A Process and Apparatus for Effecting Electrolysis.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process and Apparatus for Effecting Electrolysis.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36 Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by Otto Arlt
of 13 Salomonstrasse, Goerlitz, Germany, Private Secretary, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The subject of the present invention is a process and apparatus which can be
generally employed for the electrolytic decomposition of conducting bodies which
are separable by the electric current. Several forms of the apparatus are illustrated
in the accompanying drawing which shews the disposition of the main feature of
the invention, namely the electrode flowing quite freely without any substratum,
that is not separated by any medium, which can be employed in a variety
of ways.
The apparatus shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 in sectional elevation and plan respectively
consists of a vessel k of suitable material the bottom b of which slopes downwards
towards the outlet a. A tight closing of the vessel is effected by means of the
cover d, which has perforations for the introduction of the electrodes, and a
support o for a stand pipe to carry off the evolved gases; the perforations for
the electrodes being caulked or packed to prevent the escape of gas
therethrough.
The positive electrode p can consist generally of charcoal or any other
material suitable for the purpose, whilst the negative electrode a consists of a fluid
matter either quicksilver or other liquid metal or mixture of metals or one or more
liquid, i.e. melted conjunction of metals useful as electrodes. This matter will flow
from a conduit s, either as one or more thin partitions, or jet or spraylike in any
desirably formed jets or sprays, into the apparatus. The shape and kind of jets or
sprays can be altered as desired by a grating or sieve s'. The inflowing matter
falling down through the apertures in the conduit s or sieve s¹ brings about the
respective changes of the electrolyte and leaves the vessel by a.
The negative
electrode conductor is consequently continually steeped or immersed in the matter
always present in the conduit s and which continually flows into the cell.
By the decomposition of common salt for example, chlorine gas will appear at
the positive electrode p, in this case made of charcoal, said gas passing off through
the opening o. As a negative electrode, quicksilver is used, which in its passage
through the apparatus takes up sodium which latter in contact with water or steam
outside the apparatus, is given off again in the form of caustic soda.
The quicksilver found at the bottom of the cell which cannot flow off quickly
enough is suitably protected from the influence of the electrolyte by a cover of a
relatively heavy fluid, that is any fluid such as chloroform, sulphide of carbon,
which being heavier than the electrolyte, consisting in the case above given, of
concentrated chloride of sodium, will resist the action of chlorine and caustic soda
or of sodium-amalgam. Both the electrodes can be produced after the manner
above described for the negative electrode and both flow through the apparatus in
the same or in different directions, also the manner in which the electrodes are
disposed relatively to each other is quite arbitrary.
The nature of the influx and flow of the liquid metal through the cell can be of
different kinds, Fig. 3 shews an example of a jet or spray n entering the vessel k
from beneath through the inlet s' in a fountain form, whilst the cathodic matter
flows off through the outlets a¹ and a².

page_text: Fig. 4 shews the entry of the matter sideways through the inlet s in a
parabolic form of jet or spray distribution, with the outlet through a
Figs. 1 and 2.
The usual precautions for circulation and renewal of the electrolyte in the cell
as well as the appurtenances necessary for the raising and the eventual subsequent
melting of the fluid matter have not been described and are not represented in the
drawing as being already known. Further it will be well understood that if the liquid
electrode enters the vessel k in jet or spray form. the conduit s must be connected
with a correspondingly larger vessel such as l or t, Figs. 3 and 4, and the contents
of the same always remain in connection with the single jets or sprays. Of course
several electrolytic cells of the kind above described can be combined in rows as
desired, parallel or behind each other, according to the kind of electrode used.
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 I
claim is ;-
Process and apparatus for the electrolytic decomposition of electrolytes,
distinguished by the arrangement of electrodes of liquid matter which flow through
the electrolyte in such a way as to be divided into jets or sprays of any desirable
form flowing in the desired direction and distributing as desired, and continually
supplied in such a manner that the electrical circuit is always closed, substantially as
herein before described and for the purposes stated.
Dated this 8th day of Jul. 1906
F. W. GOLBY,
36 Chancery Lane, London, W.C.