ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL AND PROCESS FOR SPLITTING A SULFATE SOLUTION AND PRODUCING A HYDROXIDE SOLUTION, SULFURIC ACID AND A HALOGEN GAS

摘要

The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell and a process for using a halogen halide and splitting a sulfate solution and producing a hydroxide solution, sulfuric acid and a halogen gas. In particular, the sulfate solution may be an alkali metal sulfate solution, such as sodium or potassium sulfate solution, an alkaline earth metal sulfate solution or an ammonium sulfate solution. The cell and the process may use either an anhydrous or an aqueous hydrogen halide, namely, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride in the anhydrous case, hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide, to a respective dry halogen gas, such as chlorine, fluorine, bromine, or iodine to produce hydrogen ions in order to split the alkali metal solution and from the sulfuric acid. The cell has two membrane-electrode assemblies, where an anode (12) is disposed in contact with one membrane (18), and a cathode (20) is disposed in contact with another membrane (19). The sulfate solution is fed in between the membrane-electrode assemblies.