US4661218A — Ion exchange membrane cell and electrolysis with …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 90 words

In a process for electrolyzing an aqueous solution of an electrolyte in an electrolytic cell comprising, an anode, a cathode and an anode compartment and a cathode compartment partitioned by an ion exchange membrane, an improvement characterized in that said ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane having a gas and liquid permeable porous non-electrode layer on at least one side thereof and said cation exchange membrane is formed by a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity than the sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 90 words

In a process for electrolyzing an aqueous solution of an electrolyte in an electrolytic cell comprising, an anode, a cathode and an anode compartment and a cathode compartment partitioned by an ion exchange membrane, an improvement characterized in that said ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane having a gas and liquid permeable porous non-electrode layer on at least one side thereof and said cation exchange membrane is formed by a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity than the sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 14 words

The process according to claim 1 wherein said electrolyte is an alkali metal chloride.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 52 words

The process according to claim 2 wherein said electrolysis is performed by feeding an aqueous solution of an alkali metal chloride having a concentration of 2.5 to 5.0 N into said anode compartment at a temperature of 60° to 120° C. at a current density of 10 to 100 A/dm 2 .

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 43 words

The process according to claim 2 or 3 wherein water or a dilute aqueous solution of a base is fed into said cathode compartment to obtain an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide having a concentration of 20 to 50 wt. %.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 20 words

The process according to claim 1 wherein said electrolyte is water, an acid, a base or an alkali metal carbonate.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 82 words

In an ion exchange membrane cell which comprises an anode, a cathode, and an anode compartment and a cathode compartment partitioned by an ion exchange membrane, an improvement characterized in that said ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane having a gas and liquid permeable porous non-electrode layer on at least one side thereof and said cation exchange membrane is formed by a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity than the sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 82 words

In an ion exchange membrane cell which comprises an anode, a cathode, and an anode compartment and a cathode compartment partitioned by an ion exchange membrane, an improvement characterized in that said ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane having a gas and liquid permeable porous non-electrode layer on at least one side thereof and said cation exchange membrane is formed by a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity than the sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 42 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to claim 6 wherein the gas and liquid permeable porous layer is formed by an electrically conductive or non-conductive inorganic or organic material and applied in an amount of from 0.001 to 100 mg/cm 2 .

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to claim 6 or 2 wherein each of the sulfonic acid groups and the ion exchange groups having weaker acidity has an ion exchange capacity of from 0.5 to 4.0 milliequivalent/gram dry polymer.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to claim 6, 2 or 3 wherein said cation exchange membrane is integrally formed by blending a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and a fluorinated polymer having weakly acidic groups.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 41 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein said cation exchange membrane is integrally formed by laminating a fluorinated polymer film having sulfonic acid groups and a fluorinated polymer film having weakly acidic groups.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 47 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to any one of claims 6 to 10 wherein said cation exchange membrane is a membrane in which sulfonic acid groups on a cathode side of a fluorinated polymer film having the sulfonic acid groups are converted to weakly acidic groups.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 47 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to any one of claims 6 to 11 wherein said cation exchange membrane is a membrane in which weakly acidic groups on an anode side of a fluorinated polymer film having the weakly acidic groups are converted to sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to any one of claims 6 to 12 wherein the ion exchange groups having weaker acidity are carboxylic acid groups or phosphoric acid groups.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 32 words

The ion exchange membrane cell according to any one of claims 6 to 13 wherein said cation exchange membrane is in contact with at least one of the anode and the cathode.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 52 words

In an electrolytic cation exchange membrane having a gas and liquid permeable porous non-electrode layer on at least one side thereof, an improvement characterized in that said cation exchange membrane is formed by a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity than the sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 52 words

In an electrolytic cation exchange membrane having a gas and liquid permeable porous non-electrode layer on at least one side thereof, an improvement characterized in that said cation exchange membrane is formed by a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity than the sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 42 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 15 wherein the gas and liquid permeable porous layer is formed by an electrically conductive or non-conductive inorganic or organic material and applied in an amount of from 0.001 to 100 mg/cm 2 .

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 51 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 16 wherein said inorganic material is composed of a single substance, an alloy, an oxide, a hydroxide, a nitride or a carbide of a metal of Group IV-A, VI-B or V-B of the Periodic Table, an iron group metal, chromium, manganese or boron.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 36 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 16 wherein the organic material is a fluorinated resin, a polyamide resin, a polysulfonic resin, a polyphenyleneoxide resin, a polyphenylenesulfide resin, a polypropylene resin, or a polyimide resin.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 41 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to any one of claims 15 to 18 wherein each of the sulfonic acid groups and ion exchange groups having weaker acidity has an ion exchange capacity of from 0.5 to 4.0 milliequivalent/gram dry polymer.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 36 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 15 or 19 wherein said cation exchange membrane is integrally formed by blending a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and a fluorinated polymer having weakly acidic groups.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 36 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 15 or 19 wherein said cation exchange membrane is integrally formed by laminating a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups and a fluorinated polymer having weakly acidic groups.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 43 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 15 or 19 wherein said cation exchange membrane is a membrane in which sulfonic acid groups on one side of a fluorinated polymer film having the sulfonic acid groups are converted to weakly acidic groups.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 42 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 15 or 19 wherein said cation exchange membrane is a membrane in which weakly acidic groups on one side of a fluorinated film having the weakly acidic groups are converted to sulfonic acid groups.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 27 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to claim 15 or 19 wherein the ion exchange groups having weaker acidity are carboxylic acid groups or phosphoric acid groups.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 131 words

The electrolytic cation exchange membrane according to any one of claims 15 to 24 wherein said fluorinated polymer has recurring units (a) and (b); ##STR8## wherein X represents a fluorine, chlorine or hydrogen atom or --CF 3 ; X' represents X or CF 3 (CF 2 ) m ; m represents an integer of 1 to 5; Y represents the following unit; ##STR9## x, y and z respectively represent an integer of 1 to 10; Z and Rf represent --F or a C 1 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl group; and A represents --COOM or --SO 3 M or a functional group which is convertible into --COOM or --SO 3 M by hydrolysis or neutralization such as --CN, --COF, --COOR or --SO 2 F, and M represents hydrogen or an alkali metal atom.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-04-27	1990-10-27	1991-04-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-04-27	1994-10-27	1995-04-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-04-27	1998-10-27	1999-04-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ion exchange membrane cell and electrolysis with use thereof

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