Eka Nobel

Eka Nobel Ab

Helena Falgen

Johan Landfors

Goran Sundstrom

Maria Norell

Jorgen Engstrom

Roy Hammer-Olsen

John C Sokol

Disclosed is a process of producing chlorine dioxide having the steps of providing a reactor with an aqueous acidic reaction medium containing alkali metal chlorate and phosphate; reducing chlorate ions in the reaction medium to form chlorine dioxide; withdrawing chlorine dioxide gas from the reaction medium; withdrawing reaction medium from the reactor and transferring it to an electrochemical cell; treating the reaction medium electrochemically to increase the acidity and decrease the content of alkali metal ions; recycling the acidified reaction medium to the reactor; and adding make up alkali metal chlorate to the reaction medium before or after the electrochemical cell.

Process of producing chlorine dioxide

The invention relates to a process of producing chlorine dioxide using, in a first alternative atmospheric pressure and hydrogen peroxide in the reaction medium optionally with an electrolytic cell. In a second alternative, either atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure is used in the reaction medium together with an organic or inorganic reducing agent and an electrolytic cell.

The invention relates to a method of producing an acidified aqueous solution containing alkali metal sulfate and chlorate comprising the steps of introducing an aqueous solution containing alkali metal sulfate and chlorate into an electrochemical cell and electrochemically increasing the acidity of said aqueous solution, wherein the current efficiency of the cell is maintained below 70%. The invention also relates to a method of producing chlorine dioxide comprising the steps: Providing a reactor with an aqueous acidic reaction medium containing alkali metal chlorate and sulfate; reducing chlorate ions in said reaction medium to form chlorine dioxide; withdrawing chlorine dioxide gas from the reaction medium; withdrawing reaction medium from the reactor and transferring it to an electrochemical cell substantially without crystallization of sulfate or chlorate; electrochemically acidifying said reaction medium to increase the acidity and to decrease the content of alkali metal ions; recycling acidified reaction medium to the reactor; adding make up alkali metal chlorate to the reaction medium before or after the electrochemical cell; wherein the current efficiency of the electrochemical cell is maintained below about 80%.

Electrochemical process

A process for the production of chlorine dioxide by reacting in a reaction vessel an alkali metal chlorate, mineral acid and a reducing agent in such proportions that chlorine dioxide is produced in a reaction medium which is maintained at a temperature of from about 50.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at an acidity within a range of from about 5N to about 11N. The reaction medium is subjected to subatmospheric pressure sufficient for evaporating water, a mixture of chlorine dioxide, oxgen and water vapour being withdrawn from an evaporation zone in the reaction vessel, and alkali metal sulfate being precipitated in a crystallization zone in the reaction vessel. As the reducing agent hydrogen peroxide is used.

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Sundsvall, Sweden

Helena Falgen