Electrolytic process for the production of tin and tin products
AssigneeVulcan Materials Company
InventorJohn A. Franks, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tin ions are provided to the electrolyte-containing cathode compartment of an electrolysis cell in which the anode and cathode compartments are separated by a cationic permselective membrane. The anolyte is generally a mineral acid or tin salt thereof. Operation of the electrolysis cell results in the deposition of tin in a purified form onto the catode which may be recovered as tin metal. Alternatively, the deposited tin and cathode compartment can be washed and the cathode compartment filled with an acid solution. Reversal of the current polarity results in the production of tin salts which may be recovered. Tin salts may also be concurrently anodically produced while tin metal is cathodically electrowinned.
Claims30
An electrolytic process for the production of tin or tin salts in an electrolytic cell, comprising an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, each compartment containing an electrolyte solution, and a cationic permselective barrier between the anode and cathode compartments comprising introducing a soluble tin salt or tin acid into the cathode compartment of the electrolytic cell, applying direct current to the anode and cathode to produce tin on the cathode in the cathode compartment while substantially simultaneously preventing migration of anions between the cathode and anode compartments and allowing migration of protons from the anode to cathode compartments by maintaining an electrolyte fluid impermeable cationic permselective barrier between the anode and cathode, removing produced gas from the anode compartment and removing the tin or tin salts from the cathode compartment.
An electrolytic process for the production of stannous chloride or stannous sulfate utilizing an electrolytic cell comprising a cathode and an anode and an ion permselective barrier dividing the electrolytic cell into anode and cathode compartments which process comprises providing a mixture of stannic and chloride ions having a chloride to tin ratio of at least about 4:1 in the cathode compartment, providing a mineral acid solution in the cathode compartment, applying direct current to the anode and cathode to form tin which is deposited on the cathode and substantially preventing migration of stannous and/or stannic ions from the cathode compartment to the anode compartment while simultaneously allowing migration of protons from the anode to cathode compartments by maintaining a cationic permselective barrier between the anode and cathode, removing the spent catholyte solution from the cathode compartment, introducing a hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid solution into the said cathode compartment and applying direct current to the said anode and cathode compartments in opposite polarity from that previously applied to form stannous chloride or stannous sulfate.
An electrolytic process for the production of tin and tin chemicals in an electrolytic cell, comprising an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, each compartment containing an electrolyte solution, at least the anode compartment containing a tin anode and a cationic permselective barrier between the anode and cathode compartments comprising introducing a soluble tin salt or tin acid into the cathode compartment of the electrolytic cell, applying direct current to the anode and cathode to produce tin on the cathode in the cathode compartment and to react the tin anode with the electrolyte in the anode compartment to form tin chemicals therein while substantially simultaneously preventing migration of anions between the cathode and anode compartments and allowing migration of protons from the anode to cathode compartments by maintaining an electrolyte fluid impermeable cationic permselective barrier between the anode and cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.