Electrochemical mercerization, souring, and bleaching of textiles

Patent · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:870107

Cooper, John F ^[1]

---

1. Oakland, CA

Economical, pollution-free treatment of textiles occurs in a low voltage electrochemical cell that mercerizes (or scours), sours, and optionally bleaches without effluents and without the purchase of bulk caustic, neutralizing acids, or bleaches. The cell produces base in the cathodic chamber for mercerization and an equivalent amount of acid in the anodic chamber for neutralizing the fabric. Gas diffusion electrodes are used for one or both electrodes and may simultaneously generate hydrogen peroxide for bleaching. The preferred configuration is a stack of bipolar electrodes, in which one or both of the anode and cathode are gas diffusion electrodes, and where no hydrogen gas is evolved at the cathode.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5456809
• OSTI ID: 870107
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/205/8/204/
acid
acids
amount
anode
anodic
base
bipolar
bipolar electrodes
bleaches
bleaching
bulk
cathode
cathodic
caustic
cell
cell produces
chamber
configuration
diffusion
diffusion electrodes
economical
effluents
electrochemical
electrochemical cell
electrodes
equivalent
evolved
fabric
gas
gas diffusion
generate
generate hydrogen
hydrogen
hydrogen gas
hydrogen peroxide
mercerization
mercerizes
neutralizing
occurs
optionally
peroxide
pollution-free
preferred
preferred configuration
produces
purchase
scours
simultaneously
simultaneously generate
souring
sours
stack
textiles
treatment
voltage