DESALINATION DEVICE AND PROCESS USING GAS DIFFUSION ELECTRODES

摘要

The invention relates to a desalinization device (10; 110) comprising a gas diffusion anode (12; 112) suitable to transform hydrogen H2 into Η+ hydrogen ions; a gas diffusion cathode (14; 114) connected through an electrical connection (11) to said gas diffusion anode and suitable to transform oxygen O2 into OH. hydroxide ions; a system to feed said gas diffusion anode with hydrogen; a system to feed said gas diffusion cathode with oxygen; a cation exchange membrane (18; 118); and an anion exchange membrane (16; 116). The cathode (14; 114) is contained in a cathodic chamber (28; 128) suitable to contain or containing a catholyte. The anode (12; 112) is contained in an anodic chamber (26; 126) suitable to contain or containing an anolyte. The anodic chamber (26; 126) and the cathodic chamber (28; 228) are separated by the cation exchange membrane (18; 118) and by the anion exchange membrane (16; 116) which in turn are separated by a third chamber (30; 130) suitable to contain or containing an aqueous salt solution, where the cation exchange membrane (18; 118) is simultaneously a wall or a part thereof of the cathodic chamber (28; 128) and of the third chamber (30; 130) so that there can be a salt cation passage from the third chamber (30, 130) to the cathodic chamber (28; 128); and where the anion exchange membrane (16; 116) is simultaneously a wall or a part thereof of the anodic chamber (16; 116) and of the third chamber (30; 130) so that there can be a salt anion passage from the third chamber (30; 130) to the anodic chamber (16; 116). A related desalinization process is also described.