Process for the removal of oxynitrogen species for aqueous solutions
AssigneeOlin Corporation
InventorsJerry J. Kaczur, David W. Cawlfield, Kenneth E. Woodard, Jr.
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Abstract
A process for electrochemically treating an aqueous solution containing inorganic oxynitrogen species is disclosed in which the aqueous solution is fed into the catholyte compartment of an electrochemical reduction cell using a high surface area cathode separated from an anolyte compartment to electrochemically reduce substantially all of the oxynitrogen species to nitrogen or ammonia and produce a purified water product.
Claims37
A process for electrochemically treating an aqueous solution containing oxynitrogen species, comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding the aqueous solution having a pH of less than about 4 into a catholyte compartment of an electrochemical reduction cell having a separator separating the catholyte compartment from an anolyte compartment;
- (b) utilizing a high surface area, high hydrogen overvoltage cathode to electrochemically reduce the oxynitrogen species in the aqueous solution in the catholyte compartment to nitrogen gas substantially free of nitrous oxide and nitrogen oxide to produce a purified product stream of water having nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas and a residual quantity of oxynitrogen species;
- and
- (c) withdrawing the product stream from the catholyte compartment.
A process for electrochemically treating an aqueous solution containing inorganic oxynitrogen species, comprising the steps of:
- (a) feeding the aqueous solution having a pH of less than 4 into a catholyte compartment of an electro-chemical reduction cell having a separator separating the catholyte compartment from an anolyte compartment;
- (b) utilizing a high surface area cathode to electro-chemically reduce at high efficiency substantially all of the oxynitrogen species in the aqueous solution in the catholyte compartment to nitrogen substantially free of nitrous oxide and nitrogen oxide to produce a purified water product stream having nitrogen gas, hydrogen gas and residual oxynitrogen species, the high efficiency reduction being characterized by having a current efficiency and an oxynitrogen removal efficiency whose sum is greater than 50%;
- and
- (c) withdrawing the product stream from the catholyte compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.