Claims
- 1. An ion exchange membrane unit for an electrolyzer of the filter press-type comprising:
- (a) at least one sheet of an ion exchange membrane having a gasket-bearing surface portion and an active surface portion;
- (b) at least one first non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force; and
- (c) at least one second non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force,
- said first and second strengthening means positioned only along the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane on at least one side of the membrane.
- 2. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the first strengthening means is a sealing material.
- 3. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the chemical composition of the sealing material is substantially of the same chemical composition as the membrane.
- 4. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sheet of ion exchange membrane is composed of fluorocarbon polymers having a plurality of pendant sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups or mixtures of sulfonic acid groups and carboxylic acid groups.
- 5. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is heat sealed to the membrane material.
- 6. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is attached to the membrane material with an adhesive.
- 7. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is bonded to the membrane material by high frequency welding.
- 8. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the membrane material has at least one opening and the sealing material is heat sealed to the membrane material through the opening.
- 9. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is a tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer material.
- 10. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is attached to the membrane forming the cathode side.
- 11. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material attached to the membrane forming the anode side.
- 12. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the sealing material is substantially thick to be used as a gasket.
- 13. The membrane unit of claim 1 wherein the second strengthening means is a metallic material.
- 14. The membrane unit of claim 13 wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting essentially of wire mesh, woven wire, punched plate, metal sponge, expanded metal, perforated metal sheet, unperforated metal sheet, flat lattice, corrugated lattice, metal strips, or metal rods.
- 15. An electrolytic cell comprising a membrane separating at least two electrode compartments, said membrane comprising:
- (a) at least one sheet of an ion exchange membrane having a gasket-bearing surface portion and an active surface portion;
- (b) at least one first non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stress on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force; and
- (c) at least one second non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force,
- said first and second strengthening means positioned only along the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane on at least one side of the membrane.
- 16. The cell of claim 15 wherein the first strengthening means is a sealing material.
- 17. The cell of claim 15 wherein the chemical composition of the sealing material is substantially of the same chemical composition as the membrane.
- 18. The cell of claim 15 wherein the sheet of ion exchange membrane is composed of composed of fluorocarbon polymers having a plurality of pendant sulfonic acid groups, carboxylic acid groups or mixtures of sulfonic acid groups and carboxylic acid groups.
- 19. The cell of claim 15 wherein the sealing material is heat sealed to the membrane material.
- 20. The cell of claim 15 wherein the sealing material is attached to the membrane material with an adhesive.
- 21. The cell of claim 15 wherein the sealing material is bonded to the membrane material by high frequency welding.
- 22. The cell of claim 15 wherein the membrane material has at least one opening and the sealing material is heat sealed to the membrane material through the opening.
- 23. The cell of claim 15 wherein the sealing material is a tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer material.
- 24. The cell of claim 15 wherein the second strengthening means is a metallic material.
- 25. The cell of claim 24 wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting essentially of wire mesh, woven wire, punched plate, metal sponge, expanded metal, perforated metal sheet, unperforated metal sheet, flat lattice, corrugated lattice, metal strips, or metal rods.
- 26. A method of sealing an electrolytic cell comprising
- (a) interposing at least one gasket between at least one electrode frame and an ion exchange membrane unit in an electrolytic cell, said membrane unit comprising
- (i) at least one sheet of an ion exchange membrane having a gasket-bearing surface portion and an active surface portion;
- (ii) at least one first non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force; and
- (iii) at least one second non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force,
- said first and second strengthening means positioned only along the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane on at least one side of the membrane; and
- (b) applying a compressive force to the cell.
- 27. A method of electrolysis comprising electrolyzing an alkali metal salt between a pair of electrodes separated by a membrane unit, said membrane unit comprising
- (i) at least one sheet of an ion exchange membrane having a gasket-bearing surface portion and an active surface portion;
- (ii) at least one first non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force; and
- (iii) at least one second non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force,
- said first and second strengthening means positioned only along the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane on at least one side of the membrane.
- 28. An electrolytic cell assembly comprising:
- (a) at least two adjacent electrode frame members;
- (b) a membrane unit interposed between the electrode frame members; said membrane unit comprising
- (i) at least one sheet of an ion exchange membrane having a gasket-bearing surface portion and an active surface portion;
- (ii) at least one first non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force; and
- (iii) at least one second non-gasket, non-frame means for strengthening the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane such that tearing or shear stresses on the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is minimized when the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane is under a compressive force,
- said first and second strengthening means positioned only along the gasket-bearing surface portion of the membrane on at least one side of the membrane; and
- (c) a gasket interposed between at least one of the electrode frame members and the membrane unit.
Cross Reference to Related Applications
This is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 860,703, filed June 5, 1986, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 668,043, filed Nov. 15, 1984, now abandoned, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
668043 |
Nov 1984 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
860703 |
Jun 1986 |
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