Patent ID: 7048842

Claim:
A method for making an aqueous solution comprising halogen dioxide, comprising the steps of: (1) providing an aqueous feed solution comprising a halogen dioxide salt; (2) passing the aqueous feed solution into a cell chamber of a non-membrane electrolysis cell comprising an anode and a cathode, and along a passage adjacent to the anode, wherein said cell having said cell chamber does not have an ion permeable membrane that divides the cell into distinct anode and cathode chambers; (3) flowing an electrical current of less than 1.0 watt between the anode and the cathode, thereby electrolyzing the aqueous feed solution in the passage, whereby a portion of the halogen dioxide salt in the passage is converted to halogen dioxide; and (4) passing the electrolyzed aqueous solution out of the electrolysis cell, thereby forming an aqueous effluent comprising halogen dioxide wherein said method results in a production of halogen dioxide at a level of from about 1 ppm to about 200 ppm.