Improvements in the Manufacture of Chlorine.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Chlorine.
We, THOMAS PARKER of the firm of Elwell-Parker Limited, Electrical Engineer,
and ALFRED EDWARD ROBINSON Technical Chemist, both of Commercial Road
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Chlorine is manufactured or produced according to this Invention by the electro-
lysis of a solution of metallic chloride or metallic chlorides..
For the purpose of our Invention we prefer to employ solutions of the chlorides
of iron and of zinc respectively produced in the operations of galvanizing and
of pickling iron, but specially prepared or other chlorides of the metals may be
used.
In the electrolysis, carbon or platinum electrodes may be employed or the negative
electrode may consist of the metal which forms the base of the chloride and the
electrodes are separated by a porous diaphragm. By the action of the current of
electricity which passes through the solution, the metal is precipitated or deposited,
while the chlorine is set free and is collected by known or suitable means as it is
generated and rises from the solution.
The strength of the solution being operated on may be kept up by the addition of
strong solution or the mother liquor, and the precipitated or deposited metal may be
removed from time to time as desired or necessary.
Dated this 23rd day of November A.D. 1888.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Chlorine.
We, THOMAS PARKER of the firm of Elwell-Parker Limited, Electrical Engineer,
and ALFRED EDWARD ROBINSON Technical Chemist, both of Commercial Road
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Chlorine is manufactured or produced according to this Invention by the electro-
lysis of a solution of a metallic chloride or of metallic chlorides.
In carrying out our Invention we prefer for economical reasons, to employ
solutions of the chlorides of iron and of zinc which are respectively produced in
the operations of pickling and galvanising iron, but other metallic chlorides may be
used.
The chloride solution which may contain from ten to fifty per cent. of chloride is,
if acid, brought to a neutral condition by the addition of the metal, its oxide or car-
bonate, or by the addition of any alkali or alkaline earth. By preference we neutralise
by the addition of one of the alkalies or alkaline earths because the addition of an
alkali or alkaline earth results in the formation of double salts which enable the metal
to be obtained in a more satisfactory state.
The neutral solution is placed in a suitable electrolysing vessel which is divided
into two compartments by a porous diaphragm or partition. The electrodes may
both consist of carbon or of platinum or the positive electrode may consist of one
of these substances and the negative of the metal which is the base of the chloride
solution.

page_text: The current of electricity which is transmitted through the solution may have a
density of about ten amperes for each square foot of the anode and by its action the
metal is deposited upon and around the negative electrode, whilst the chlorine is set
free in the compartment containing the positive electrode and is collected by known
or suitable means as it is generated and rises from the solution. Alternatively, the
chlorine liberated in the positive compartment may be caused to combine therein with
any suitable metal, in which case we use that metal as the positive electrode instead of
carbon or platinum as bereinbefore set forth.
The strength of the solution in the electrolysing vessel may be kept up by the
addition, gradually or from time to time, of a strong solution, or of the mother liquor,
which has been previously neutralised (if acid) as hereinbefore described. The pre-
cipitated or deposited metal or metals may be removed from the electrolysing vessel
from time to time as may be desired or required.
The chlorine produced according to these Improvements may be utilised is dissolving
metals which are readily acted on by chlorine, such for example as copper, antimony,
and tin, or it may be otherwise utilised in the manufacture of compounds containing
chlorine as is well understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the saine is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
The production or recovery of chlorine from solutions of the metallic chlorides sub-
stantially in the manner and by the means herein before described.
Dated this 20th day of August A.D. 1889.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.