Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Electrostatic field or electrical discharge
Patent
1988-12-19
1990-09-04
Tufariello, T. M.
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Processes and products
Electrostatic field or electrical discharge
204106, C25C 100
Patent
active
049542281
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns a process for electrolysis wherein there is used a movable electrode in addition to one loose and freely moving solid medium present in the electrode, and a device for performing the process.
It is previously known to perform electrolysis with movable cathodes, but with such electrolysis the fastened material will grow on the electrodes (the cathodes), and with time they will become useless unless the separated metal is removed, for instance manually or in a automatical mechanical manner. Thus there has previously been performed electrolysis with sylindrical rotating cathodes where the separated metal is adhering on the outside of the electrode, and intermittantly must be removed so that the electrode will not become useless.
If the anode at such electrolysis is placed inside a rotatable, for instance cylindrical, cathode, it might be expected that the cathode gradually would grow solid and become useless from the deposited metal.
It has, however, surprisingly bee found that this does not occur if there is present a freely movable, solid medium inside the cathode drum. Such a freely movable medium may inter alia comprise metal particles or -spheres of the same metal as in the electrolyte, or of another conducting or non-conducting or inert material. By rotating the cathode, the particles will thus "polish" the inner surface of the cathode drum, and at the same time the distance between anode and the spheres will be less than between anode and cathode drum.
By using such a process and device for electrolysis, separated material will be deposited on the inner medium (spheres) and not on the cathode surface.
At the same time there will be mentioned "en passent" that the free, solid medium inside the cathode drum need not necessarily be round or sperical, but can have any shape which accomplishes the above mentioned effects, and which makes the metal deposit on the particle surface of the medium.
It will also in this connection be mentioned that the medium inside the the rotating or otherwise movable, f.ex. shaking or vibrating, cathode, also may comprise other devices, f.ex. scrapes or knives, which accomplishes a similar effect as the above mentioned solid medium.
By adding into the rotatable cathode an electrolyte, optionally containing free particles of solid medium, there may, by draining poor electrolyte from the opposite end of the cathode, be produced continuously metal particles or -silt without the cathode drum growing solid. This makes that it in addition becomes easy to remove possible harmful or interfering gas which has been produced during the electrolysis, by equipping the disclosed electrolysis drum with an outlet or a fan for such gas, or for gas which it may be advisable or necessary to store.
Examples of devices which are suited to performing the above disclosed electrolysis process will below be described by reference to the attatched figures, where:
FIG. 1 shows a cathode drum with anode discs therein reaching down into the electrolyte.
FIG. 2 shows a cathode drum as in FIG. 1, but seen from the side and with marked roll bearings.
FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a drum cathode which is shown in FIG. 1, but where the anode comprises an anode tube with holes for adding and discharging electrolyte and gasses
FIG. 4 shows an additional embodiment of a cathode drum, where the drum is placed obliquely for suitable sedimentation of the particle material, and where the anode tube is surrounded by a non-conducting sheet for refining electrolysis.
A suited device for performing the electrolysis according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and 2, wherein the rotating cathode drum 1 with electrically isolated end plates 2 is suspended on roll bearings 3. The penetrating anode comprises a conducting anode rod 4 with anode plates 5, optionally made of lead or some other siuted material, hanging down into the electrolyte. The anode rod is connected to a positive terminal of a not shown current source. The freely movable, particulate medium inside the rotatable
REFERENCES:
Metall 35 (1981) pp. 401-407.
Chem. Techn. 36 (1984) pp. 451-455.
Cheminuest, A.S.
Tufariello T. M.
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