Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture or Production of Chlorine and Sodium Amalgam.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1392-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture or Production of
Chlorine and Sodium Amalgam.
I, JAMES GREENWOOD, of 77A Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electro-Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture or production of
chlorine and sodium amalgam by electrolysis.
In carrying out my invention, I employ an iron containing vessel which (in con-
junction with mercury placed therein for the purpose hereinafter described) is also
advantageously utilized as the cathode, the terminal of which is connected with the
negative pole of the dynamo or other electrical generator.
In the centre of the said vessel, a carbon cylinder or plate with a copper or other
metal core, as described in my former Specification No. 18990 of 1890, is placed in
a vertical position to form the anode, the terminal of which is connected with the
positive pole of the dynamo or other electrical generator. The anode is insulated
from the cathode by means of a slate, glass or porcelain slab placed at the bottom
of the electrolytic vessel.
At a suitable distance between the anode and cathode a porous diaphragm of the
kind described in my said former Specification, divides the electrolytic vessel into
two sections which I term respectively the anode or chlorine section and the cathode
or sodium amalgam section.
The anode section of the electrolytic vessel is connected by suitable pipes with a
tank containing a concentrated solution of sodium chloride or common salt, which
flows into, and enters the said section at the base, and in circulating upwards is
decomposed by a current of electricity and the chlorine gas thereby liberated is
conveyed to a suitable receiver.
The anode section is sealed hermetically with a porcelain or other suitable cover.
The solution of sodium chloride may be either returned to the charging tank or
conveyed through a series of electrolytic vessels.
For the purpose of producing sodium amalgam 1 fill the cathode section of the
electrolytic vessel with mercury which amalgamates with the sodium liberated in
the said section by the decomposition of the sodium chloride, and thus forms sodium
amalgam. The mercury is arranged to flow slowly through the cathode section so
as to bring fresh surfaces of the mercury in contact with the sodium, and when
sufficiently amalgamated, the sodium amalgam is conveyed to a suitable receiver.
Dated the 7th 1o. of 1001
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture or Production of
Chlorine and Sodium Amalgam..
I, JAMES GREENWOOD, of 774, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Electro-Chemist, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture or production of
chlorine and sodium amalgam by electrolysis, and it comprises the improvements
hereinafter described.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of apparatus suitable for use in carrying out
my invention; and
Figure 2 is a sectional plan.
In carrying out my invention, I employ an iron containing vessel a which (in
conjunction with mercury placed therein for the purpose hereinafter described) is
also advantageously utilized as the cathode, the terminal b being connected with
the negative pole of a dynamo or other electrical generator.
In the centre of the vessel a the anode d is placed in a vertical position, the said
anode being composed of a carbon cylinder or plate e with a copper or other metal
core (as described in the Specification of my former Patent No. 18990 of 1890)
and having a terminal designed to be connected with the positive pole of a dynamo
or other electrical generator. The anode is insulated from the cathode by
means of a slate, glass or porcelain slab placed at the bottom of the electrolytic
vessel.
At a suitable distance between the anode and cathode a porous diaphragm or
partition of the kind described in the Specification of my said former Patent
divides the electrolytic vessel into two sections j, k which I term respectively the
anode or chlorine section and the cathode or sodium amalgam section.
The anode section of the electrolytic vessel which is hermetically scaled with a
cover of porcelain or other suitable material is connected by a pipe / with a tank
containing a concentrated solution of sodium chloride or common salt, which flows
into, and enters the said section at the base, and in circulating upwards to the
overflow pipe m is decomposed by a current of electricity, the chlorine gas thereby
liberated being conveyed to a receiver through a pipe n. The solution of sodium
chloride escaping through the pipe m may be either returned to the charging tank
or conveyed to the next vessel of a series of electrolytic vessels.
The
For the purpose of producing sodium amalgam I fill the cathode section of the
electrolytic vessel with mercury which amalgamates with the sodium liberated by
the decomposition of the sodium chloride, and thus forms sodium amalgam.
mercury enters the cathode section at the bottom through the pipe o and flows
slowly through the said section so as to bring fresh surfaces of the mercury in
contact with the sodium and when sufficiently amalgamated, the sodium amalgam
escapes to a suitable receiver through a pipe p.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
(1.) The manufacture or production of chlorine and sodium amalgam by electro-
lytically decomposing sodium chloride in an electrolytic cell or apparatus, in the
cathode section of which is placed mercury in the manner substantially as
described.
(2.) The use for carrying out the process claimed in the preceding claiming
clause of an electrolytic cell or apparatus constructed substantially in the manner
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 6th day of January 1800
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.