Composition of an ultra-pure zinc bromide and zinc chloride blend produced from a method of reacting chlorine with a mixture of zinc bromide and zinc

A method for the production of a zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend in a reactor system with a reactor, having reduced metal impurities for the use in battery electrolyte blends, by reacting chlorine with a mixture of zinc bromide and zinc, the method comprising the steps of:

• (i) adding, using a solid feeder connected to the reactor, at least 2100 kilograms of zinc to the reactor;
• (ii) adding, using an inlet feed connected to a piping system and then connected to the reactor, at least 400 kilograms of a zinc bromide aqueous solution to the reactor;
• (iii) mixing, using a centrifugal recirculating pump connected to the piping system, at a flow rate between 75 and 150 liters per minute, the aqueous solution containing the zinc bromide with the zinc in the reactor;
• (iv) generating a reaction by adding, using the piping system, at least 4 kilograms per minute of chlorine to the reactor while maintaining the temperature in the reactor at least 20 degrees Celsius;
• (v) heating the reaction to less than 80 degrees Celsius by continuously adding chlorine at a rate of at least 4 kilograms per minute and mixing the aqueous solution containing the zinc bromide and zinc;
• (vi) stopping the addition of chlorine into the reactor using the piping system at a rate of at least 4 kilograms per minute, when the temperature in the reactor reaches 79 degrees Celsius;
• (vii) adding additional zinc into the reactor, after the addition of chlorine has stopped, using the solid feeder connected to the reactor at a rate of at least 40 kilograms per hour;
• (viii) generating in the reactor, a zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend;
• (ix) repeating steps (iii) through (viii) until a ratio of the generated zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend in the reactor has reached a minimum of 16.4 percent by weight zinc chloride in the decant tank;
• (x) decanting, using a decant valve connected to the reactor, the generated zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend to a decant tank at a maximum rate of 550 kilograms per hour;
• (xi) adding the zinc bromide aqueous solution into the reactor using the piping system connected to the reactor, at a rate of at least 400 kilograms per hour;
• (xii) further decanting, using a water white fluid pump connected to the decant tank, the generated zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend from the decant tank to a storage tank at a flow rate between 75 to 150 liters per minute;
• (xiii) removing from the reactor traces of unreacted zinc through a filter;
• and
• (xiv) repeating steps (iii) through (viii) and (x) through (xiii) to maintain in the reactor a minimum of 16.4 percent by weight zinc chloride in the zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend in the reactor, and
• to maintain:
• between 5 and 95 percent by weight zinc bromide in the zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend;
• between 5 and 95 percent by weight zinc chloride in the zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend;
• between 2.55 and 48.5 percent by weight chloride in the zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend;
• between 3.55 and 67.45 percent by weight bromide in the zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend;
• between 22.4 and 35.6 percent by weight zinc in the zinc bromide and zinc chloride fluid blend;
• less than 1 ppm of each of a first group of trace metals consisting of Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, and V;
• less than 10 ppm of each of a second group of trace metals consisting of Ca, K, Na, and Mg;
• a density between 16 and 21 ppg measured at 70-degree Fahrenheit;
• a pH of between 1.7 and 2.0;
• an APHA color of less than 11;
• and
• less than 40 ppm of free bromine.