Patent ID: 7794579

Claim:
A process for producing chlorates and derivative chemicals from ammonium perchlorate, which process comprises: a) introducing an effective amount of an aqueous ammonium perchlorate solution and an effective amount of an aqueous caustic solution into a reaction zone, which caustic is represented by MOH, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K; b) reacting said ammonium perchlorate and MOH in said reaction zone at effective reaction conditions to produce an ammonia product stream and a product stream containing M-perchlorate; c) reforming the ammonia in a reforming zone in the presence of a reforming catalyst and an oxygen-containing gas to produce a hydrogen-containing product stream; d) introducing at least a portion of said hydrogen-containing product stream to a fuel cell, wherein the electrical energy generated by the fuel cell is used to power an electrochemical reaction zone containing a cathode and an anode; e) reacting the M-perchlorate in said electrochemical reaction zone to produce oxygen at the anode and at the cathode a product stream containing M-chlorate and at least one other product selected from the group consisting of M-chlorite, M-hypochlorite, and M-chloride; and f) collecting the M-chlorate and derivate chemicals produced in said electrochemical reaction zone.