHAMBER FOR EACH SUCH SUPPORT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE, EACH SUCH CHAMBER BEING EQUIPPED WITH ADJUSTABLE THROTTLING OUTLET MEANS FOR CONTROLLING BACK PRESSURE THEREIN, AND MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING RESULTING FLUENT ELECTRODEPOSIT FROM COLLECTION ON THE DEPOSITION ELECTRODE AT A RATE EFFECTIVE FOR MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY UNATTENDATED ELECTRIC CURRENT FLOW BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES AT AN OPERATING VOLTAGE ABOVE V1, SAID MEANS FOR REMOVING COMPRISING A DEPOSITION ELECTRODE ADAPTED FOR THROUGH-THE-PORE FLUSHING AWAY OF OR SURFACE FLUSHING AWAY OF SAID FLUENT ELECTRODEPOSIT. FEED LIQUOR IS PASSED INTO THE CELL ZONE; OPERATING VOLTAGE ACROSS THE OPPOSED ELECTRODES IS MAINTAINED ABOVE V1; FLUENT ELECTRODEPOSIT TENDING TO COLLECT AT THE DEPOSITION ELECTRODE IS REMOVED THEREFROM AT A RATE EFFECTIVE FOR MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY UNATTENUATED ELECTRIC CURRENT FLOW BETWEEN OPPOSED ELECTRODES AT THE ELEVATED VOLTAGE BY: (A) FLUSHING IT AWAY FROM THE DEPOSITION ELECTRODE SURFACE INTO THE CELL ZONE WHILE LIQUID ENRICHED IN DISSOLVED ELECTROLYTE IS FORCED OUT OF THE CELL ZONE THROUGH A PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE; (B) FLUSHING IT THROUGH A PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE AS A CELL LIQUOR-BEARING PERMEATE; OR (C) FLUSHING IT THROUGH A PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE AS IN (B) WHILE LIQUID ENRICHED IN DISSOLVED ELECTROLYTE IS FORCED OUT AS IN (A); AND PERMEATE THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE MICROPOROUS PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE OR ELECTRODES IS COLLECTED, THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE ACROSS SUCH PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE OR ELETRODES BEING REGULATED FOR OBTAINING PERMEATE ENRICHED IN THE LIQUOR COMPONENTS ATTRACTED TO A PARTICULAR PRODUCT DISCHARGE ELECTRODE. SUITABLE FEED LIQUORS INCLUDE AQUEOUS ELECTROCOATING PAINTS AND WASTE WATERS THEREFROM, PIGMENTED DISPERSIONS, AND GENERALLY AQUEOUS STREAMS AND WASTES CONTAINING FATS, OILS, SLIMING AND GEL-FORMING MATERIALS, E.G., SEWAGE, FOOD PROCESSING, PAPER MAKING, INDUSTRIAL PLANT, PETROLEUM REFINERY, AND MINE WASTES.

Inventors

• 👤 Allan E Gilchrist

Bibliographic Details