Claims
- 1. In a pressurized electrolysis cell comprising a cell housing containing at least one pair of electrodes which is a cathode and an anode, a current collector and an ion exchange membrane, the improvement which comprises an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable resilient mattress substantially coplanar with and contacting on one side the current collector and coplanar with and contacting on the other side an electrode, said mattress comprising at least six layers of woven and crimped metal fibers wherein the crimps of the layers are non-aligned, and having a resiliency product of greater than 100 (inches).sup.2 /psi according to the formula:
- RP=10,000.times.NS.times.CH
- wherein RP represents the resiliency product in (inches).sup.2 /psi, NS is the negative slope of the mattress height versus compressive load of the mattress, and CH is the compressive height over the range that the mattress will be compressed in millimeters.
- 2. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein said membrane has an area of at least 40 square feet.
- 3. The electrolysis cell of claim 2 wherein said membrane has an area of about 60 square feet.
- 4. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein said mattress comprises fibers of a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, molybdenum, lead and alloys thereof.
- 5. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the layers of the mattress have an alternating crimp pattern.
- 6. The electrolysis cell of claim 5 wherein two layers of said mattress are assembled so as to form a herringbone pattern.
- 7. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the compressed height of said mattress is from about 1.5 to 5.5 mm, and the average electrode spacing is about 3.5 mm.
- 8. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the average electrode spacing is about 4 mm and the compressed height of the mattress is from about 3 to 5.5 mm.
- 9. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein said mattress comprises from 6 to 12 layers.
- 10. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the crimp height of at least two of said mattress layers is from about 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
- 11. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein said mattress layers comprises about 3 to 7 crimps per inch.
- 12. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 wherein the metal fiber of said layers thickness is about 0.004 to 0.080 inches in diameter.
- 13. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 which is monopolar.
- 14. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 which is bipolar.
- 15. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 which is zero gap.
- 16. The electrolysis cell of claim 1 including a mattress layer of coiled metal fibers.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 830,726, filed Jan. 14, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
820726 |
Jan 1992 |
|