Ppg Industries, Inc.

Ppg Industries Canada Ltd.

Hugh Cunningham

Carl W Raetzsch

William B Darlington

Colonel R Dilmore

Henry W Rahn

Thomas C Jeffery

John D Driskill

Richard J Blanchfield

George L Rich

Robert Cote

Michael A Wolanyk

Carl W Raetzch

Disclosed is an electrolytic cell having an anode unit, a cathode unit substantially parallel to and spaced from the anode unit with individual cathodic elements therein, and a permionic membrane interposed between the cathodic unit and the anodic unit. The individual cathodic elements are elongate elements substantially perpendicular to the anode unit. Also disclosed is an electrolytic cell comprising a plurality of cathode units electrically in parallel, a plurality of anode units electrically in parallel and interleaved between the cathode units so that a cathode unit is interleaved between a pair of adjacent anode units and an anode unit is interleaved between a pair of adjacent cathode units. The electrolytic cell also has a plurality of permionic membranes, each permionic membrane interposed between a cathode unit and an anode unit.

Process for electrolyzing brine in a permionic membrane electrolytic cell

Disclosed is an electrolytic cell having an electrolyte tank, planar first electrodes substantially parallel to and spaced from each other and electrically in parallel with each other in the tank, and a series of hollow second electrodes of opposite polarity to and interleaved between the planar first electrodes. The hollow second electrodes are substantially parallel to and spaced from each other and electrically in parallel with each other. An ion permeable separator is on the electrically active external surfaces of the hollow second electrodes between the planar first electrodes and the hollow second electrodes. Reactant feed and gaseous product recovery, as well as bus bars, are above the electrolyte tank thereby allowing ease of assembly and disassembly and flexibility in the number of units to be utilized.

Synthetic separator electrolytic cell

Disclosed is an electrolytic cell having a rectangular first tank with a floor and sidewalls, and electrodes extending upwardly therefrom, and being open at at least one end to carry a tank for the electrodes of opposite polarity. The second tank has vertical hollow electrodes extending outwardly therefrom into the first tank, and interleaved between the electrodes extending upwardly from the floor of the first tank. The electrolytic cell is further characterized by the individual hollow electrodes being individually adjustable and removable and bearing an individual permionic membrane thereon.

Electrolytic cell

Disclosed is an electrolytic cell having a plurality of hollow anode elements electrically in parallel with each other and a plurality of hollow cathode elements electrically in parallel with each other. Each of the anode elements are interposed between a pair of cathode elements and separated therefrom by a planar, ion permeable separator sheet, and each of the cathode elements are interposed between a pair of anode elements and separated therefrom by a planar, ion permeable separator sheet. The electrode elements are held in compression to provide an electrolyte tight electrolytic cell.

Permionic membrane electrolytic cell

Disclosed is a cathodic element for a chlor-alkali electrolytic cell. The cathodic element has a hollow electrolyte permeable nonconductive finger with a permionic membrane on the outer surface of the finger and a cathodic electrode inside the finger, spaced from and substantially parallel to the walls of the finger.

Cathode element for electrolytic cell

Disclosed is an electrolytic cell cathode having a hollow cathode finger with fins extending outwardly therefrom. A synthetic separator surrounds the cathode and rests upon the fin-like extensions.

Hollow cathode for an electrolytic cell

Disclosed is a method of conducting electrolysis in a bipolar electrolyzer. According to the disclosed method an electrical current is passed from anodes of a first electrolytic cell through an electrolyte to cathodes of the first electrolytic cell, evolving hydrogen at the cathodes. The electrical current then passes from the cathode of the cell through a bipolar unit to the anodes of a subsequent cell in the electrolyzer. The disclosed method is characterized in that the electrical current passes from the cathodes of the first cell through the bipolar unit to the anodes of the subsequent cell by first changing direction and passing laterally through a cathodic element of the backplate to conductor means between the cells, thereafter changing direction and passing through the conductor means, and then changing direction and passing laterally through the anodic element of the backplate to the anodes of the subsequent cell. Also disclosed is a bipolar electrolyzer containing a plurality of individual electrolytic cells electrically and mechanically in series. Each of the cells have anodes and cathodes, with the cathodes of one cell being separated from the anodes of the next adjacent cell in the electrolyzer by a backplate. The electrolyzer is characterized in that the backplate has separate anodic and cathodic members with the anodic and cathodic members being spaced from each other, and conductor means which are offset from both the anodes and the cathodes of the cell. In this way the electrical current changes direction four times, i.e., the electrical current must pass from the cathodes of the first cell laterally thereto, to conductor means and then from the conductor means, laterally thereto, to the anodes of the subsequent cell in the electrolyzer.

Bipolar electrolyzer

Method of preventing hydrogen deterioration in a bipolar electrolyzer

Disclosed is a bipolar electrolyzer having individual bipolar units. Each of the bipolar units has a steel cathodic member and a valve metal anodic member in back-to-back configuration. The bipolar electrolyzer is characterized in that the cathodic member is spaced from the anodic member defining an electrolyte tight compartment therebetween, and that the bipolar unit further has conduit means extending outwardly from between the anodic member and the cathodic member. Also disclosed is a method of electrolysis in a bipolar electrolyzer which method is characterized by collecting hydrogen between the anodic and cathodic members of the bipolar unit and removing the hydrogen so collected through hydrogen removal means.

