Patent ID: 8562810

Claim:
A method of electrochemically increasing alkalinity of a detergent comprising: providing a detergent comprising a carbonate source to an anode chamber of an electrolytic cell, wherein said carbonate source is an alkali metal carbonate, bicarbonate or sesquicarbonate and wherein said detergent is free of halide salts; causing the carbonate source to undergo electrolysis, wherein said electrolysis removes carbon dioxide from said carbonate source, and wherein said increased alkalinity is a result of increased hydroxide concentration and decreased carbon dioxide concentration; recirculating the anolyte solution from the anode chamber directly into the cathode chamber; and generating a detergent use solution having increased hydroxide alkalinity compared to the original carbonate source supplied to the electrolytic cell, wherein the generated ratio of ash to hydroxide alkalinity in the detergent use solution is decreased from about 100:0 to between about 95:5 to about 70:30.