Electrode unit to be used for purification of emulsions and poll

Details Electrode unit to be used for purification of emulsions and poll Electrode unit to be used for purification of emulsions and poll

1987-03-03

1988-09-13

Niebling, John F.

Chemistry: electrical and wave energy

Apparatus

Electrolytic

204228, 204269, 204286, 204292, 204304, 204305, C25D 1700

Patent

active

047707550

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an electrode unit to be used for purification of emulsions and polluted waters, especially oil-bearing waters, by means of electrolysis in the manner that the liquid to be treated is made to flow past electrode tips which form an adjustable spacing between each other.
A purification method of the kind described above is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 4 048 031. One of its electrodes is a soluble aluminium electrode and the other electrode, primarily the cathode, is a plate, a trough or a drum or another corresponding stationary construction. According to this known method, the purification is carried out so that the liquid to be purified is made to flow along one of the electrodes through the spacing formed by the electrode tips so that the spacing between the tips is not immersed in the liquid to be treated. In this way, a narrow path of current or a path of current with a small cross-section is created, where the current density is relatively high. By means of this and by means of that the angle of curvature of the tips is as little as possible, a so-called "tip effect" is created, which very effectively makes the impurities in the liquid to be purified to flocculate, whereby they can be removed from the liquid by conventional methods. According to the U.S. patent mentioned, one anode or several anodes, e.g. a threadlike or a platelike anode, are suggested to be used, which anodes are arranged vertically or in an oblique position with respect to the cathode, which is made e.g. of stainless steel in the form of a trough, a level, a rotating roll or a plate. Thus, it is not possible to reach very high total purification effects by means of such an equipment and, on the other hand, feeding soluble anodes presupposes an automatic equipment which, especially when several anodes are used, makes the equipment itself more complicated. Consequently, such an equipment is fitted to be used only as a part of an industrial purification plant in the first place and it is unthinkable to apply it as such under circumstances prevailing in the nature or in other provisional arrangements.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to disclose an electrode unit which already as such can be used for electrolytical purification without absolutely needing a special circulating or operating equipment with the exception of a current feed unit.
The object above has been reached by an electrode unit according to the invention, characterized in that the electrodes consist of vertically placed adjacent plates made of a soluble material and insulated from each other, and that the electrode unit comprises means for keeping the current density between the electrode tips, i.e. the so-called "tip effect", within an area desired. By the means mentioned, the depth of immersion in the liquid for the electrode plates and their mutual distance from each other are adjusted to the value desired. The means for adjusting the depth of immersion of the electrodes can comprise a controllable suspension mechanism for the electrodes or a plate or a counterpart made of an insulating material, on which the electrode unit is resting. In this way for instance, the current density between the electrodes can be kept high, and on the other hand, the liquid to be purified can be led through the spacings between the electrode tips, whereby it can be subjected to the strong tip effect mentioned. Preferably, every second plate of the electrode unit is electrically connected to each other and fed by means of a direct-current supply, whereby the polarity of the voltage fed is changing periodically. Preferably, the current fed by the direct-current supply can, moreover, be pulsatory to intensify the tip effect. Consequently, due to the pulsatory current and especially due to the commutation of the polarity, it is firstly possible to effectively prevent a passivation of the electrodes and secondly, an even abrasion of the electrodes is effected.
In the following, an electrode unit of the invention is described in more detail by means of exem

REFERENCES:
patent: 2545413 (1947-10-01), Perret-Bit
patent: 3769196 (1971-03-01), Wikey
patent: 4048031 (1977-09-01), Valanti
patent: 4179347 (1979-12-01), Krause et al.
patent: 4288309 (1981-09-01), Cohen

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