Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Kanegafuchi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Tokuzo Iijima

Toshiji Kano

Kazuo Kishimoto

Yasushi Samejima

Takamichi Komabashiri

Yoshio Hatta

Toshiharu Yamamoto

Akinori Hisanaga

Kiyoshi Yamada

Kimihiko Kono

Method and apparatus of installation of a membrane to a finger type electrolytic cell are provided, which comprise covering the horizontal surfaces of a cathode not opposing an anode with a membrane installation frame having a collar, positioning the membrane substantially parallel to the vertical surfaces of the cathode, and installing and securing the membrane to the collar by bolting. Not only is operation efficiency for the membrane installation to the electrolytic cell markedly improved, but also, in the case of an ion exchange membrane, an alkali metal hydroxide liquor hardly containing an alkali metal chloride is produced. According to the invention, a conventional asbestos diaphragm finger type electrolytic cell is advantageously converted to an ion exchange membrane electrolytic cell.

Method and apparatus for installation of a membrane to an electrolytic

Disclosed is a vertical and monopolar box type electrolytic cell for the electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution providing a cation exchange membrane as a separator between anodes and cathodes, which comprises an anode compartment having at least one anode solution inlet, at least one anode solution outlet and at least one anode gas outlet, respectively, and a cathode compartment having at least one cathode solution inlet, at least one cathode solution outlet and at least one cathode gas outlet, respectively, said anode solution outlet is positioned in such a manner that the ratio of height of anode solution level to that of cathode solution level is more than one and the product of a difference in height between the cathode solution level and the anode solution level and an apparent specific gravity of the anode solution is less than the sum total of an anode compartment inside pressure in the positive numerical value of a given negative pressure value and a cathode compartment inside pressure during the course of the operation.

Electrolytic cells

A finger type electrolytic cell providing a cation exchange membrane for electrolysing an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution is disclosed. The cell is comprised of a cell top cover whose surface is coated with a chlorine-resistant material containing no polymetallic ions, and further a blanket which is made of or covered with said material, so that no hindrance resulting from polymetallic ions occurs.

Finger type electrolytic cell for the electrolysis of an aqueous alkali

Disclosed is an electrolytic process of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution using a cation exchange membrane as a separator of an electrolytic cell, which comprises effecting the electrolysis while utilizing impact resilience of springs positioned at anodes and exerting positive pressure on a cathode compartment of the cell. Not only is stable operation at low cell voltage for a prolonged period of time enabled, but also high purity alkali metal hydroxide containing a reduced amount of sodium chloride is produced.

Process for electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution

A separator electrolytic cell is disclosed which comprises a first electrode compartment surrounded with a releasable wall plate and a glove-shaped finger and a second electrode compartment surrounded with remaining cell walls, a cell top cover and the glove-shaped finger. A sheet-like separator is immediately installed to the cell without any peculiar processing and the cell facilitates assembly and disassembly and provides tight sealing.

Separator electrolytic cell

An electrolytic process is provided for the electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal halide solution, which comprises effecting the electrolysis in a cell being separated by a cation exchange membrane into an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, wherein washing liquid is supplied into a liquid seal pot provided at a cathode gas outlet of a cathode compartment and cathode gas evolved from the cell is contacted with the washing liquid in the liquid seal pot.

Electrolytic process of an aqueous alkali metal halide solution and

A cylindrical cation exchange membrane is described for use in electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution in a finger type electrolytic cell, wherein the equivalent weight of the area not facing the effective electrolytic surface of anode is greater than the equivalent weight of the areas facing the effective electrolytic surface, thus permitting a reduction of the alkali metal chloride content of an effluent from a cathodic chamber.

Cation exchange membranes

A membrane for electrolyzing an alkali metal chloride solution using a finger type electrolytic cell equipped with a cation exchange membrane, wherein areas of said membrane not facing the effective electrolytic surface of the anode have a higher stiffness and a lower anion permeability than the areas of said membrane facing the effective electrolytic surface of the anode, thus reducing the alkali metal chloride content in the alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution obtained from the cathodic chamber.

Process for the electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution using a cation exchange membrane, wherein the gas-liquid interface, at which halogen gas is separated, is maintained larger than the sum total of the cross section area of the unit anode chambers opposing to cathodes, and further, higher than the upper end of the cation exchange membrane. The invention has numerous advantages including substantial absence of halogen gas, operation at a low voltage, a high pure product, simplification of operation control and the like.

Apparatus for the electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution using a cation exchange membrane, wherein the apparatus is designed so that gas-liquid interface, at which halogen gas is separated, is maintained larger than the sum total of the cross section area of the unit anode chambers opposing to cathodes, and further, higher than the upper end of the cation exchange membrane. The invention has numerous advantages including substantial absence of halogen gas, operation at a low voltage, a high pure product, simplification of operation control and the like.

Apparatus for electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution

Electrolysis of an alkali metal chloride solution using an ion exchange membrane is carried out by bringing the anode and the cathode into contact with the surfaces of the ion exchange membrane, whereby electrolysis is conducted at a lower voltage and alkali metal chloride contained in the cell liquor is markedly reduced. In the case of employing a finger type cell, alkali metal chloride in the cell liquor is surprisingly lowered by maintaining the ratio of the effective area of the cation exchange membrane to that of the anode at 1.1 or less. This invention facilitates the conversion of asbestos or modified asbestos electrolysis methods to the ion exchange membrane methods with such ease that the quality of the products is not only enhanced but the serious problems of environmental pollution due to asbestos are solved.

Method of electrolysis of an alkali metal chloride

Method for electrolysis of an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution is provided, wherein an aqueous alkali metal chloride solution is electrolyzed by maintaining a temperature of an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide liquor in a cathode compartment lower than that of the aqueous alkali metal chloride solution in an anode compartment, using an electrolytic cell which is separated by a cation exchange membrane into the anode compartment and the cathode compartment. Not only is current efficiency improved without adverse effects on voltage, thus enabling a long period operation with low electric power consumption, but also high purity alkali metal hydroxide containing a reduced amount of chloride ion is produced.

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Kobe, Japan

Tokuzo Iijima