Cell with blade electrodes and recirculation chamber

In the method of making an electrode structure for use in a vertical electrolysis cell having an at least substantially vertical cathode and at least substantially vertical anode in said cell opposite said cathode, said electrode structure including blade electrodes spaced apart one from the other, and further including at least one horizontal conductor bar having a front face and a back face, with at least part of said conductor bar engaging a portion of each of said blade electrodes, and with boss electrical connector members secured to the back face of said conductor bar, the improvement in said method comprising:

• providing an array of parallel, vertical blade electrodes, Delta shaped in cross-section, each secured on at least a portion of their back face with said conductor bar;
• affixing baffle means, having front and back major faces, to said conductor bar and extending said baffle means vertically at least substantially parallel to said array of blade electrodes, with the baffle means front major face positioned opposite the back faces of said blade electrodes and spaced apart from said blade electrodes;
• establishing an electrolyte circulation zone extending vertically along the front face of said baffle means;
• and
• establishing an electrolyte recirculation zone extending vertically along the back face of said baffle means.

The method of electrolyzing an electrolyte in an electrolytic cell having an at least substantially vertical cathode and an at least substantially vertical anode in said cell opposite said cathode, at least one of said anode and said cathode including blade electrodes spaced apart one from the other, and further including at least one horizontal conductor bar having a front face and a back face, with at least part of said conductor bar engaging a portion of each of said blade electrodes, and with boss electrical connector members secured to the back face of said conductor bar, which method comprises:

• providing an array of parallel, vertical blade electrodes Delta shaped in cross-section, each secured on at least a portion of their back face with said conductor bar;
• providing electrical connection to said blade electrodes from said boss electrical connector members through said conductor bar;
• establishing baffle means having front and back major faces, said baffle means extending at least substantially vertically and at least substantially parallel to said array of blade electrodes, with the front major face of said baffle means positioned opposite the back faces of said blade electrodes, and spaced apart from said blade electrodes, providing an electrolyte circulation zone in front of said baffle means, including said blade electrodes in said electrolyte circulation zone;
• feeding electrolyte into said electrolyte circulation zone and circulating same vertically along the front face of said baffle means and in contact with said blade electrodes;
• feeding electrolyte from said electrolyte circulation zone to an electrolyte recirculation zone extending vertically along the back face of said baffle means;
• and
• recirculating said electrolyte along said back face of said baffle means through said recirculation zone.

In an electrode structure for use in a vertical electrolysis cell as one or more of an at least substantially vertical cathode or an at least substantially vertical anode in said cell opposite said cathode, said electrode structure including an array of parallel, vertical blade electrodes spaced apart one from the other, and further including at least one horizontal conductor bar having a front face and a back face, with at least part of said conductor bar engaging a portion of each of said blade electrodes, and with boss electrical connector members secured to the back face of said conductor bar, the improvement in said electrode structure comprising:

• baffle means having front and back major faces, said baffle means extending at least substantially vertically and at least substantially parallel to said array of blade electrodes, and having a front major face opposite the back faces of said blade electrodes and spaced apart from said blade electrodes;
• an electrolyte circulation zone extending vertically along the front face of said baffle means;
• and
• an electrolyte recirculation zone extending vertically along the back face of said baffle means.

In an electrode structure for a bipolar electrolytic cell having an anode and a cathode, with each electrode of the cell having a boss electrical connector member associated therewith, and with the structure having cell divider means interposed between adjacent anodes and cathodes, the improvement said electrode structure comprising:

• an anode boss electrical connector member abutting against an adjacent cathode boss electrical connector member, said anode and cathode boss electrical connector members each having a hole extending transversely therein, at least one hole being at least partially internally threaded, and with adjacent transverse holes being coaxially aligned in said electrode structure;
• a securing member contained within coaxially aligned adjacent holes, said securing member having an externally threaded shank;
• a circumferential sealing member around the end of said shank adjacent said head;
• a recess around adjacent boss electrical connector members for receiving said cell divider means;
• and
• baffle means affixed to a conductor bar that is itself secured to at least one boss electrical connector member, said baffle means extending away from said boss electrical connector member and establishing an electrolyte recirculation zone extending around said boss electrical connector member between said baffle means and said cell divider means.