Means for reducing oxalic acid to a product
This patent describes an apparatus for reducing oxalic acid to a product comprising: a cell including a separator for separating the cell into two chambers, a catholyte chamber and an anolyte chamber, each chamber having an inlet and an outlet; a porous anode arranged within the anolyte section in a manner so that an electrolyte entering through the inlet of the anolyte section will pass through the anode and exit through the outlet of the anolyte section; means for providing an electrolyte to the inlet of the anolyte chamber in a manner so that it will exit through the outlet of the anolyte chamber; means for providing a mixture of oxalic acid and an electrolyte to the inlet of the catholyte chamber; porous cathode means located in the catholyte chamber for reducing the oxalic acid in the oxalic acid-electrolyte mixture to the product within the cathode means when a d.c. voltage provided across the anode and the cathode means, the product exiting the cell by way of the catholyte chamber's outlet; and means for providing a d.c. voltage across the cathode means and the anode so as to cooperate in the reduction of the oxalic acid; and in which the cathode means includes a porous cathode having discrete sites of platinum and mercury as catalysts and the product is ethylene glycol.
- Assignee:
- Texaco, Inc., White Plains, NY
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4789451
- OSTI ID:
- 6240751
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ALCOHOLS
ANODES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATALYSTS
CATHODES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
GLYCOLS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXALIC ACID
PRODUCTION
REDUCTION
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT