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US 4,118,305 AGranted
Apparatus for electrochemical reactions
AssigneeCanadian Patents and Development Limited
InventorsColin William Oloman, Alan Paul Watkinson
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AssigneeCanadian Patents and Development Limited
InventorsColin William Oloman, Alan Paul Watkinson
Estimating the term…
A novel electrolytic cell is described for carrying out electrochemical reactions in which a gas and a liquid electrolyte flow co-currently through a fluid permeable conductive mass which acts as an electrode. The cell has an anode and cathode in spaced apart relationship, with one electrode being in the form of a fluid permeable conductive mass e.g. a porous matrix or a packed bed of graphite particles, separated from the counter electrode by a barrier wall. This barrier wall can be either anion specific membrane dividing the cell into separate cathode and anode chambers or a porous insulating wall permitting flow of electrolyte between the cathode and anode. A liquid electrolyte and a gas are passed co-currently through the electrode bed perpendicular to the current flow and the reaction product is generated in the solution within the electrode bed.
An apparatus for carrying out electrochemical reactions involving gaseous reactants comprising an undivided electrochemical cell having a pair of spaced apart electrodes, at least one of said electrodes being in the form of a fluid permeable conductive mass and being separated from the counter electrode by a porous insulating layer which is compressed between the conductive mass and the counter electrode thereby defining a flow path which permits free flow of gas and liquid between the electrodes and which providing electrical insulation between the conductive mass and the counter electrode, inlet means for feeding a liquid electrolyte and a gas into said fluid permeable conductive mass and outlet means for removing solutions containing reaction products from said conductive mass, said inlet and outlet being arranged whereby the electrolyte and gas move co-currently through the conductive mass in a direction normal to the flow of electric current between the electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.