Claims
- 1. A method of conducting a chemical reaction comprising creating an electrical potential across a fluid containing reactants in the presence of cavitation to produce a product.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical potential is across an anode and a cathode, each electrode having a surface, and further comprising refreshing the surface of at least one electrode.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a cyanide anion.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising oxidizing the cyanide anion to produce a cyanate anion.
- 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising conducting the chemical reaction in the presence of a gas, wherein the gas is reduced by the cavitation to a large number of relatively small bubbles.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein cavitation is created by introducing the fluid into a chamber having a rotating disc formed with a plurality of irregularities, the irregularities on the rotating disc inducing cavitation within the fluid.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the irregularities on the disc are bores.
- 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the disc has a periphery, and the bores are formed in the periphery of the disk.
- 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the disc is rotated at a rate sufficient to create cavitation in the fluid.
- 10. An apparatus for conducting a chemical reaction comprising:
a housing; a rotatable disc disposed within the housing and having at least one irregularity for producing cavitation in a liquid environment; and an anode and cathode for creating an electrical current across the liquid in the presence of the cavitation.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the irregularities on the rotating rotor are bores.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotor has a periphery, and the bores are formed in the periphery.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing and the disc independently comprise an electrically-conductive material.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing and the disc respectively comprise the anode and the cathode.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing and the disc respectively comprise the cathode and the anode.
- 16. A method of conducting a chemical reaction comprising inducing an electrical current across a fluid containing reactants in the presence of cavitation.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrical current conducted across the fluid is between an anode and a cathode, each electrode having a surface, and further comprising refreshing the surface of at least one electrode.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid comprises a cyanide anion.
- 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising oxidizing the cyanide anion to produce a cyanate anion.
- 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising conducting the chemical reaction in the presence of a gas, wherein the gas is reduced by the cavitation to a large number of relatively small bubbles.
- 21. The method of claim 16, wherein cavitation is created by introducing the fluid into a chamber having a rotating disc formed with a plurality of irregularities, the irregularities on the rotating disc inducing cavitation within the fluid.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the irregularities on the disc are bores.
- 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the disc has a periphery, and the bores are formed in the periphery of the disk.
- 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the disc is rotated at a rate sufficient to create cavitation in the fluid.
- 25. The method of claim 5, wherein the gas is oxygen, and the oxygen reacts in the presence of the electrical potential and the cavitation to form ozone and oxygen radicals.
- 26. The method of claim 20, wherein the gas is oxygen, and the oxygen reacts in the presence of the electrical current and the cavitation to form ozone and oxygen radicals.
- 27. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two separated products are produced by separating at least two reactants prior to conducting the reaction thereof and maintaining such separation during the respective reactions.
- 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the reactants are separated by an ion exchange membrane.
- 29. The method of claim 16, wherein at least two separated products are produced by separating at least two reactants prior to conducting the reaction thereof and maintaining such separation during the respective reactions.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the reactants are separated by an ion exchange membrane.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an ion exchange membrane disposed between the housing and the rotatable disc.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/471,537 filed May 19, 2003, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60471537 |
May 2003 |
US |