Claims
- 1. In a method of electrolyzing alkali metal chloride brine to form chlorine and alkali metal hydroxide, which method comprises feeding the brine to an electrolytic cell having an anode comprising anodic electrocatalyst separated from a cathode comprising cathodic electrocatalyst by a permionic membrane, said anodic electrocatalyst and said cathodic electrocatalyst both contacting said permionic membrane, and passing an electrical current from said anodic electrocatalyst to said cathodic electrocatalyst whereby to evolve chlorine at the anode and hydrogen and alkali metal hydroxide at the cathode, the improvement wherein said anode comprises a pervious substrate having anodic electrocatalyst bonded thereto and bearing upon the permionic membrane, said cathodic electrocatalyst is bonded to and embedded in the permionic membrane, and the permionic membrane is a perfluorocarbon having functional groups chosen from the group consisting of --COOH, --CN.sub.2 COF, --COCl, --COOR.sub.1, --COOM, and CONR.sub.2 R.sub.3, where R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl group, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen and C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl groups and M is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, Na, and K.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cathode is bonded to and embedded in a thermoplastic deformate of the permionic membrane.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the permionic membrane is compressed between 1 and 20 pounds per square inch.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the permionic membrane is a fluorocarbon resin having the moieties
- --CF.sub.2 --CXX'--
- and
- --CF.sub.2 --CXY'--
- where:
- X is chosen from the group consisting of --F, --Cl, --H, and --CF.sub.3 ;
- X' is chosen from the group consisting of --F, --Cl, --H, --CF.sub.3, and (CF.sub.2).sub.m CF, where m is an integer from 1 to 5;
- Y is chosen from the group consisting of --A, --.phi.A, --P--A, and --O--(CF.sub.2).sub.n --(P, Q, R)--A, where P is (--CF.sub.2) (CXX').sub.b (CF.sub.2).sub.c, Q is (--CF.sub.2 --O--CXX').sub.d and R is (--CXX'--O--CF.sub.2).sub.e, (P,Q,R) is or contains one or more of P, Q, and R, or is 0 or 1; a,b,c,d, and e are integers from 0 to 6;
- .phi. is a phenylene group and A is chosen from the group consisting of --COOH,--CN,--COF,--COCl,--COOR,--COOM, and --CONR.sub.2 R.sub.3, where R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl group, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are chosen from the group consisting of --H, and C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl groups; and m is chosen from the group consisting of --H and alkali metals.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein Y is chosen from the group consisting of --CF.sub.2 --.sub.x A, --O--CF.sub.2).sub.x A, --O--CF.sub.2).sub.x A, --OCF.sub.2 CFZ--.sub.y A, --OCF.sub.2 CFZ--.sub.x --OCF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 --A, and --O--CF.sub.2 --CF.sub.2 OCFZ--.sub.y --CF.sub.2 --.sub.y --CF.sub.2 OCFR--.sub.z where x, y, and z are 1 to 10, and z and R are chosen from the group consisting of --F and C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl groups.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the permionic membrane is compressed sufficiently to reduce the cell voltage relative to an uncompressed permionic membrane.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the permionic membrane has a substantially uniform current distribution across the face thereof.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of our commonly assigned, copending U.S. Application Ser. No. 76,898 filed Sept. 19, 1979 for SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE CHLOR ALKALI PROCESS AND ELECTROLYTIC CELL.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
872632 |
Dec 1978 |
BEX |
872633 |
Dec 1978 |
BEX |
2007260 |
May 1979 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
76898 |
Sep 1979 |
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