PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROLYSIS OF HCl CONTAINING SOLUTIONS WITH GRAPHITE ELECTRODES WHICH KEEP THE CHLORINE AND HYDROGEN GASES SEPARATE

Claim 2

IN A HYDROCHLORIC ACID ELECTROLYZER, MEANS TO FEED ACID TO BE ELECTROLYZED TO SAID ELECTROLYZER, MEANS TO CONDUCT ELECTROLYZING CURRENT TO SAID ELECTRLYZER, SPACED GRAPHITE ELECTRODES IN SAID ELECTROLYZER, SLOTS AND BLADES ON THE FACES OF SAID ELECTRODES, TWO SEPARATED SETS OF BORE HOLES IN THE INTERIOR OF EACH OF SAID ELECTRODES, CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE SLOTS AND ONE SET OF BORE HOLES BY WHICH HYDROGEN PRODUCED ON ONE FACE OF THE ELECTRODES AND DEPLETED ACID ARE COONVEYED TO ONE SET OF BORE HOLES AND CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE SLOTS AND ANOTHER SET OF BORE HOLES BY WHICH CHLORINE PRODUCED ON ANOTHER FACE OF THE ELECTRODES AND DEPLETED ACID ARE CONVEYED TO ANOTHER SET OF BORE HOLES AND MEANS TO CONDUCT HYDROGEN AND DEPLETED ACID FROM ONE SET OF BORE HOLES AND CHLORINE AND DEPLETED ACID FROM ANOTHER SET OF BORE HOLES TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ELECTROLYZER.

Claim 3

In the electrolyzer of claim 1, a diaphragm supported against a face of each electrode.

Claim 4

The electrolyzer of claim 2, in which the diaphragms are polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 5

In the electrolyzer of claim 2, a plurality of bipolar electrodes, means to space the electrodes apart, diaphragms supported against each face of each electrode, means to feed acid to be electrolyzed into the electrolyzer between the diaphragms and means to discharge gases and depleted acid from the electrolyzer through said bore holes.

Claim 6

The electrolyzer of claim 1, having rows of slots on the face of the electrode intersecting each other at angles of from 5* to 90* to each other.

Claim 7

The electrolyzer of claim 4, having a plurality of bipolar electrodes mounted between head pieces and held together between the head pieces by long bolts, a gas and liquid collector chamber in each head piece, two sets of bore holes in each electrode and channels for gas and liquid connecting each set of bore holes with one of said gas and liquid collector chambers.

Claim 8

The electrolyzer of claim 6, in which a plurality of bipolar electrodes are mounted between unipolar terminal positive and negative electrodes and all the said electrodes are mounted between the said head pieces and the head pieces are provided with connector rods for connecting the terminal electrodes into the electrical circuit.

Claim 9

The electrolyzer of claim 6, having means in each gas and liquid collector chamber to separate the gas from the liquid.

Claim 10

The electrolyzer of claim 1, having a plurality of electrodes, means to space the electrodes apart, venetian deflectors supported against the face of each electrode and means to feed acid to be electrolyzed to the electrolyzer between venetian deflectors.

Claim 11

The electrolyzer of claim 9, having both venetian deflectors and diaphragms supported against the electrode faces.

Claim 12

The electrolyzer of claim 1, in which the slots between the blades are in garland like waves communicating with said bore holes.

Claim 13

The electrolyzer of claim 1, in which the blades have a width of about 1.5 to 3 mm, the slots have a width of about 1 to 2 mm and are about 5 to 20 mm deep and the bore holes are about 20 to 40 mm wide and intersect the slots.

Claim 14

The electrolyzed claim 1, in which the electrodes are arranged in vertical planes.

Claim 15

The electrolyzer of claim 1, in which the electrodes are arranged in horizontal planes one above the other and at least one diaphragm rests against the upper face of the lower electrodes.

Claim 16

The electrolyzer of claim 1, in which partitioning inserts inside the bore holes divide the bore holes into two unequal passages.

Claim 17

The method of providing recirculation of depleted acid in a hydrochloric acid electrolyzer according to claim 1 having electrodes with substantially vertical bore holes for discharge of gases and depleted acid from the faces of the electrodes which comprises providing recirculation channels within the electrodes and recirculating the depleted acid rising with tHe gases in said bore holes downward through said recirculation channels after the gases have been discharged from the depleted acid toward the top of the said bore holes.

Claim 18

The method of claim 16 in which the bore holes are provided with partitions and the gases and depleted acid are circulated upwardly on one side of said partitions and the depleted acid free from the gases is recirculated downwardly on the other side of said partitions.

Claim 19

In a hydrochloric acid electrolyzer, a plurality of bipolar graphite electrodes, each having parallel slots and blades on the front and back face thereof, two separated sets of bore holes in each of said electrodes with which the slots communicate, a diaphragm resting against the blades of each electrode face, means to space the electrodes and diaphragms apart, means to feed acid electrolyte to be electrolyzed into the spaces between the electrodes and diaphragms, means to maintain a hydrostatic pressure differential between the side of each diaphragm facing the feed acid inlet space and the side of the diaphragms resting against the blades of the electrodes and means to convey hydrogen and depleted acid into one set of bore holes and means to convey chlorine and depleted acid into another set of bore holes and means to separately discharge hydrogen and depleted acid from one set of bore holes, means to separately discharge chlorine and depleted acid from another set of bore holes and means to separately discharge said hydrogen and depleted acid and said chlorine and depleted acid from said electrolyzer through said bore holes.

Claim 20

In a hydrochloric acid electrolyzer, a plurality of bipolar graphite electrodes, each having parallel slots and blades on the front and back face thereof, two separated sets of bore holes in each of said electrodes with which the slots communicate, a diaphragm resting against the blades of each electrode face, means to space the electrodes and diaphragms apart, means to feed acid electrolyte to be electrolyzed into the spaces between the electrodes and diaphragms, means to maintain a hydrostatic pressure differential between the side of each diaphragm facing the feed acid inlet space and the side of the diaphragms resting against the blades of the electrodes and means to convey hydrogen and depleted acid into one set of bore holes and means to convey chlorine and depleted acid into another set of bore holes and means to separately discharge hydrogen and depleted acid from one set of bore holes, means to separately discharge chlorine and depleted acid from another set of bore holes and means to separately discharge said hydrogen and depleted acid and said chlorine and depleted acid from said electrolyzer through said bore holes.