US 2006/0185987 A1 · Integrated electrochemical reactor and process therefor

Abstract

An electrochemical reactor and process for electrolyzing a substance to change at least a portion of the substance from a first state to a second state. The reactor comprises a tubular body having a first end portion defining an opening and a second end portion defining an electrolysis chamber. The electrolysis chamber includes a well adapted to hold the substance and at least two electrodes for electrolyzing the substance in the well. The volume of the well is less than about 3 milliliters. The reactor further comprises a coupling for releasably and sealingly connecting the reactor body to an auxiliary device body. The coupling is adapted to provide a vacuum tight seal between the reactor body and the auxiliary device and to allow the reactor body to rotate about an axis of rotation independent of the auxiliary device while the reactor body is sealingly connected to the auxiliary device.

Claims45

Dependent claims

An electrochemical reactor comprising:

a reactor body;
a mixing chamber in the reactor body for mixing a first substance with a second substance to form a mixture;
an electrolysis chamber in the reactor body for electrolyzing the mixture thereby to change at least a portion of the mixture from a first state to a second state, the electrolysis chamber being in spatial communication with the mixing chamber for allowing the mixture within the reactor body to be transferred from the mixing chamber to the electrolysis chamber;
and
a coupling for releasably and sealingly connecting the reactor body to an auxiliary device, the coupling being adapted to provide a vacuum tight seal between the reactor body and the auxiliary device and to allow the reactor body to rotate about an axis of rotation independent of the auxiliary device while the reactor body is sealingly connected to the auxiliary device.

2 more elements

A process for performing an electrogenerated reaction comprising the steps of:

placing a known quantity of a first substance into a reactor through an opening in the reactor, the reactor having an internal volume including a mixing chamber and an electrolysis chamber separate from said mixing chamber, said first substance being placed into one of said mixing chamber and electrolysis chamber;
placing a known quantity of a second substance into another of the mixing chamber and the electrolysis chamber free of the first substance;
sealing the opening of the reactor to isolate the internal volume of the reactor;
rotating the reactor such that the substance in the electrolysis chamber is transferred to the mixing chamber for mixing with the other substance to form a mixture;
rotating the reactor again such that the mixture in the mixing chamber is transferred to the electrolysis chamber;
electrolyzing the mixture in the electrolysis chamber to change at least a portion of the mixture from a first state to a second state by passing electrical current through an anode and a cathode positioned in said electrolysis chamber in spaced relation relative to one another;
and
connecting the reactor to an analyzer to measure the amount of electrogenerated mixture in said second state.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated electrochemical reactor and process therefor

Life of this patent

Integrated electrochemical reactor and process therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims45