Method for producing alkali metal alcoholates in an electrolysis cell
AssigneeEvonik Operations GmbH
InventorsPhilip Heinrich Reinsberg, Michael Horn, Rüdiger Teufert, Marc Weiner
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for producing an alkali metal alcoholate solution L1 in an electrolysis cell E which comprises at least one cathode chamber KK, at least one anode chamber KA, and at least one central chamber KM lying therebetween. The interior IKK of the cathode chamber KK is separated from the interior IKM of the central chamber KM by a separating wall W comprising at least one alkali-cation-conductive solid ceramic electrolyte (=“AFK”) F (e.g. NaSICON).
Claims20
A process for producing a solution L1 <21> of an alkali metal alkoxide XOR in an alcohol ROH, in an electrolysis cell E <1>, where X is an alkali metal cation and R is an alkyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, said process comprising the following steps:
- (i) providing an alkali metal cation-conducting solid-state electrolyte ceramic, F′ <19>, having a surface OF′<190>;
- (ii) removing a portion of the alkali metal cation-conducting solid-state electrolyte ceramic F′ <19> by sputtering with noble gas cations N+ <30>, which produces an alkali metal cation-conducting solid-state electrolyte ceramic F <18> having a surface OF <180> which differs from surface OF <190> in at least one subregion OFA <183>, wherein:
- the surface OF <180> comprises the surfaces OA/MK <181> and OKK <182>, and wherein OA/MK <181> and/or OKK <182> comprise at least a portion of OFA <183>;
- (iii) arranging the alkali metal cation-conducting solid-state electrolyte ceramic F <18> in the electrolysis cell E <1>, wherein said electrolysis cell comprises at least one anode chamber KA <11>, at least one cathode chamber KK <12> and at least one interposed middle chamber KM <13>;
- wherein the at least one anode chamber KA <11> comprises:
- at least one inlet ZKA <110>;
- at least one outlet AKA <111>;
- and an interior IKA <112> with an anodic electrode EA <113>;
- the at least one cathode chamber KK <12> comprises:
- at least one inlet ZKK <120>;
- at least one outlet AKK <121>;
- and an interior IKK <122> with a cathodic electrode EK <123>;
- and the at least one middle chamber KM <13> comprises:
- at least one inlet ZKM <130>;
- at least one outlet AKM <131>;
- and an interior IKM <132>;
- wherein IKA <112> and IKM <132> are divided from one another by a diffusion barrier D <14>, and AKM <131> is connected by a connection VAM <15> to the inlet ZKA <110>, such that liquid can be passed from IKM <132> into IKA <112> via the connection VAM <15>;
- and IKK <122> and IKM <132> are divided from one another by a dividing wall W <16> comprising the alkali metal cation-conducting solid-state electrolyte ceramic F <18>, wherein F <18> makes direct contact with the interior IKK <122> via the surface OKK <182> and with the interior IKM <132> via the surface OA/MK <181>;
- (iv-β) and wherein the following steps (β1), (β2), (β3) proceed simultaneously:
- (β1) a solution L2 <22> comprising the alcohol ROH is routed through IKK <122>, wherein when OKK <182> includes at least a portion of OFA <183>, and the solution L2 <22> makes direct contact with the at least one subregion OFA <183>;
- (β2) a neutral or alkaline, aqueous solution L3 <23> of a salt S comprising X as cation is routed through IKM <132>, then via VAM <15> through IKA <112>, where, when OA/MK<181> includes at least a portion of OFA <183>, and the solution L3<23> makes direct contact with at least one subregion OFA <183>;
- (β3) voltage is applied between EA <113> and EK <123>;
- thereby providing solution L1 <21> at the outlet AKK <121>, with a higher concentration of XOR than in L2 <22> and providing aqueous solution L4 <24> at the outlet AKA <111>, with a lower concentration of S than in L3 <23>.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.