US2849393A - Cathodic device for electrolytic cells having a moving mercury cathode - Google Patents

Cathodic device for electrolytic cells having a moving mercury cathode Download PDF

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Publication number
US2849393A
US2849393A US479746A US47974655A US2849393A US 2849393 A US2849393 A US 2849393A US 479746 A US479746 A US 479746A US 47974655 A US47974655 A US 47974655A US 2849393 A US2849393 A US 2849393A
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United States
Prior art keywords
mercury
cathode
grooves
support
sets
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Expired - Lifetime
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US479746A
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English (en)
Inventor
Deprez Charles
Clement Jean
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Solvay SA
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Solvay SA
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B11/00—Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for
    • C25B11/04—Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for characterised by the material
    • C25B11/042—Electrodes formed of a single material
    • C25B11/045—Mercury or amalgam

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a cathodic device for electrolytic cells having a moving mercury cathode and more particularly to the metallic surface forming the support for the mercury in cells of the vertical type for the electrolysis of salt solutions whose cations, discharged at the cathode, are capable of forming amalgams with iii Up to now, no satisfactory solution has been found to overcome this difliculty.
  • One known proposal relates to the use of a system of steps provided in the supporting body, along which the mercury flows in the form of successive cascades.
  • a second known proposal seeks to counteract the tendency for the liquid metal sheet to separate, by causing it to flow on a support provided with vertical grooves, the individual grooves being very closely spaced.
  • a third known proposal for overcoming the above mentioned ditficulty relates to the use of a smooth vertical support whose vertical edges approach each other towards its lower portion.
  • the invention is characterised in that the metal support of the mercury is provided with two sets of grooves, inclined in opposite directions and intersecting in such a manner that their intersection determines angles the bisectors of which extend horizontally.
  • Figure 1 shows a front view of a mercury supporting plate provided with a means for the mercury feed
  • Figure 2 is a vertical section of this support
  • Figure 3 is a perspective of a cathode.
  • the support 1 is provided with grooves 2 and 3 which are, according to this particular example, perpendicular to one another.
  • a tank 4 On the support 1 is fixed a tank 4, said tank being provided with an overflow 7 known per se, which tank receives a supply of mercury 5 through a pipe 6.
  • a supporting plate grooved as described above has been fed with mercury at a flow of l litre/minute per metre of width of the support.
  • the cathode thus formed working in an electrolytic cell at a cathode current density of 30 amp/sq. dm., has produced an amalgam whose alkali metal concentration was 0.5 percent by weight, the useful height of the cathode being about 2 metres.
  • the effect of checking of the fall of and spreading of the mercury caused by the grooves is dependent mainly on the viscosity and the surface tension of the amalgam which flows on the metallic support. These factors continue to increase continually along the flow of mercury.
  • the grooves of one set may be no longer parallel to one another. The angles which they form with the horizontal become greater and greater the closer they approach the lower part of the support. However, an angle of 45 seems to be the maximal limit.
  • the supporting surfaces can be plane or curved as desired.
  • the support In the case of a vertical cell the support can be of tubular form and each of the two sets of grooves constitute one or more helices in the manner of a multiple thread screw, the said helices can be of uniform pitch or, in the case when it is desired to take into account the variation of the viscosity and/or of the surface tension of the amalgam, the pitch can be variable and increase towards the lower part of the support.
  • the supporting surfaces can be formed of plates having grooves on one or two faces, which plates can be provided internally with an arrangement for the circulation of a heating or cooling fluid, in order to regulate the temperature of the cathode.
  • FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings illustrates by way of example a cathode constituted by a flat hollow body of iron grooved on both faces.
  • the said cathode comprises two opposite surfaces 8, provided with grooves, and whose horizontal upper edges 9 form overflows 1E3 fed with mercury from two cavities 11 separated by a partition 12.
  • the mercury is fed into the cavities through tubes 13, overflows at 10, flows along the grooved surfaces 8, and the amalgam produced during the electrolysis enters a collector 14 from where it leaves the electrolytic cell through a tube 15.
  • the cathode is connected with the source of electric current by current supply means to. Circulation of the heating or refrigerating fluid takes place through tubes 17 and iii.
  • the metallic surfaces which are not covered by mercuiy should not be brought into .contact with the electrolyte; for this reason they are covered by a protective insulating coating.
  • an adhering Coating applied to the partition 12, the current supply means 16, the mercury feeding tubes 13, and the collector 14.
  • the lateral faces 19 of the cathode assembly may be covered by an insulating elastic sheet 20 forming a joint and secured to the body by terminal plates 21 of metal protected by an insulating layer, the plates being kept in position by nuts 22 and washers 24 screwed on rods 23.
  • tubes 17 and 18 passing through the joint 20 and plates 21 are provided with screw nuts 25 and washers 26.
  • an electrolytic cell including a moving mercury cathode, a support surface for the mercury, said support surface comprising a monoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury cathode stream interrupted by two sets of grooves extending inwardly in a direction away from the exposed surface of said mercury cathode stream, said two sets ofgrooves being inclined in opposite directions and intersecting in such a manner. that their intersections define angles the bisectors of which extend horizontally.
  • an electrolytic cell including a moving mercury cathode, a support surface for the mercury, said support surface comprising a monoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury cathode stream interrupted by two sets of intersecting grooves extending inwardly in a direction away from the exposed surface of said mercury cathode stream, corresponding grooves in the two sets being inclined at substantially equalbut opposite angles to the horizontal.
  • an electrolytic cell including a moving mercury cathode, a support surface for the mercury, said surface being composed of an electrically conductive material and comprising a monoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury cathode stream interrupted by two sets of intersecting grooves extending inwardly in a direction away from the exposedsurfaceof said mercury cathode stream, corresponding grooves in the twosets being inclined at substantially equal but opposite angles to the horizontal.
  • an electrolytic cell of the vertical type including a moving mercury cathode, a vertical support surface for the mercury, said surface being composed of an electrically conductive material and comprising a monoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury cathode stream interrupted by two sets of intersecting grooves extending inwardly in a direction away from the exposed surface of said mercury cathode stream, corresponding grooves in the two sets being inclined at substantially equal but opposite angles to the horizontal.
  • an electrolytic cell of the vertical type including a moving mercury cathode, a vertical support surface for the mercury, said surface comprising a monoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury cathode stream interrupted by two sets of intersecting grooves extending inwardly in a direction away from the exposed surface of said mercury cathode stream, corresponding grooves in the two sets being inclined at substantially equal but opposite angles to the horizontal, the grooves of each of the respective sets forming increasing angles with the horizontal towards the lower portion of said surface.
  • a support surface for a mercury stream for use an electrolytic cell of the vertical type including a moving mercury cathode, said surface being the surface of a body provided with means for controlling the temperature of said cathodeand being composed of an electrically conductive-material and comprising a monoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury'cathodestream interrupted by two sets of intersecting grooves extending inwardly in a direction away from the exposed surface of said mercury cathode stream, corresponding grooves in the two sets being inclined at substantially equal but opposite adjusted.
  • a vertical support surface for a mercury stream for use in an electrolytic cell of the vertical type including a moving mercury cathode, said surface being-the surface of a body provided with means for-controlling'its temperature, said surface comprisingga-rnonoplanar surface area for receiving the mercury cathode stream interrupted by two sets of intersecting grooves extending-inwardly in a direction away from the exposed surface of said mercury cathode stream, corresponding grooves in the two sets being inclined at substantially equal but opposite angles to the horizontal, the grooves of each of-the respective sets forming increasing angles with the horizontal towards the lower portion of said surface.
  • a support surface as defined ,in claim 12 provided with means for circulating a fluid withinthe body having said support surface as its outer surface, whereby the temperature of the moving mercury cathode may be adjusted.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)
US479746A 1954-01-27 1955-01-04 Cathodic device for electrolytic cells having a moving mercury cathode Expired - Lifetime US2849393A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE324663X 1954-01-27

