Electrochemical hydroxide systems and methods using metal oxidation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018044267-A1
Application number	US-201715793250-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Feb 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for an electrochemical cell including an anode and a cathode where the anode is contacted with a metal ion that converts the metal ion from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state. The metal ion in the higher oxidation state is reacted with an unsaturated hydrocarbon and/or a saturated hydrocarbon to form products. Separation and/or purification of the products as well as of the metal ions in the lower oxidation state and the higher oxidation state, is provided herein.

First claim

1 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . A method, comprising:
contacting an anode with an anode electrolyte wherein the anode electrolyte comprises CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water; oxidizing CuCl to CuCl 2 at the anode; reacting ethylene with the anode electrolyte comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water to form one or more organic compounds comprising ethylene dichloride (EDC) and chloroethanol (CE) and reducing CuCl 2 to CuCl; exiting first vapor stream comprising EDC and a first liquid stream comprising EDC, CE, CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water; and separating and purify the one or more organic compounds comprising ethylene dichloride (EDC) and chloroethanol (CE) from an aqueous medium comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water wherein the separating and purify comprises
vapor-liquid separation process that separates the exiting first liquid stream into a second vapor stream comprising EDC and CE and a second liquid stream comprising EDC, CE, CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water;
compression-cooling process that condenses the exiting first vapor stream comprising EDC to a third liquid stream;
a liquid-liquid separation process that separates the second liquid stream exiting the vapor-liquid separation process and the third liquid stream exiting the compression-cooling process into a fourth liquid stream comprising EDC and CE and a fifth liquid stream comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water, and
a scrubbing process that reacts an alkali with the second liquid stream exiting the vapor-liquid separation process and/or the fifth liquid stream exiting the liquid-liquid separation process,
to separate the one or more organic compounds comprising EDC and CE and the aqueous medium comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water, wherein the aqueous medium obtained after the separation and purification comprises less than about 1% or no organic compound.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the separating and purifying further comprises reaction separation process, purification subprocess, adsorption, or combinations thereof.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the reaction separation comprises reactive distillation, reactive extraction, or combination thereof; liquid-liquid separation process comprises decantation, extraction, or combination thereof; the vapor-liquid separation process comprises flash distillation, distillation, or combination thereof; and/or the purification subprocess process comprises decantation, adsorption, distillation, or combinations thereof.

26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the liquid-liquid separation process comprises decanting the second liquid stream from the vapor-liquid separation process and/or the third liquid stream from the compression-cooling process and optionally extracting the liquid stream using an extractant; and the vapor-liquid separation process comprises separating volatile components as the second vapor stream from the second liquid stream by flash, distillation, or combination thereof.

27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the alkali is NaOH.

28 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising feeding liquid stream from the scrubber process to a byproduct removal column and removing heavier impurities.

29 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising feeding liquid stream from the byproduct removal column to a fractionating column.

30 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising a purification subprocess following the scrubbing process and/or following the liquid-liquid separation process to remove water content from the liquid stream exiting the scrubbing process and/or the liquid stream exiting the liquid-liquid separation process.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the purification subprocess comprises decantation, adsorption, distillation, or combinations thereof.

32 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising producing the EDC with more than about 90% yield and/or more than about 90% purity.

Assignees

• Calera Corp

Inventors

• Weiss Michael Joseph
• Gilliam Ryan J
• Self Kyle
• Mariansky Gal
• Leclerc Margarete K
• Shipchandler Riyaz Mohammed
• Nagar Jacob

Classifications

• C25B1/26

  Chlorine; Compounds thereof (by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34) · CPC title

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B3/02

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C07C17/02 Primary

  to unsaturated hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C25B1/46

  in diaphragm cells · CPC title