Horizontal, planar, bipolar diaphragm cells

Claim 2

In the electrolysis of aqueous alkali metal halide solution, the method which comprises conducting the electrolysis between an anode and a horizontally oriented electrolyte permeable cathode disposed below the anode with a diaphragm between anode and cathode, collecting evolved gaseous halogen in a gas space above the level of the aqueous alkali metal halide solution and removing the gaseous halogen separate from the halide solution and maintaining a differential pressure between said collected halogen and the area under the cathode to enhance downward flow of electrolyte through the cathode.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2, in which a hydrostatic pressure differential in excess of the normal anolyte liquor pressure is maintained in said cell to control the flow of salt solution through said diaphragms.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3, in which the said hydrostatic pressure differential is increased as the porosity of the diaphragms decreases.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3, in which said hydrostatic pressure differential is varied by varying the pressure on the gases in said cells.

Claim 8

A horizontal bipolar diaphragm electrolysis cell having a plurality of horizontal cell units in bipolar connection with each other, each cell unit consisting of an anode compartment having an anolyte liquor chamber and a gas chamber therein and a cathode compartment having a catholyte liquor chamber and a gas chamber therein, a frame surrounding each anode compartment and each cathode compartment, means to insulate the frames surrounding said compartments from flow of electricity from the walls of the anode compartments and the walls of the cathode compartments, horizontal substantially planar open mesh valve metal anodes having an electrically conductive electrocatalytic coating thereon, in each anode compartment, a corrosion resistant lining in each anode compartment, a diaphragm, a metal cathode screen and a solid horizontal ferrous metal bottom plate in each cathode compartment, metal electrical connections between each anode and the ferrous metal bottom plate of the cathode compartment above, means to feed anolyte liquor into each of said anode compartments, means above the anolyte liquor feed means to remove anodic gas separate from the anolyte liquor from each anode compartment, means to remove catholyte liquor and cathodic gas separated from the catholyte liquor and metal conductor means to convey electric current to and from each of said cell units to electrolyze the anolyte liquor fed to said anode compartments.

Claim 9

A horizontal bipolar diaphragm electrolysis cell having a plurality of horizontal cell units in bipolar connection with each other, each cell unit consisting of an anode compartment having an anolyte liquor chamber and a gas chamber therein and a cathode compartment having a catholyte liquor chamber and a gas chamber therein, a frame surrounding each anode compartment and each cathode compartment, means to insulate the frames surrounding said compartments from flow of electricity from the walls of the anode compartments and the walls of the cathode compartments, horizontal substantially planar open mesh valve metal anodes having an electrically conductive electrocatalytic coating thereon, in each anode compartment, a corrosion resistant lining in each anode compartment, a diaphragm, a metal cathode screen and a solid horizontal ferrous metal bottom plate in each cathode compartment, metal electrical connections between each anode and the ferrous metal bottom plate of the cathode compartment above, means to feed anolyte liquor into each of said anode compartments, means above the anolyte liquor feed means to remove anodic gas separate from the anolyte liquor from each anode compartment, means to remove catholyte liquor and cathodic gas separated from the catholyte liquor and metal conductor means to convey electric current to and from each of said cell units to electrolyze the anolyte liquor fed to said anode compartments.

Claim 10

the cell of claim 6, in which the anode compartments are surrounding by frames of insulating material and the cathode compartments are surrounded by frames of metal and the said frames are stacked one on top of the other with a cathode screen and diaphragm between each cathode frame and the anode frame above it.

Claim 11

The cell of claim 6, in which the anode compartments are surrounded by metal frames having an inert lining, the cathode compartments are surrounded by metal frames, the said anode and cathode frames are insulated from each other and the said frames are stacked one on top of the other with a cathode screen and diaphragm between each cathode frame and the anode frame above it.

Claim 12

The cell of claim 8, in which the inert lining in the anode frames is a valve metal.

Claim 13

The cell of claim 6, in which each frame surrounding an anode compartment and a cathode compartment is made of metal, the anode compartments and cathode compartments in each frame are separated by a horizontal metal plate which supports a cathode screen and a diaphragm on its upper side and supports the anodes from its lower side, the metal frames are insulated from each other and stacked one on top of the other.

Claim 14

The cell of claim 10, in which the anode compartment in each frame is provided with a corrosion resistant lining, resistant to the cell conditions.

Claim 15

The cell of claim 7, in which the cathode frames are provided with electrically conductive metal bottom plates and the valve metal anodes have valve metal back plates in electrically conducting contact with the cathode bottom plates.

Claim 16

The cell of claim 12, in which the valve metal anode plates are connected by electric conducting valve metal connections to said valve metal back plates.

Claim 17

The cell of claim 6, having a metal path for conducting electric current from the conductive ferrous metal bottom plates to the valve metal anode faces, and a metal path for conducting electric current from the metal cathode screens to the metal bottom plates.

Claim 18

The cell of claim 12, in which the electric contact surfaces between said cathode bottom plates and the anode back plates are covered with a layer of soft metal from the group consisting of copper and lead.

Claim 19

The cell of claim 8, in which the electrically conductive metal bottom plates are welded to the metal cathode frames.

Claim 20

The cell of claim 12, in which the valve metal anodes are detachably connected to the valve metal back plates.

Claim 21

The cell of claim 6, in which the frames are provided with anolyte feed lines and anolyte gas outlets in each anode compartment and with catholyte gas and catholyte liquor outlets in each cathode compartment.

Claim 22

The cell of claim 7, in which the anode frames are provided with feed balconies for feeding anolyte liquor into the anode compartments and permitting escape of anodic gas from the anode compartments and the cathode frames are provided with insulating spacers along one side thereof with deflectors for deflecting anolyte liquor overflowing an upper balcony onto the balcony of the next lower anode frame.

