Process for reclaiming a contaminated electrolyte from an electrolytic cell used in the production of gaseous fluorine

摘要

A process for reclaiming a contaminated electrolyte in an electrolytic cell used in the production of gaseous fluorine. The contaminated electrolyte is a mixture of potassium bifluoride and hydrofluoric acid having metal ions therein. The process has the following steps: a) removing the contaminated electrolyte from the cell to a treatment tank; b) adding a lithium compound to the contaminated electrolyte in the treatment tank to induce settlement of at least part of the metal ions; c) allowing the metal ions to settle to the bottom of the treatment tank; d) removing the settled metal ions from the bottom of the treatment tank to form a reclaimed electrolyte; and e) returning the reclaimed electrolyte to the cell.