Apparatus and process for the removal of acidic and basic gases from fluid mixtures using bipolar membranes

A process for the removal of acid and basic gases from a fluid mixture thereof using a multi-compartment electrodeionization apparatus having two end electrode compartments containing an anode and a cathode respectively and located between said electrodes at least one three chamber unit, each unit comprising an acid producing, a base producing and a gas absorbing treatment chamber in juxtaposition and separated from each other by ion-exchange membranes, said acid producing compartment defined on the side facing the cathode by an anion exchange membrane and on its other side being separated from the adjacent base producing compartment by a bipolar membrane, said bipolar membrane positioned in the apparatus with the cation exchange resin side facing the cathode and the anion exchange resin side facing the anode, said base producing chamber being further defined from the next adjacent gas absorbing chamber by a cation exchange membrane, the said gas producing chamber being further defined on its side facing the anode by an anion exchange membrane, at least said gas absorbing chamber containing a fluid permeable filler of ion-exchange material, said process comprising passing a fluid mixture containing ionizable gases into and through said gas absorbing chambers, passing an aqueous feed solution into and through said acid producing, base producing and electrode chambers, passing a direct electric current transversely through all of said compartments and membranes to cause the generation of base and acid respectively from the interface between the cation and anion resin laminate of said bipolar membrane, said generated base passing into said base producing compartment located adjacent to one side of said bipolar membrane and said generated acid passing into said acid producing compartment located adjacent to the other side of said bipolar membrane, removing the effluent from said gas absorbing chamber as a product containing a lesser amount of dissolved ionizable gases than was originally present in the said fluid mixture feed, and removing the effluents from said acid and base producing chambers containing a greater amount of acid and base respectively than was originally present in the said aqueous feed solution.