Electrolytic apparatus for treating ballast water and treatment system using same

A ballast water electrolytic apparatus, which serves to sterilize ballast water used to balance a ship, comprising:

• a ballast water electrolytic chamber into which ballast water is introduced, wherein the ballast water comprises chloride ions;
• an oxygen supply chamber into which oxygen is introduced;
• an anode provided in the ballast water electrolytic chamber for producing chlorine oxides by electrolyzing the ballast water;
• and
• an oxygen cathode separating the ballast water electrolytic chamber and the oxygen supply chamber, wherein the oxygen cathode diffuses oxygen from the oxygen supply chamber into the ballast water electrolytic chamber and thereby produces water by reacting hydrogen ions in the ballast water electrolytic chamber with oxygen introduced into the oxygen supply chamber, the oxygen cathode comprising:
• (i) a conductive support which separates the ballast water electrolytic chamber and the oxygen supply chamber and to which electric current is supplied, the conductive support having a first side in contact with an interior portion of the ballast water electrolytic chamber and a second side in contact with an interior portion of the oxygen supply chamber;
• (ii) a reaction layer which is formed on the first side of the conductive support which brings hydrogen ions in the ballast water electrolytic chamber into contact with oxygen in the oxygen supply chamber, the reaction layer comprising a catalyst which accelerates a reaction in which hydrogen ions and oxygen react with each other to produce water;
• and
• (iii) a porous hydrophobic gas diffusion layer formed on the second side of the conductive support which diffuses oxygen introduced into the oxygen supply chamber, thereby effectively removing hydrogen from the electrolytic chamber.