Method for producing fluorine gas and device for producing fluorine gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022235471-A1
Application number	US-202017615485-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Jul 28, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for producing fluorine gas including electrolyzing an electrolyte in an electrolytic cell, measuring an electric energy accumulated after the electrolyte is placed in the electrolytic cell, and the electrolyzing is started, and sending a fluid generated in the inside of the electrolytic cell in the electrolyzing the electrolyte, to the outside of the electrolytic cell through a flow path. In the sending, the flow path is switched in accordance with the electric energy measured in the measuring an electric energy, such that the fluid is sent to a first flow path that sends the fluid to a first outside when the electric energy measured in the measuring an electric energy is not less than a predetermined reference value, or the fluid is sent to a second flow path that sends the fluid to a second outside when the electric energy is less than the predetermined reference value.

First claim

1 . A method for producing fluorine gas, the fluorine gas being produced by electrolyzing an electrolyte containing hydrogen fluoride and a metal fluoride, the method comprising:
electrolyzing the electrolyte in an electrolytic cell; measuring an electric energy accumulated after the electrolyte is placed in the electrolytic cell, and the electrolyzing is started; and sending a fluid generated in an inside of the electrolytic cell in the electrolyzing the electrolyte, from the inside to an outside of the electrolytic cell through a flow path, wherein in the sending, the flow path in which the fluid flows is switched in accordance with the electric energy measured in the measuring an electric energy, such that the fluid is sent to a first flow path that sends the fluid from the inside of the electrolytic cell to a first outside when the electric energy measured in the measuring an electric energy is not less than a predetermined reference value, or the fluid is sent to a second flow path that sends the fluid from the inside of the electrolytic cell to a second outside when the electric energy is less than the predetermined reference value, and the predetermined reference value is a numerical value of 40 kAh or more relative to 1,000 L of the electrolyte.

2 . The method for producing fluorine gas according to claim 1 , wherein the metal fluoride is a fluoride of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of potassium, cesium, rubidium, and lithium.

3 . The method for producing fluorine gas according to claim 1 , wherein an anode used in the electrolyzing is a carbonaceous electrode formed from at least one carbon material selected from the group consisting of diamond, diamond-like carbon, amorphous carbon, graphite, and glassy carbon.

4 . The method for producing fluorine gas according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic cell has a structure in which bubbles generated on the anode or a cathode used in the electrolyzing are capable of rising vertically in the electrolyte to reach a surface of the electrolyte.

5 . A device for producing fluorine gas, the fluorine gas being produced by electrolysis of an electrolyte containing hydrogen fluoride and a metal fluoride, the device comprising:
an electrolytic cell storing the electrolyte and configured to perform the electrolysis; an electric energy measurement unit configured to measure an electric energy accumulated after the electrolyte is placed in the electrolytic cell, and the electrolysis is started; and a flow path configured to send a fluid generated in an inside of the electrolytic cell during the electrolysis of the electrolyte, from the inside to an outside of the electrolytic cell, wherein the flow path includes a first flow path configured to send the fluid from the inside of the electrolytic cell to a first outside and a second flow path configured to send the fluid from the inside of the electrolytic cell to a second outside and includes a flow path switching unit configured to switch the flow path in which the fluid flows, to the first flow path or the second flow path in accordance with the electric energy measured by the electric energy measurement unit, the flow path switching unit is configured to send the fluid from the inside of the electrolytic cell to the first flow path when the electric energy measured by the electric energy measurement unit is not less than a predetermined reference value, or to send the fluid from the inside of the electrolytic cell to the second flow path when the electric energy is less than the predetermined reference value, and the predetermined reference value is a numerical value of 40 kAh or more relative to 1,000 L of the electrolyte.

6 . The method for producing fluorine gas according to claim 2 , wherein an anode used in the electrolyzing is a carbonaceous electrode formed from at least one carbon material selected from the group consisting of diamond, diamond-like carbon, amorphous carbon, graphite, and glassy carbon.

7 . The method for producing fluorine gas according to claim 2 , wherein the electrolytic cell has a structure in which bubbles generated on the anode or a cathode used in the electrolyzing are capable of rising vertically in the electrolyte to reach a surface of the electrolyte.

8 . The method for producing fluorine gas according to claim 3 , wherein the electrolytic cell has a structure in which bubbles generated on the anode or a cathode used in the electrolyzing are capable of rising vertically in the electrolyte to reach a surface of the electrolyte.

Assignees

• Showa Denko Kk

Inventors

• Mikami Katsumi
• FUKUCHI Yohsuke
• Kusumoto Nozomi

Classifications

• C25B15/033

  Conductivity · CPC title

• C25B1/245 Primary

  Fluorine; Compounds thereof · CPC title

• C25B11/043

  Carbon, e.g. diamond or graphene · CPC title

• C25B9/19

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B15/08 Primary

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title