Electrochemical cogeneration of iron and commodity chemicals

Abstract

An electrochemical reactor comprising a source of a magnetic field positioned in proximity to a cathode and configured to generate a magnetic field; and an electrochemical cell comprising an anode and the cathode, and further comprising a catholyte channel configured to direct a catholyte stream comprising an iron-containing feedstock to the cathode; an anolyte channel configured to direct an anolyte stream comprising a metal chloride to the anode, wherein the catholyte channel and the anolyte channel are disposed between the cathode and the anode; and a separator disposed between the catholyte channel and the anolyte channel, wherein the electrochemical reactor is configured to electrochemically oxidize chloride anions to chlorine gas at a surface of the anode, and wherein the electrochemical reactor is further configured to electrochemically reduce the iron-containing feedstock to an iron particle comprising iron metal at the surface of the cathode and in the magnetic field.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.