Electrolysis: processes – compositions used therein – and methods – Electrolytic synthesis – Preparing nonmetal element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-12
2002-05-21
Wong, Edna (Department: 1741)
Electrolysis: processes, compositions used therein, and methods
Electrolytic synthesis
Preparing nonmetal element
C204S228100, C204S228600, C204S230200, C422S186130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06391183
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for generating ozonized water by electrolysis of water and a method for generating ozonized water with this device, and more particularly an ozonized water generating device and a method for generating ozonized water with this device in which an inner side of a casing is defined into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber by a solid electrolyte film, an anode electrode attached noble metal having an ozone generating catalyst function is arranged at the solid electrolyte film surface at the anode chamber and a cathode electrode is arranged at the solid electrolyte film surface at the cathode chamber, respectively.
2. Discussion of the Background
Although both a gas dissolving method and a water electrolysis method have been well known as a typical method for obtaining ozonized water in the prior art, it is worthy of notice to apply a water electrolysis method in recent years which has some advantages such as a small-sized device, applicability of water which may easily be available as raw material and sufficient application of small-sized power source device of several tens volts and several tens amperes.
As a device applied in an efficient generating method for generating ozone by the aforesaid water electrolysis method, such devices as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. Hei 1-312092, 8-134677 and 8-134678, for example. A schematic configuration of this device is made as shown in
FIG. 13
that an inside part of the casing
81
is divided into the anode chamber
83
and the cathode chamber
84
by the solid electrolyte film
82
, the anode electrode
86
made of noble metal (platinum or the like)
85
with an ozone generating catalyst function is contacted with the solid electrolyte film surface at the anode chamber side and the cathode electrode
88
made of noble metal (platinum, silver and the like)
87
is contacted with the solid electrolyte film surface at the cathode chamber side, respectively, each of the anode chamber
83
and the cathode chamber
84
is provided with raw water flow inlets
89
,
90
and electrolized water flow outlet ports
91
,
92
and further a DC power source
93
is connected between the anode electrode
86
and the cathode electrode
88
.
In the case of the ozonized water generating device with the configuration shown in
FIG. 13
, when a DC current is flowed between both electrodes
86
,
88
, an electrolysis of water is produced between the noble metallic catalyst
85
for the anode and the noble metallic catalyst
87
for the cathode with the solid electrolyte film
82
being held between them, both oxygen and ozone are generated at the anode electrode
86
and hydrogen is generated at the cathode electrode
88
, respectively, and ozone generated at the anode side is dissolved in water to attain ozonized water. To attain the ozonized water of high concentration in an efficient manner by this ozonized water generating device, one of the present applicants has proposed it in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-134677. Its content shows that the noble metal (platinum or the like)
85
having an ozone generating catalyst function is formed into a metallic net shape and the anode electrode
86
having a configuration in which a lath net made of anti-corrosion metal is laminated at catalyst side surface. In the case of this anode electrode
86
, the raw water being supplied to the anode chamber
83
is restricted to flow in a flow passage formed by the metallic net and the lath net, so that the water becomes a severe turbulence flow to generate an eddy flow while flowing through the metallic net and the lath net, ozone generated at the anode side is dissolved instantaneously after generation of ozone in the raw water becoming the severe turbulence flow and at the same time its action is accumulated continuously while the water is flowing at the anode electrode surface, resulting in that the ozonized water of high concentration can be generated in view of two effects of an instantaneous dissolution and the accumulating actions.
However, even such an ozonized water generating device shows that if a continuous operation is performed to attain a predetermined ozone concentration under an initial set current density, a deterioration of performance of the film itself is promoted and it becomes hard to maintain an ozone concentration as a time elapses, resulting in that a current density must be increased only by an amount corresponding to a reduced concentration of ozone. As understood from
FIG. 14
showing a relation between the ozone concentration and the current density, a continuous operation to increase the current density causes the current density to reach an upper limit value in a current density variable region which is a limit value of the ozonized water generating device (time t
1
), subsequent to the upper limit value of the current density, there occurs a reduction of the ozone concentration and lastly the ozone concentration is lower than an allowable value, resulting in that the stop operation (time t
2
) occurs. Then, to return the device from this state to its initial performance state, the ozonized water generating device is decomposed to replace the solid electrolyte film itself, resulting in that the decomposing of the device and the replacing work for the electrolyte are quite troublesome and take such time, a life of the solid electrolyte film is short and an efficiency of use of the solid electrolyte film in regard to the generating of ozonized water is kept low.
This invention has been invented to eliminate the above problems and its object is to study a cause of deterioration of performance of the solid electrolyte film itself and extend a life of the solid electrolyte film and at the same time to provide an ozonized water generating device capable of reducing a frequent decomposition of the device as well as a frequent replacement of the solid electrolyte film and a rational method for generating ozonized water under application of this device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have met the above problems, surveyed and studied a surface state of the solid electrolyte film after its replacement to check a cause of deterioration of performance of the solid electrolyte film. However, the present inventors have used again the solid electrolyte film by chance while a clear cause can not be found, and found that the film can be used under a state in which the film substantially keeps its initial performance. After this state, the present inventors tried to use again a solid electrolyte film left for more than a certain period of time after replacement of the solid electrolyte film and found that the film can be used sufficiently. As described above, although a reason why the solid electrolyte film is recovered in its performance is not clear at present, a reason found in the prior art ozonized water generating device is assumed to be considered that the electrodes are always impressed against the solid electrolyte film with a resilient member or the like placed between the electrodes and the casing, a certain distortion may occur at holes of the film where hydrogen ions may pass from the anode side toward the cathode side under application of the impressing force and the electrolysis action to cause the hydrogen ions to be hardly passed through the holes, and the distortion is recovered after the solid electrolyte film is removed and left for more than a specified period of time. In addition, in the case that the impressing surface of each of the electrodes is a surface as found in a metallic net, in particular, the impressing position on the solid electrolyte film surface is changed when the film is used again, so that it may be considered that the recovering is promoted by this fact.
Its subsequent survey and study clarified that when the impressing force of the electrodes against the solid electrolyte film is increased after the current density reached up to the upper limit value in the current density variable re
Kanbeshiyama Akira
Okada Kazuhisa
Okubo Noriaki
Sawada Toshikazu
Tanioka Takashi
Nicolas Wesley A.
Shinko Plant Construction Co., Ltd.
Wong Edna
LandOfFree
Apparatus for producing ozone water and method of producing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for producing ozone water and method of producing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for producing ozone water and method of producing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2852544