The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 07, 1997
Robert Joseph Kolouch, Vienna, WV (US);
David Lee Reichert, Newark, DE (US);
Robert Lloyd Freed, West Chester, PA (US);
Andrew Kelsey Birchenall, Middletown, DE (US);
Clarence Garlan Law, Jr, West Trenton, NJ (US);
James Arthur Trainham, III, Newark, DE (US);
John Scott Newman, Kensington, CA (US);
Douglas John Eames, Chamblee, GA (US);
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to an electrochemical cell which has an electrode, a membrane disposed in contact with one side of the electrode and a current bus disposed on the other side of the electrode. A current distributor which is disposed between the electrode and the current bus distributes current to the electrode by electronic conduction. The current distributor is made of a non-porous layer of a conductive polymer composite material. The current distributor thus provides a barrier between the current bus and the reactant and the product of the cell. This is especially important in aggressive environments, such as hydrogen chloride. Thus, the cell of the present invention is particularly useful in converting anhydrous hydrogen halide directly to essentially dry halogen gas, such as anhydrous hydrogen chloride to chlorine gas, or in converting aqueous hydrogen chloride to wet chlorine gas.