Electrochemical water treatment system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207939-B2
Application number	US-201314652833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A water treatment system comprises an electrolytic cell comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode comprising a coating of polymer comprising structural units of formula I and a power source for powering the first and the second electrodes; wherein R 1 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical or —SO 3 H; R 2 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical; a is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 4; and b is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 3. An associated method is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water treatment system comprising:
an electrolytic cell comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode comprising an activated carbon substrate and a coating of polymer comprising structural units of formula I

and
a power source for powering the first and the second electrodes;

wherein
R 1 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical or —SO 3 H;
R 2 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical;
a is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 4; and
b is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 3.

2. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein b=0.

3. The water treatment system of claim 2 , wherein a=0.

4. The water treatment system of claim 2 , wherein a=1, R 1 is —SO 3 H.

5. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is opposite to the coating of the polymer on the second electrode.

6. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic cell comprises a liquid chamber between the first electrode and the coating of the polymer on the second electrode.

7. The water treatment system of claim 6 , comprising an input line in communication with the liquid chamber.

8. The water treatment system of claim 6 , comprising an output line in communication with the liquid chamber.

9. The water treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic cell comprises a gas chamber on an opposite side of the coating of the polymer and away from the first electrode.

10. A method, comprising:
passing an electric current through an aqueous solution of an electrolyte;
oxidizing at least a portion of anions of the aqueous solution to produce oxidation products;
reducing at least some oxygen gas to produce hydroxide ions;
transporting the hydroxide ions into proximity with the oxidation products through an activated carbon substrate and a coating of a polymer comprising structural units of formula

to react with the oxidation products and cations of the aqueous solution to produce hypochlorite; and
providing said hypochlorite to water to control levels of microorganisms;

wherein
R 1 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical or —SO 3 H;
R 2 is independently at each occurrence a C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical;
a is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 4; and
b is independently at each occurrence an integer ranging from 0 to 3.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the aqueous solution is an alkali halide solution.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the oxidation products are diatomic halide gas.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the passing step comprises passing the electric current through a first electrode and a second electrode of an electrolytic cell.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the aqueous solution is a sodium chloride solution or a potassium chloride solution.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein b=0.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a=0.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein a=1, R 1 is —SO 3 H.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the polymer comprising structural units of formula I comprises structural units of formula

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the polymer comprising structural units of formula I comprises structural units of formula

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the coating of the polymer is on an electrode of an electrolytic cell.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Bl Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Xia Zijun
• Huang Qunjian
• Sui Chihyu Caroline
• Fang Jianhua
• Xie Xiaoan

Classifications

• C02F2201/46105

  Details relating to the electrolytic devices · CPC title

• C25B11/0447

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C02F2303/04

  Disinfection · CPC title

• C02F1/46109 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title

• C02F1/4674

  with halogen or compound of halogens, e.g. chlorine, bromine · CPC title