The British Petroleum Company, P.l.c.

Mahmood N Mahmood

David E Brown

Stephen M Hall

David E Graham

Maurice C Man

Keith G Ellis

Alan K Turner

Dermott Wood

Susan Anderson

Accordingly, the present invention is a process for the electrochemical conversion of an olefinic compound in its gaseous phase to an oxygenated derivative thereof in an electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte solution characterized in that the conversion of the olefinic compound to the oxygenated derivative occurs within the electrolyte solution in a gas diffusion electrode.

Electrochemical conversion of olefins to oxygenated products

The present invention relates to an electrochemical process for synthesizing carboxylic acids by reduction of gaseous oxides of carbon in which a gas transfer electrode is used as the cathode. The gas transfer electrodes are preferably used as hydrophobic gas transfer electrodes. In carrying out the process it is particularly preferred to use porous, hydrophobic gas transfer electrodes made from an electrocatalyst e.g. carbon, bound in a polymer such as polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In the case of some reactions another electro-catalyst may be added to the carbon/polymer mixture. The process is particularly suited to producing acids such as formic acid and oxalic acid.

Electrochemical organic synthesis

Method of stabilizing electrodes coated with mixed oxide

Electrodes containing nickel alloys as electrocatalysts

The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting the formation of and/or breaking of preformed mercury butter in chlor-alkali cells. The method comprises introducing at any one of the numerous stages of the electrolytic process an aqueous solution of a surfactant material which enables the interfacial tension of the sodium-amalgam interface to be increased to or maintained above a value of 180 dynes/cm. The surfactants may be extracts of decaying vegetation, solutions of carboxylic acids or chlorohydrocarbons. Extracts containing lignite or humic acids are most effective.

Method of inhibiting formation of and breaking of mercury butter in

This invention relates to a method of producing metal electrodes by treating a metal electrode substrate so as to coat the substrate surface with a homogeneous solution of the compounds of (i) at least one metal selected from a first group of iron, cobalt, nickel and manganese (ii) at least one other metal selected from a second group of molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium, each of which compound is capable of thermal decomposition to the corresponding metal oxide. The coated substrate is then thermally decomposed and the oxide-coated substrate is cured in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperature. Substrates coated with Ni-Mo oxides are preferred. The electrodes thus produced exhibit very low overvoltage, are of high stability with respect to their activity and can be used as cathodes for the electrolysis of water or brine.

Method of preparing active electrodes

This invention relates to novel electrodes and a method of preparation thereof for use in electrochemical cells. The novel electrodes contain a combination of electrocatalysts deposited on a metal substrate. The electrocatalysts are deposited from a homogeneous solution of the compounds of (a) at least one metal selected from iron, cobalt, manganese and nickel, (b) at least one metal selected from molybdenum, vanadium and tungsten, and (c) at least one rare earth metal of the lanthanide group having an atomic number of 57-71 inclusive, the metal compounds are decomposed to the oxides and the oxide coated substrate cured at elevated temperature in a reducing atmosphere. The electrodes thus produced can be used as an anode or as a cathode in fuel cells and in cells for the electrolysis of water or brines.

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Walton-on-Thames, United Kingdom

Mahmood N Mahmood