Process for producing chlorine from ammonium chloride
OwnerBernard M. Abrahaminventor
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Abstract
A process for producing chlorine from ammonium chloride which comprises vaporizing ammonium chloride, contacting the vapors with a metal selected from the group consisting of tin, zinc and cadmium whereby a metal chloride is formed and then electrolyzing the metal chloride in the presence of a fused salt electrolyte. The ammonium chloride is preferably obtained from the Solvay soda ash process and the process for producing chlorine is integrated with the Solvay process. The integrated process produces chlorine at a substantial energy savings and without calcium chloride being produced as a by-product.
Claims21
An integrated process for producing chlorine and sodium carbonate which comprises the steps of:
- (a) heating calcium carbonate to produce calcium oxide and carbon dioxide,
- (b) contacting the carbon dioxide with water, ammonia and sodium chloride to produce sodium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride,
- (c) heating the recovered sodium bicarbonate to produce water, carbon dioxide and sodium carbonate,
- (d) heating the recovered ammonium chloride to a temperature sufficient to form a gas containing ammonia and HCl,
- (e) contacting the gas from step (d) with a molten metal selected from the group consisting of tin and zinc to produce a chloride of said metal, ammonia and hydrogen,
- (f) electrolyzing said metal chloride in the presence of a molten salt electrolyte to produce a metal and chlorine,
- (g) recycling the ammonia from step (e) to step (b) and the metal from step (f) to step (e), and
- (h) burning the hydrogen from step (e) to obtain heat required in the process.
A process for producing chlorine, which comprises:
- (a) heating ammonium chloride to a temperature sufficient to cause vaporization,
- (b) contacting said vapors with a molten metal selected from the group consisting of tin and zinc, wherein a chloride of said metal is formed, and
- (c) electrolyzing said metal chloride in the presence of a molten salt electrolyte whereby chlorine and the corresponding metal are produced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.