Claim 23

The cell of claim 8, in which the metal cathode frames are provided with electrically conducting metal bottom plates, the cathode screens are welded to the metal cathode frames and the screens are supported on ferrous metal ribs extending upward from said bottom plates and welded to said screens.

Claim 24

The cell of claim 19, in which all the anolyte liquor is fed into a single anolyte liquor inlet, said inlet is closed to the atmosphere, and an outlet for excess anolyte liquor is provided at the bottom of said plurality of cell units.

Claim 25

The cell of claim 6, in which means are provided to exert a positive pressure differential from each anolyte compartment to each catholyte compartment to force anolyte liquor in the anode compartments through the diaphragms and screens into the cathode compartments.

Claim 26

The cell of claim 22, in which the positive pressure differential is equal in each anolyte compartment and can be increased or decreased as the porosity of the diaphragms changes.

Claim 27

The cell of claim 23, in which the means to exert positive pressure differential from each anolyte compartment to each catholyte compartment comprises suction means applied to the catholyte gas removal means.

Claim 28

The cell of claim 22, in which means are provided to exert a pressure differential from the anode compartment to the cathode compartment.

Claim 29

The cell of claim 6, in which the means to removal catholyte liquor and catholyte gas from the cathode compartments communicate with a common header extending from top to bottom of said bipolar cell, the top of said header communicates with a catholyte gas discharge outlet and the bottom of the header communicates with a catholyte liquor discharge conduit.

Claim 30

The cell of claim 6, in which the cathode frames are provided with means for applying suction to each frame for the purpose of depositing diaphragm material on the cathode screens.

Claim 31

The cell of claim 6, in which the planar valve metal anodes have an open mesh form having approximately 30 to 60% void fractions therein.

Claim 32

The cell of claim 6, in which the planar valve metal anodes consist of bars lying in the same horizontal plane.

Claim 33

An electrolysis cell consisting of anode compartments adapted to contain an anolyte liquor and anode gas and cathode compartments adapted to contain a catholyte liquor and cathode gas, a frame surrounding said anode compartments and said cathode compartments, horizontal substantially planar open mesh valve metal anodes having an electrically conductive electrocatalytic coating thereon, in said anode compartments, a diaphragm, a metal cathode screen and a solid electrically conductive metal plate between the cathode compartments and the next lower anode compartment, means closed to the atmosphere to feed anolyte liquor into said anode compartments, and means above the anolyte liquor feed means separated from the anolyte liquor to remove anode gas from said anode compartments, means to remove catholyte liquor and cathode gas from said catholyte compartments and metal conductor means to convey electric current from said electrically conductive metal plate to said valve metal anodes and through said cell unit to electrolyze the anolyte liquor fed to said anode compartments.

Claim 34

An electrolysis cell consisting of anode compartments adapted to contain an anolyte liquor and anode gas and cathode compartments adapted to contain a catholyte liquor and cathode gas, a frame surrounding said anode compartments and said cathode compartments, horizontal substantially planar open mesh valve metal anodes having an electrically conductive electrocatalytic coating thereon, in said anode compartments, a diaphragm, a metal cathode screen and a solid electrically conductive metal plate between the cathode compartments and the next lower anode compartment, means closed to the atmosphere to feed anolyte liquor into said anode compartments, and means above the anolyte liquor feed means separated from the anolyte liquor to remove anode gas from said anode compartments, means to remove catholyte liquor and cathode gas from said catholyte compartments and metal conductor means to convey electric current from said electrically conductive metal plate to said valve metal anodes and through said cell unit to electrolyze the anolyte liquor fed to said anode compartments.

Claim 35

A horizontal bipolar diaphragm electrolysis cell having a plurality of cell units in bipolar connection with each other, each cell unit consisting of an anode compartment adapted to contain an anolyte liquor and an anode gas and a cathode compartment adapted to contain a catholyte liquor and a cathode gas, an anode frame surrounding each anode compartment, a metal cathode frame surrounding each cathode compartment, means to insulate said frame surrounding the anode compartments and the frame surrounding the cathode compartments from flow of electricity through the walls of said compartments, horizontal substantially planar valve metal anodes having voids therethrough and having an electrically conductive electrocatalytic coating thereon, in each anode compartment, a diaphragm, a metal cathode screen and an electrically conductive metal plate between each anode and cathode compartment, means to feed anolyte liquor into each of said anode compartments, and means above the anolyte liquor feed means to remove anode gas from said anode compartments, means to remove catholyte liquor and cathode gas from the cathode compartments and metal conductor means to convey electric current from said electrically conductive metal plate to said valve metal anodes and through each of said cell units to electrolyze the anolyte liquor fed to said anode compartments.

Claim 36

A horizontal bipolar diaphragm electrolysis cell having a plurality of cell units in bipolar connection with each other, each cell unit consisting of an anode compartment adapted to contain an anolyte liquor and an anode gas and a cathode compartment adapted to contain a catholyte liquor and a cathode gas, an anode frame surrounding each anode compartment, a metal cathode frame surrounding each cathode compartment, means to insulate said frame surrounding the anode compartments and the frame surrounding the cathode compartments from flow of electricity through the walls of said compartments, horizontal substantially planar valve metal anodes having voids therethrough and having an electrically conductive electrocatalytic coating thereon, in each anode compartment, a diaphragm, a metal cathode screen and an electrically conductive metal plate between each anode and cathode compartment, means to feed anolyte liquor into each of said anode compartments, and means above the anolyte liquor feed means to remove anode gas from said anode compartments, means to remove catholyte liquor and cathode gas from the cathode compartments and metal conductor means to convey electric current from said electrically conductive metal plate to said valve metal anodes and through each of said cell units to electrolyze the anolyte liquor fed to said anode compartments.