Electrode attachment assembly, cell and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023332305-A1
Application number	US-202018043906-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 8, 2020
Publication date	Oct 19, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrode attachment assemblies for electrolytic cells and electrolytic cells having one or more electrode attachment assemblies and the method of using the same are provided that comprise a carbon-containing electrode and one or more deformable attachment elements in direct or indirect contact with said carbon-containing electrode, wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements will deform at a stress lower than the stress that results in fracture of the carbon-containing electrode to accommodate the expansion of the carbon-containing electrode when in use.

First claim

1 . An electrode attachment assembly for an electrolytic cell comprising a carbon-containing electrode and one or more deformable attachment elements in direct or indirect contact with said carbon-containing electrode, wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements will deform at a stress lower than the stress that results in fracture of the carbon-containing electrode to accommodate the expansion of the carbon-containing electrode when in use.

2 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements at no time exerts more than 8,000 psi of stress on any portion of the carbon-containing electrode.

3 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein at no time said one or more deformable attachment elements exerts more than 6,000 psi of stress on any portion of the carbon-containing electrode.

4 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements deform at a pressure between from 4,000 to 10,000 psi of stress.

5 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements deform at a pressure between from 4,000 to 8,000 psi of stress.

6 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements comprises metal.

7 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein no portion of the electrode assembly comprises a polymer.

8 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements comprises a metal selected from fully annealed copper equivalent to ASTM O60 temper.

9 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements comprises copper alloy C11000.

10 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable attachment elements have a yield strength at 0.5% extension less than 10,000 psi.

11 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformable attachment device comprises one or more selected from compression bands, straps, screws, threaded bolts, rods, threaded rods, posts, or shafts.

12 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformable attachment device comprises one or more selected from springs, coil springs, bolts, screws, bracings, crush washers, U-or C-shaped hanger bars, C-shaped clamps.

13 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformable attachment device comprises one or more selected from conical washers, spring washers, crush washers, elastomeric pads, gaskets or washers.

14 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformable attachment element comprises one or more bolts.

15 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said carbon-containing electrode comprises carbon selected from ungraphitized carbon, graphitized carbon, low-permeability carbon, high-permeability carbon, carbon fiber, pressed carbon powder, mesocarbon microbeads, carbon impregnated with metals, carbon coated with a thin layer of metal, carbon diamond, coal or petroleum-derived coke.

16 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said carbon-containing electrode is a monolithic structure, or a composite structure.

17 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said carbon-containing electrode is a shaped mass of compressed carbon comprising a form of coal or petroleum-derived coke and a pitch binder, baked to densify, harden, and to carbonize the pitch.

18 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements deforms to accommodate the expansion of the carbon-containing electrode by about 0.1% to about 1.0% without said one or more deformable elements exerting stress on the carbon-containing electrode in excess of the fracture strength of said carbon-containing electrode.

19 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements deforms elasticly.

20 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements deforms plasticly.

21 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein the one or more deformable elements comprise fully annealed copper.

22 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements exert less than 8,000 psi of stress on the carbon-containing electrode after 0.5% expansion of the carbon-containing electrode.

23 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements exert less than 6,000 psi of stress on the carbon-containing electrode after 0.5% expansion of the carbon-containing electrode.

24 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements comprise fully annealed copper, cold-rolled copper, steel, copper-nickel alloy, lead, gold, silver, tin, zinc, aluminum, brass, bronze, and alloys thereof.

25 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements comprise fully annealed copper.

26 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements comprise halogenated elastomers, graphite-filled PTFE or silicone rubber.

27 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements comprise materials having a conductivity greater than 300 S/m.

28 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements are load-bearing.

29 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements comprise one or more metals.

30 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said one or more deformable elements comprises one or more bolts wherein said bolts are tightened to not more than 30 ft-lbs (40.7 N-m) of torque.

31 . The electrode attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein said carbon-containing electrode is anode.

32 . An electrolytic cell comprising one or more electrode attachment assemblies of claim 1 , a container, an electrical distribution member, an electrolytic bath and one or more oppositely charged electrodes.

33 . The electrolytic cell of claim 32 wherein said carbon-containing electrodes in said one or more electrode attachment assemblies are anodes.

34 . The electrolytic cell of claim 32 wherein said electrolytic cell produces fluorine-containing materials.

35 . A use of the electrolytic cell of claim 32 to manufacture fluorine-containing materials comprising the step of introducing electrical energy into said electrolytic cell to cause chemical reactions at said carbon-containing electrodes in said one or more electrode attachment assemblies and said one or more oppositely charged electrodes.

Assignees

• Versum Mat Us Llc

Inventors

• Nehlsen James Patrick
• Schulze William F

Classifications

• C25B9/63 Primary

  Holders for electrodes; Positioning of the electrodes · CPC title

• C25B11/043 Primary

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

• C25B1/245 Primary

  Fluorine; Compounds thereof · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• C25B1/02

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title