GB932945A - Improvements in electrolytic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

932,945. Electrolytic cells. DAVID J. EVANS (RESEARCH) Ltd. June 29, 1960 [June 3, 1959], No. 18951/59. Class 41. An electrolytic apparatus, for producing chlorine or hypochlorite either directly in large volumes of sea-water or for small-scale sterilizing purposes, comprises electrodes which consist of thin titanium sheets coated with platinium on their upper faces, supported as a stack with the electrodes inclined at an angle and suitably spaced apart. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the electrodes may take the form of flat rectangular sheets 10 mounted between two former plates 11, which are arcuate in section and have parallel and vertical inner faces formed with parallel grooves 12 inclined at 45 degrees, the two end electrodes with backing discs 13 being secured to bevel-faced blocks 15 having current lead-in rods 16, the whole assembly being slidably fitted into a tubular housing 17, such as made of polyvinyl chloride, closed at its ends by cover-plates 23 but having inlet- and outlet connections 25 and 26 at opposite ends for the electrolyte. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 3, they may take the form of dished plates or discs 30 of frusto-conical shape with central apertures the edges of which are supported with interposed spacing washers 32 upon a vertical central tube 31 such as made of silica glass through which a cooling liquid may be circulated, the whole assembly being enclosed in a housing 36 with a top cap 37 and a bottom cap or base 34, through which current lead-in rods extend to the upper- and lower-most discs (not shown) with inlet and outlet connections 44 and 42 projecting through the base and top cap respectively for the electrolyte; hydrogen escapes through pipe 43 whilst hydrates, such as from calcium or magnesium salts present in sea water, drain through pipe 45, both pipes being flush with top cap and base respectively. The central tube 31 may be of perforated plastic and spaced from the edges of the apertures in the discs 30 to allow for the exit of hydrogen instead of through pipe 43.