Monopolar electrolytic cell electrodes

Claim 2

An electrode suitable for use in a monopolar electrolytic cell of the filter press type said electrode comprising a group of elongated metal members electrically conductively and mechanically independently mounted on and projecting from at least one surface of a metal sheet so that a portion of each of the members lies in a plane laterally spaced from and substantially parallel to the surface of the sheet, said members being flexible, and said group comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of said members.

Claim 3

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 suitable for use as an anode and which is made of a film forming metal.

Claim 4

An electrode as claimed in claim 2 in which the metal is titanium.

Claim 5

An electrode as claimed in claim 2 which is coated with an electrocatalytically active coating.

Claim 6

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 suitable for use as a cathode and which is made of iron or steel.

Claim 7

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 in which the elongated members are in the form of wires or rods.

Claim 8

An electrode as claimed in claim 6 in which the wires or rods are in the form of loops.

Claim 9

An electrode as claimed in claim 6 in which the wires or rods have a thickness in the range of 1 to 6 mm.

Claim 10

An electrode as claimed in claim 8 in which the wires or rods have a thickness in the range 2 to 4 mm.

Claim 11

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 which is suitable for use as a terminal anode in a monopolar electrolytic cell of the filter press type and which is provided with a group of elongated flexible metal members on one face of the metal sheet.

Claim 12

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 which is suitable for use as a terminal cathode in a monopolar electrolytic cell of the filter press type and which is provided with a group of flexible elongated metal members on one face of the metal sheet.

Claim 13

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 in which both surfaces of the metal sheet are provided with a group of elongated metal members electrically conductively and mechanically independently mounted on and projecting from the surfaces of the sheet and lying in planes substantially parallel to and laterally spaced from the surfaces of the sheet, at least one of the groups of elongated members being flexible.

Claim 14

An electrode as claimed in claim 12 in which one group of elongated members is rigid and one group of elongated members is flexible.

Claim 15

An electrode as claimed in claim 12 in which both groups of elongated members are flexible.

Claim 16

An electrode as claimed in claim 14 which is suitable for use as a cathode in a monopolar electrolytic cell of the filter press type.

Claim 17

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 in which those parts of the elongated members which lie in a plane are substantially parallel to each other.

Claim 18

An electrode as claimed in claim 1 in which the electrodes are mounted on the sheet by capacitor discharge welding.

Claim 19

A monopolar electrolytic cell of the filter press type comprising (a) a terminal metal anode, (b) a terminal metal cathode substantially parallel to said anode, (c) a separator positioned between said anode and said cathode thereby forming an anode and cathode compartment, at least one of the anode and cathode comprising a metal sheet having a group of elongated metal members electrically conductively and mechanically independently mounted on and projecting from one surface of the metal sheet so that a portion of each of the members lies in a plane laterally spaced from and substantially parallel to the surface of the sheet, said members being flexible, and said group comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of said members, and (d) said anode compartment being provided with an inlet for electrolyte and outlets of liquids and gases and said cathode compartment being provided with outlets for liquids and gases.

Claim 20

A monopolar electrolytic cell of the filter press type comprising (a) a terminal metal anode, (b) a terminal metal cathode substantially parallel to said anode, (c) a separator positioned between said anode and said cathode thereby forming an anode and cathode compartment, at least one of the anode and cathode comprising a metal sheet having a group of elongated metal members electrically conductively and mechanically independently mounted on and projecting from one surface of the metal sheet so that a portion of each of the members lies in a plane laterally spaced from and substantially parallel to the surface of the sheet, said members being flexible, and said group comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of said members, and (d) said anode compartment being provided with an inlet for electrolyte and outlets of liquids and gases and said cathode compartment being provided with outlets for liquids and gases.

Claim 21

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 18 which comprises at least one internal cathode and at least one internal anode positioned alternately between and substantially parallel to the terminal anode and cathode, and a separator positioned between each adjacent anode and cathode so as to provide in the cell a plurality of anode and cathode compartments.

Claim 22

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 19 in which at least one of the at least one internal anode and at least one internal cathode comprises a metal sheet having a group of elongated metal members electrically conductively and mechanically independently mounted on and projecting from at least one surface of the metal sheet so that a portion of each of the members lies in a plane laterally spaced from and substantially parallel to the surface of the sheet, said members being flexible and said group comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of said members.

Claim 23

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 20 in which the at least one internal cathode comprises a metal sheet having elongated metal members projecting from both surfaces of said sheet.

Claim 24

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 18 in which the separator is a prorous diaphragm.

Claim 25

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 22 in which the porous diaphragm is a fluoropolymer.

Claim 26

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 23 in which the fluoropolymer is polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 27

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 18 in which the separator is a cation exchange membrane.

Claim 28

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 25 in which the cation exchange membrane is a perfluorosulphonic acid based on a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and a fluorinated vinyl ether.

Claim 29

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 18 in which the anode/cathode gap is in the range 3 mm to zero.

Claim 30

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 18 in which the elongated members are in the form of wires or rods.

Claim 31

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 28 in which the elongated members are in the form of loops.

Claim 32

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 28 in which the wires or rods have a thickness in the range 1 to 6 mm.

Claim 33

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 28 in which the wires or rods have a thickness in the range 2 to 4 mm.

Claim 34

An electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 18 in which the elongated members which lie in a plane are substantially parallel to each other.