Electrolytic cell and method of electrolysis

Disclosed is a bipolar electrolyzer having a plurality of individual electrolytic cells electrically and mechanically in series. Each of the cells has an anolyte chamber, a catholyte chamber, and catholyte liquor withdrawal means. A catholyte liquor trough is disposed along side the electrolyzer and beneath the catholyte liquor withdrawal means. The bipolar electrolyzer is characterized by apparatus for limiting the emission of catholyte liquor laden moisture from the cell liquor trough while simultaneously being capable of indicating a low catholyte liquor level in an individual electrolyte cell of the electrolyzer. Additionally, the apparatus may interrupt the flow of catholyte liquor between the catholyte chambers of the individual electrolytic cells and the catholyte liquor trough, thereby reducing corrosion of the perc pipes. The emission limiting means and low catholyte liquor level indicating means include a top on the cell liquor trough. The top of the cell liquor trough has recesses corresponding to the individual catholyte liquor withdrawal means. The recesses have apertures which communicate with the cell liquor trough at the intended level of cell liquor in the recess and second apertures communicating with the cell liquor trough below the first apertures.

Electrolysis cell liquor emission control process

Disclosed is a method of conducting electrolysis where a reagent is fed to a plurality of individual electrolytic cells electrically in series, an electrical current is passed through the cells, and an electrically conductive effluent is recovered from each of the individual cells. The electrically conductive effluent is discharged from each of the individual cells through individual metal outlets corresponding to each cell and collected in a common trough. According to the disclosed method, the electrically conductive effluent in the trough is maintained anodic with respect to all of the metal outlets discharging into the trough.

Method of reducing cell liquor header corrosion

Disclosed is a bipolar electrolyzer having a plurality of individual electrolytic cells electrically and mechanically in series. Each of the cells has an anolyte chamber, a catholyte chamber, and catholyte liquor withdrawal means. A catholyte liquor trough is disposed along side the electrolyzer and beneath the catholyte liquor withdrawal means. The bipolar electrolyzer is characterized by apparatus for limiting the emission of catholyte liquor laden moisture from the cell liquor trough while simultaneously being capable of indicating a low catholyte liquor level in an individual electrolytic cell of the electrolyzer. Additionally, the apparatus may interrupt the flow of catholyte liquor between the catholyte chambers of the individual electrolytic cells and the catholyte liquor trough, thereby reducing corrosion of the perc pipes. The emission limiting means and low catholyte liquor level indicating means include a top on the cell liquor trough. The top of the cell liquor trough has recesses corresponding to the individual catholyte liquor withdrawal means. The recesses have apertures which communicate with the cell liquor trough at the intended level of cell liquor in the recess and second apertures communicating with the cell liquor trough below the first apertures.

Cell liquor emission control

Disclosed is a method of assembling a diaphragm cell having the electrodes of like polarity at a narrow pitch, and interleaved with electrodes of opposite polarity at a narrow interelectrode gap. The electrolytic cell is assembled while avoiding damage of the diaphragm during assembly. This is accomplished by drawing the diaphragm while maintaining a barrier between a pair of adjacent cathodes, avoiding bridging between adjacent cathode fingers. Additionally, where each anode is formed from a pair of metal sheets, the anode sheets are jointed together with leachable joint at the end of the sheets spaced from the anode unit.

Method of assembling a bipolar electrolyzer

Disclosed is an electrolytic diaphragm cell having a plurality of fingered anode blades extending outwardly from an anode base plate and cathode means that are electrically and mechanically connected to a cathode base plate that is parallel to and spaced from the anode base plate. The cathode means include a cathode back screen spaced from and parallel to the cathode base plate, and a plurality of hollow cathode fingers extending outwardly from the cathode back screen, and interleaved between the anode blades. Each of the cathode fingers has an open base and side walls, a top, a bottom, and a leading edge fabricated of foraminous metal. The individual cathode fingers have bolt means electrically and mechanically connected to each of the cathode fingers, and extending outwardly from the open end thereof. The bolt means pass through apertures in the cathode back screen corresponding to but of greater diameter than the bolt means so that the individual cathode fingers are slideably adjustable on the cathode back screen. Electrical contact between the cathode base plate and the cathode unit is provided by first elastic conductor means which extend outwardly from the cathode base plate toward the cathode back screen, and second elastic conductor means in electrical contact with the first elastic conductor means and in electrical and mechanical contact with the bolt means on the opposite side of the cathode back screen from the cathode fingers. Also disclosed is a method of assembling the cell by inserting the individual cathode fingers between adjacent individual anodes such that the bolt means project outwardly from the open base, positioning the cathode back screen on a plane substantially defined by the open edges of the individual finger cathodes while allowing the bolt means to pass through apertures in the cathode back screen. The elastic conductor means are then placed on the bolt means on the opposite side of the back screen from the cathodes. The elastic conductor means, the bolt means, and the cathode back screen means are then fastened together; and the anode unit and the cathode unit are assembled together so as to form a single electrolytic diaphragm cell.

Growing community of inventors

Corpus Christi, TX, United States of America

Hugh Cunningham