Solid polymer electrolyte chlor-alkali process and electrolytic cell

In an electrolytic cell having an anode separated from a cathode by a permionic membrane, said anode and said cathode both contacting said permionic membrane, the improvement wherein said anode comprises a pervious substrate having anodic electrocatalyst bonded thereto, said anode bearing upon the permionic membrane, said cathode is bonded to and embedded in the permionic membrane, and said permionic membrane comprises a fluorocarbon resin having the moieties:

• --CF.sub.2 -CXX'--
• and
• --CF.sub.2 -CXY--
• where
• X is chosen from the group consisting of --F, --Cl, --H, and --CF.sub.3 ;
• X' is chosen from the group consisting of --F, --Cl, --H, --CF.sub.3, and (CF.sub.2).sub.m CF, where
• m is an integer from 1 to 5;
• Y is chosen from the group consisting of --A, --.phi.A, --P--A, and
• --O--(CF.sub.2).sub.n --(P,Q,R)--A, where P is (--CF.sub.2).sub.a
• (CXX').sub.b (CF.sub.2).sub.c, Q is (--CF.sub.2 --O--CXX').sub.d
• and R is (--CXX'--O--CF.sub.2).sub.e, (P,Q,R) is or contains one or more of P, Q, and R n is 0 or 1;
• a,b,c,d, and e are integers from 0 to 6;
• .phi. is a phenylene group and A is chosen from the group consisting of --COOH, --CN, --COF, --COCl, --COOR, --COOM, and --CONR.sub.2 R.sub.3,
• where R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl group,
• and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are chosen from the group consisting of --H, and
• C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl groups;
• and m is chosen from the group consisting of --H and alkali metals.