Method of producing sols by electrodialysis

A process for producing a sol of an element selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, antimony, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, tin and tungsten in an electrodialytic cell consisting of a housing defining an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, with the anode compartment being provided with an inlet and an outlet for feeding and removing anolyte therefrom, a cation exchange membrane separating the anode compartment from the cathode compartment, an anode positioned in the anode compartment, and a cathode positioned in the cathode compartment for passing an electrical current through the electrodialytic cell, and a conduit communicating with the inlet and the outlet of the anode compartment whereby anolyte can be circulated through the anode compartment from a reservoir containing anolyte comprising the steps of:

• providing a catholyte to the electrodialytic cell containing approximately 5% sodium hydroxide;
• providing an aqueous solution of a water soluble alkali metal salt of the oxide of the element for the sol to be produced having a concentration in the range of 0.1 to 5.0 percent as metal oxide to the reservoir for holding the anolyte for circulation through the anode compartment of the electrodialytic cell;
• carefully and continuously controlling the pH of the anolyte provided that if the element is silica then maintaining the anolyte pH within a range of 7.5 to 8.5, provided that if the element is antimony then maintaining the anolyte pH within a range of 9.5 to 10.5, provided that if the element is molybdenum then maintaining the anolyte pH within a range of 2.5 to 3.5, and provided that if the element is tin then maintaining the anolyte pH within a range of 10.3 to 10.8;
• providing to the anolyte compartment with anolyte reserve a plurality of glass beads which are fluidized so as to impinge upon the anode so as to substantially reduce the deposition of the element to be produced in sol form thereon;
• providing an electrical current across the anode and cathode greater than 1/8 ampere per square inch;
• electrodialytically transferring alkali metal cations of the aqueous solution of a water soluble alkali metal salt of the oxide of the said element from the anode compartment of the electrodialytic cell to the cathode compartment of the electrodialytic cell while essentially preventing the migration of metal oxide into the cathode compartment;
• and removing the so-produced sol from the anode compartment of the electrodialytic cell when the sol has obtained a particle size greater than 13 millimicrons and a concentration greater than 8 weight percent.