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US2849393A true US2849393A (en) 1958-08-26

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US (1) US2849393A (fr)
CH (1) CH324663A (fr)
DE (1) DE1022562B (fr)
FR (1) FR1117968A (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3002914A (en) * 1956-05-23 1961-10-03 Solvay Preparation of electrodes for electrolysis of aqueous solutions by the mercury process
US3046215A (en) * 1959-05-26 1962-07-24 Paul M Sullivan Electrolytic cell with vertical mercury electrode
US3325382A (en) * 1962-03-01 1967-06-13 Pullman Inc Process for electrolysis of alkaline earth metal compounds in a mercury cell
US3355327A (en) * 1963-12-23 1967-11-28 Union Carbide Corp Electrode for a flowing film of liquid material
US4040932A (en) * 1975-10-28 1977-08-09 Cotton Donald J Vertical liquid electrode employed in electrolytic cells

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1237989B (de) * 1963-12-03 1967-04-06 Basf Ag Quecksilberhaltige Vorrichtung fuer elektrochemische Reaktionen

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US733643A (en) * 1902-11-10 1903-07-14 Leo Gurwitsch Electrolytic apparatus.
US1176551A (en) * 1914-03-27 1916-03-21 Karl Heinemann Apparatus for decomposing alkali-chlorid solutions.
DE692954C (de) * 1937-03-21 1940-06-29 I G Farbenindustrie Akt Ges Senkrecht angeordnete Quecksilberkathode fuer die Elektrolyse von Salzloesungen

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US733643A (en) * 1902-11-10 1903-07-14 Leo Gurwitsch Electrolytic apparatus.
US1176551A (en) * 1914-03-27 1916-03-21 Karl Heinemann Apparatus for decomposing alkali-chlorid solutions.
DE692954C (de) * 1937-03-21 1940-06-29 I G Farbenindustrie Akt Ges Senkrecht angeordnete Quecksilberkathode fuer die Elektrolyse von Salzloesungen

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3002914A (en) * 1956-05-23 1961-10-03 Solvay Preparation of electrodes for electrolysis of aqueous solutions by the mercury process
US3046215A (en) * 1959-05-26 1962-07-24 Paul M Sullivan Electrolytic cell with vertical mercury electrode
US3325382A (en) * 1962-03-01 1967-06-13 Pullman Inc Process for electrolysis of alkaline earth metal compounds in a mercury cell
US3355327A (en) * 1963-12-23 1967-11-28 Union Carbide Corp Electrode for a flowing film of liquid material
US4040932A (en) * 1975-10-28 1977-08-09 Cotton Donald J Vertical liquid electrode employed in electrolytic cells
US4091829A (en) * 1975-10-28 1978-05-30 Cotton Donald J Vertical liquid electrode employed in electrolytic cells

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1022562B (de) 1958-01-16
CH324663A (fr) 1957-10-15
FR1117968A (fr) 1956-05-30

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