Improvements in the Manufacture of Chlorine, Alkalies, and Salts from the Chlorides of Sodium and of Potassium.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1859
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICA LION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Chlorine, Alkalies, and Salts
from the Chlorides of Sodium and of Potassium.
We, THOMAS PARKER of the firm of Elwell-Parker Limited of Commercial Road
Wolverham ton in the County of Stafford Electrical Engineer, and ALFRED EDWARD
ROBINSON of Commercial Road Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Technical
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the Manufacture of Chlorine alkalies, and Carbonates of
the alkalies from the Chlorides of Potassium and of Sodium.
In carrying out our Invention, we take a solution of the chloride and pass through
it a current of electricity. The vessel in which the consequent electrolysis takes
place, may or may not have a porous diaphragm or similar separator between the
poles. If a diaphragm or separator is used, chlorine gas is produced at the positive
pole some of which remains in solution but the greater portion of which is liberated
and may be collected or absorbed by suitable means or materials. At the negative
pole caustic alkali is produced. When no porous diaphragm or similar separating
medium is employed, the chlorine liberated at the positive pole combines with the
caustic alkali formed at the negative pole and the result of the combination is
hypochlorite of the alkali.
When the action is completed, we pass carbon dioxide through the solution, when
the chlorine is set free and carbonate of the alkali is produced. The chlorine is
collected or absorbed by any suitable means and devices. The CO, is by preference
generated from the calcination of carbonate of lime in the usual manner and the caustic
lime so produced may be employed to decompose the carbonate of the alkali to
produce caustic alkali. The resulting carbonate of lime may then be re-calcined for
the production of CO, to be employed in the decomposition of a further quantity of
the hypochlorite. By this means the lime may be repeatedly employed.
Other Salts of the alkalies may be formed from the solutions after electrolysis.
Dated this 2nd day of October A D 1888
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Chlorine, Alkalies, and Salts
from the Chlorides of Sodium and of Potassium.
We, THOMAS PARKER of the firm of Elwell-Parker Limited of Commercial Street
Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Electrical Engineer, and ALFRED EDWARD
ROBINSON of Commercial Street Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Technical
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:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of chlorine, caustic alkali,
and carbonates, from the chlorides of sodium and of potassium.
In carrying out our Invention we take a solution of the chloride in a suitable
vessel and pass through it a current of electricity having a low density. The vessel
in which the consequent electrolysis of the chloride solution takes place has no porous
diaphragm, septum, or similar separator between the electrodes.
The chlorine
liberated by the passage of the current at the positive electrode combines with the
caustic alkali produced at the negative electrode, and the result of the combination is
hypochlorite of the alkali. During the passage of the current, we pass carbon dioxide
Pine A71

page_text: (preferably under pressure) through the solution, whereupon the hypochlorite is
decomposed as soon as it is formed by the current, with an evolution of chlorine
and productions of carbonates of the alkali. By this.method of procedure the splitting
up of the hypochlorite by the current is prevented, and the carbonate and bi-carbonate
are at once formed. The chlorine thus liberated is collected or absorbed by any
known means and. materials. The carbon dioxide is by preference generated by the
calcination of carbonate of lime in the usual manner, and the quick or caustic lime
produced from the calcination may be employed in the well known manner to
deconipose the carbonates so as to produce caustic alkalies. The resulting carbonate
of lime may be re-calcined for the production of carbon dioxide to be employed in
the decomposition of a further quantity of hypochlorite as hereinbefore described:
The chlorine, carbonates of the alkalies, or the caustic alkalies may be made available
for commercial purposes by methods and means well understood and commonly
practised in the ordinary methods of manufacture and production of these
substances.
Other salts of the alkalies may if desired be formed by known means from the
solutions after electrolysis.
A suitable current density for the electrolysis may be obtained by maintaining
about four or five volts difference of potential between the electrodes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1). The manufacture or production of chlorine from a solution of a chloride of
sodium or of potassium by electrolysis of the chloride and by the simultaneous passage
of carbon dioxide through the solution; substantially as described.
(2) In the manufacture and production of chlorine and of carbonates of soda and
of potassium from solutions of chlorides of the bases; electrolytic conversion of the
chloride into hypochlorite, and decomposition of the hypochlorite by carbon dioxide
produced from the calcination of carbonate of lime; substantially as hereinbeföre
described.
(3) In the manufacture and production of caustic alkali and of chlorine from a
solution of chloride of sodium or of potassium; electrolytic conversion of the
chloride into hypochlorite, decomposition of the hypochlorite by carbon dioxide
produced from the calcination of carbonate of lime, treatment of the resulting
solution of the carbonates with quick lime, and calcination of the carbonate of lime
produced in the last stage for the production of carbon dioxide to be used in a
subsequent operation; substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 29th day of June AD 1889
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicants.