Electrolytic cell and methods combining electrowinning and electrochemical reactions employing a membrane or diaphragm

Patent · Tue Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:7037332

Smith, G R; Thompson, W R

A process is described for combining at compatible cell geometries and current densities the electrowinning of a free metal element on a cathode in a catholytic electrolyte in a cell in which there is an anode with an anolytic electrolyte with a cationic permselective membrane between the catholytic electrolyte and anolytic electrolyte thereby forming a catholytic half-cell compartment and an anolytic half-cell compartment. The voltage for the combined catholytic half-cell and anolytic half-cell is reduced greater than 50% as compared to the sum of the cell voltages of two independently operating nonmembrane cells using an electrolyte selected from the catholytic electrolyte or the anolytic electrolyte and with water electrolysis at the anode. The process consists of (a) introducing a metal sulfate salt into the catholytic electrolyte in the half-cell catholytic compartment (b) introducing an alkali metal chlorate and an alkali metal perchlorate into the anolytic electrolyte in the half-cell anolytic compartment; and (c) applying an electromotive force across the cathode and anode whereby an oxidation electrochemical reaction occurs at the anode to produce a perchlorate while the free metal element of the metal salt is deposited at the cathode.

• Assignee: Secretary of the Interior, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4627899
• OSTI ID: 7037332
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 15 Feb 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
ANODES
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
CATHODES
ELECTROMETALLURGY
ELECTROLYTIC CELLS
MEMBRANES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHLORATES
CURRENT DENSITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE
OXIDATION
PERCHLORATES
SULFATES
WATER
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELECTRODES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
METALLURGY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
250903* - Energy Storage- Batteries- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries