Allied Chemical Corporation

The Dow Chemical Company

Robert H Fitch

Bruce E Kurtz

Eric H Larson

Noel Y Rothmayer

Bronislaw B Smura

Bhaskar Bandyopadhyay

Joel P Guptill

Wayne S Amato

A cathode assembly for use in an electrolyzer cell is provided which comprises at least one separating means adjacent to a face of said cathode assembly and comprising a fluid-impervious material and extending diagonally upwards from a point on a first side of said cathode to a point short of a second side opposite the first side of said cathode, said first separating means having a positive monotonic slope with reference to said first side and to a third side adjacent to said first side and thereby separating said face into at least two interconnected regions. The preferred embodiment of the cathode assembly comprises two separating means equipped with downwardly disposed flanges affixed to an edge of said separating means and extending substantially along the full length of said separating means. A process employing the cathode assembly is also disclosed.

Channel flow cathode assembly and electrolyzer

A process is disclosed for producing chlorine and caustic soda in an electrolytic membrane cell which comprises providing a pressure differential between the anode compartment and the cathode compartment sufficient to prevent substantial contact of the membrane with the anode, and reducing fluctuations in the pressure differential by allowing depleted sodium chloride brine and chlorine gas to flow freely from the anode compartment to a brine collection point. Also, the caustic soda and hydrogen gas produced in the cathode compartment are allowed to flow freely from the cathode compartment to a caustic soda collection point.

Electrolytic production of chlorine and caustic soda

An electrolysis process is disclosed in which catholyte is transferred serially from one cell, in a bank of a plurality of cells, to the cathode compartment of a succeeding cell in the bank. The transfer is accomplished by means of a gas-lift in which gas, present in the cathode compartment rises through a confined space, which is dimensioned such that the gas serves to lift the catholyte upward to a point where the gas and liquid separate and the liquid catholyte is allowed to fall freely to a collection point from which it is introduced into the cathode compartment of a succeeding cell.

Electrolysis of aqueous salt solutions

A cathode assembly for a plural cell electrolyzer is provided which comprises a rigid cathode support joined to a cathode by a first set of connecting members and to an anode in an adjacent cell by a second set of connecting members. The cathode support and first set of connectors enable the cathode to maintain an essentially flat surface. The support and second set of connectors stabilize the cell frame and enable the anode likewise to maintain a flat surface. Thus, the electrodes in a cell may be set accurately flat and parallel to minimize the interelectrode gap and the cell voltage drop due to the electrolyte path, and, consequently, to improve cell efficiency.

Cathode assembly for plural cell electrolyzer

A cell frame transfer cart for vertical and horizontal displacement of a segment of a plural cell electrolyzer is comprised of spaced main and secondary platforms, a vertical displacement member disposed intermediate the platforms, and a support member for supporting the main platform and permitting horizontal displacement of a selected segment of a plural cell electrolyzer when the vertical displacement member is actuated. An assembly including the present transfer cart, and a method for disassembly of a plural cell electrolyzer, are also described.

Apparatus for disassembly of a plural cell electrolyzer

A retaining and restraining support structure for a plural cell electrolyzer is comprised of a sleeper assembly for supporting the electrolyzer cell along its longitudinal dimension, and a tension bar assembly for maintaining each of the cells in a substantially vertical plane, while insuring good mechanical connection and fluid communication therebetween, wherein the tension bar assembly includes plural longitudinal, adjustable tension bars and diagonal, adjustable tie bars.

Support structure for plural cell electrolyzer

A cyclic process having reduced hydrocarbon emission is provided for oxyhydrochlorination of ethylene to produce ethylene dichloride employing substantially pure oxygen as feed to the oxyhydrochlorination unit and recycling a major portion of the residual gas stream from which ethylene dichloride has been recovered as condensate, wherein reactant feed rates are adjusted to maintain recycle gas stream composition within specified limits.

Cyclic ethylene oxyhydrochlorination process with reduced hydrocarbon

In the process of making aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution and diatomic halide gas by electrolysis of aqueous alkali metal halide solution in a bank of cationic permselective membrane cells, current efficiency is improved and/or concentration of the alkali metal hydroxide solution product is increased by feeding water to the cathode compartment of the first cell and then transferring the catholyte serially from cell to cell at incrementally increasing alkali metal hydroxide concentration, and withdrawing alkali metal hydroxide product solution from the last cell of the bank.

Growing community of inventors

Syracuse, NY, United States of America

Robert H Fitch