Patent ID: 8728295

Claim:
A cell for electrolyzing an alkali metal polysulfide into an alkali metal comprising: an anode compartment comprising an inlet and an outlet; an anode, wherein at least part of the anode is housed in the anode compartment; a quantity of anolyte housed within the anode compartment, the anolyte comprising an alkali metal sulfide and/or an alkali metal polysulfide and an anolyte solvent that dissolves, at least partially, elemental sulfur, wherein fresh anolyte is fed into the anode compartment through the inlet and anolyte containing elemental sulfur is removed from the anode compartment through the outlet; a cathode compartment; a cathode, wherein at least part of the cathode is housed in the cathode compartment, wherein the alkali metal is plated on the cathode and wherein the cathode comprises a band that is moveable by at least one roller, wherein a first portion of the band is within the cathode compartment and a second portion of the band is outside of the cathode compartment, wherein the first portion may be moved outside of the cathode compartment without disturbing the operation of the cell; a quantity of catholyte housed within the cathode compartment; a divider that separates the cathode compartment from the anode compartment, wherein the divider comprises, at least in part, an alkali metal conductive ceramic material or glass ceramic material, and wherein the alkali metal comprises sodium or lithium, wherein the divider is permeable to cations and substantially impermeable to anions, anolyte solvent and dissolved sulfur atoms, and wherein the cell operates at a temperature below the melting temperature of the alkali metal.