Abstract: The invention includes in its scope a method for electrochemically reacting a liquid with a gas in an electrochemical cell of the type having at least two electrodes separated by a liquid permeable separator. At least one of said electrodes supports the separator and is porous and self-draining. A gas is flowed into at least a portion of the pores of the self-draining electrode and a liquid is controllably flowed through the separator and into the self-draining electrode at a rate about equal to the drainage rate of the electrode and in a quantity sufficient to fill only a portion of the electrode pores. The liquid and the gas are electrochemically reacted to form at least one nonvolatile product. Thereafter, the products of the electrochemical reaction are removed from said self-draining electrode.

Abstract: A permeable substrate is coated with a film of silver deposited from an aqueous electroless silver plating solution. The process provides substantially total extraction or depletion of the silver from the solution. The process permits deposition of closely controlled amounts of silver on well-defined permeable areas.

Abstract: A process for operating an electrolytic cell having a relatively-massive dual porosity gas electrode particularly well suited and adapted for utilization as a vertically-disposed oxygen gas-bearing electrochemically reducing cathode in electrolytic cells wherein, for efficient and practical, commercially-large-scale-output operations, there are required to be employed substantial electrolyte liquid depths creating considerable head pressures generally greater than at least about 1 psi (ca. 0.69 dynes/cm.sup.

Abstract: A porous, two layer electrode which may be used as an anode or a cathode and a cell using one or more of the electrodes. The electrode is in a pocket shaped configuration with the inner layer having interstitial passageways which are larger in diameter than the diameter of the corresponding interstitial passageways in the outer layer. The layers may be composed of metallic particles. A catalytically active material may be applied to the electrode. The electrodes are particularly useful as oxygen depolarized cathodes in electrolytic processes.

Abstract: A method of operating an electrolytic cell comprising: forming a gas-liquid mixture of an oxygen-containing gas and a catholyte; and flowing the mixture through interconnecting passageways of a porous cathode, while the cathode is maintained at a voltage sufficient to reduce at least a portion of the oxygen as the mixture flows through the cathode.

Abstract: A relatively-massive dual porosity gas electrode particularly well suited and adapted for utilization as a vertically-disposed oxygen gas-bearing electrochemically reducing cathode in electrolytic cells wherein, for efficient and practical, commercially-large-scale-output operations, there are required to be employed substantial electrolyte liquid depths creating considerable head pressures generally greater than at least about 1 psi (ca. 0.69 dynes/cm.sup.

Abstract: An oxygen gas-bearing, flow-through electrode has in associated, cooperative combination: (i) a porous, fluid-pervious and permeable, catalyst-bearing body section adapted to be operated in the fluid-flooded condition; coupled with (ii) means for intimately mixing and delivering to said body section in pore-flooding supply quantities an interblended gas-entrained fluid mixture in effectively reactive relative proportions of desired liquid electrolyte and oxygen-bearing gas. The electrode can be used in any electrolytic cell which is adapted, by inclusion of appropriate components and constituent materials therein, to either generate electricity by chemical action when operated in the galvanic mode or, alternatively when operated in the electrolysis mode, to make recoverable product from the ionically decomposed constituents of the dissolved molecules in the electrolyte.

Abstract: A porous electroplatable body is interiorly electroplated and the like by: making an at least substantial initial capacity filling of all or at least a portion of the void spaces in the body with an appropriate electroplating or other deposit-releasing bath solution or other dispersion; effecting subsequent immersion of the bath-replete body in a non-plating or non-depositing electroconductive liquid media; then following these steps by application of plating current to and through the bath containing body whereupon the interior surfaces of the body are plated or coated.

Abstract: A porous nickel body is interiorly silver plated in a two-step procedure by: first, acid etching the nickel surface for activation; then plating the activated surface by replacement of elemental nickel thereon with silver from a dissolved aqueous cyanide or equivalent silver salt.

Abstract: A porous electrode, possessed of good physical qualities, containing size optimized electrocatalyst-bearing pores ensuring suitability for electrochemical reaction promotion, including the electroreduction of oxygen in alkaline media, is comprised of the compressed and compacted product of a pre-catalyzed, volumetrically reduced pre-form structure that, prior to densification, was characterizable in being laced with precursive interstitial passageways that are larger than electrode body pore size and which are comparably of a more open catalyst-applicating accessibility which passageways had been pre-provided on their wall surfaces with effective quantity deposits of catalytic agent.