Abstract: Novel dimensionally stable, porous electrodes made of vitreous or glassy carbon forming a porous body optionally provided on at least a portion of its outer surface with a coating containing an electrocatalytic agent and to electrochemical cells containing the said electrodes and to a method of electrolysis, preferably wherein a halogen is evolved at the anode.

Abstract: An improved electrically conductive, composite bipolar separator for electrochemical cells comprising a molded aggregate of an electrically conductive aggregate of powdered electrically conductive material and a chemically resistant resin with a vertical array of electrically conductive valve metal ribs partially embedded in the molded aggregate at least on the anode side and having the entire surface exposed to the anolyte, except the area of electrical contact with the anode, coated with a layer of a chemically resistant and electrically non-conductive resin, the said ribs being arranged to form a grid to distribute the current to the porous anode bonded on the surface of a semi-permeable membrane or diaphragm at a uniformly distributed multiplicity of points over the entire anode surface and electrochemical cells containing the said bipolar separator and method of producing the said bipolar separator.

Abstract: Novel electrodes for oxygen ionization half-cell electrode reactions comprising an electrically conductive porous base having over at least a portion thereof a coating containing an electrocatalyst comprising (1) at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver and a platinum group metal and (2) a hydrated oxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of manganese and nickel, electrochemical cells containing the said electrode at which oxygen is ionized and to novel electrolytic processes with such an electrode.

Abstract: A novel method of reducing metal impurities in aqueous alkali metal halide solutions, especially alkaline earth metal ions, and to novel organic solvent compositions having a synergistic activity for removal of metal impruties from aqueous solutions.

Abstract: A method of shaping an organic polymer insoluble in a polar solvent comprising reacting an insoluble organic polymer containing at least one Lewis acid electron attracting group or Lewis basic electron donating group with a sufficient amount of a lower alkylene oxide to alkoxylate the Lewis group and form an alkoxylated product soluble or easily dispersible in a polar solvent, dissolving or dispersing the alkoxylated product in a polar solvent, shaping the alkoxylated product into the desired form by applying the solution or dispersion to a support and removing the polar solvent, and hydrolyzing the alkoxylated product to obtain the original polymer in the desired form. Products made by the process include self-supporting polymeric films and porous diaphragms for electrolytic cells made by impregnating suitable porous supports with the alkoxylated product.

Abstract: An improved process for the production of halogens and alkali metal hydroxide by electrolysis of aqueous solution of alkali metal halides in a flowing mercury electrolysis cell wherein the salt solutions do not have to purified and to novel amalgam denuders and a mercury electrolytic cell plant without a salt purification step.

Abstract: A novel measuring electrode for determination of the concentration of anionic species in aqueous solutions by measuring the potential difference between the measuring electrode and a reference electrode comprising a body provided with an outer surface comprised of graphite or carbon black dispersed in a chemically inert matrix, said electrode being preactivated by anodic polarization in an aqueous alkaline or acid solution, the process of activating the said electrode and a method of ascertaining the charge state of an electric accumulator by determining the strength of the electrolyte therein.

Abstract: An improved bipolar separator for electrochemical cells comprising a molded aggregate of an electrically conductive powdered material and a powdered thermosetting resin in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 9:1 and having a resistivity coefficient, in the direction perpendicular to the major surfaces of the separator, of less than 0.3.OMEGA. cm and having the entire surface exposed to the anolyte, except the area of electrical contact with the anode, coated with a layer of a chemically resistant and electrically non-conductive thermosetting resin and electrochemical cells containing the said bipolar separator and method of producing the said bipolar separator.

Abstract: A novel method of molten salt electrolysis and novel electrolytic cells for molten salt electrolysis wherein the anodes for the electrolysis are comprised of a self-sustaining matrix of sintered powders of at least one oxycompound such as oxides, multipleoxides, mixed oxides, oxyhalides and oxycarbides, of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, terbium, erbium, ytterbium, thorium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, chromium and tantalum and at least one electroconductive agent, the said anode being provided over at least a portion of its surface with at least one electrocatalyst for the electrolysis reaction and bipolar electrodes for the said cells which electrodes are resistant to corrosion in molten salt electrolysis and have good electroconductive and good electrocatalytic activity.

Abstract: A rechargeable zinc halogen battery has an aqueous electrolyte containing ions of zinc and halogen and an amount of polysaccharide and/or sorbitol sufficient to prevent zinc dendrite formation during recharging. The electrolyte may also contain trace amounts of metals such as tungsten, molybdenum and lead.

Abstract: A novel process for the halogenation of water comprising passing an electrolysis current through a porous, permeable anode and a cathode forming an electrodic gap with water passing therethrough, passing an aqueous solution of an alkali metal halide containing at least 25 g/l of said halide through the porous, permeable anode into the electrodic gap and controlling the hydrodynamic flow through the said anode to maintain the weight ratio of active halogen to halide in the water leaving the electrodic gap of at least 0.2, preferably near 1, and a novel electrolytic apparatus for effecting the said electrolysis and more generally suited for releasing anodically oxidated chemical species into a supporting electrolyte flowing through the cell while restraining the release of the non-oxidated species into the supporting electrolyte, that is into the effluent solution.

Abstract: A composite halogen electrode for a rechargeable metal-halogen energy storage cell comprises a thin foraminous sheet, typically a valve metal with an electroconductive and electrocatalytic non-passivating coating, in electrical contact over substantially the entire electrode surface with a porous fluid-permeable body for example of carbon fibers or sintered valve metal particles and having throughout its porous structure an active surface coating of electroconductive and electrocatalytic non-passivating material forming a three-dimensional percolating electrode. The foraminous sheet faces an opposing consumable electrode of a storage cell or battery. During charging, halogen evolves essentially at the surface of this sheet and during discharge halogen contained in an electrolyte is ionized as it percolates through the porous body.

Abstract: An improved process for the production of halogens and alkali metal hydroxide by electrolysis of aqueous solution of alkali metal halides in a flowing mercury electrolysis cell wherein the salt solutions do not have to purified and to novel amalgam denuders and a mercury electrolytic cell plant without a salt purification step.

Abstract: A novel polyphase packing for alkali metal mercury amalgam denuders comprised of a sintered mixture of powdered valve metal borides and valve metal carbides, a novel amalgam denuder containing the said polyphase packing and a novel process of decomposing alkali metal mercury amalgam by contacting the amalgam with an aqueous media in the presence of the said polyphase packing.

Abstract: Sintered electrodes for electrolytic processes comprising a self-sustaining body or matrix of sintered powders of an oxycompound of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, hafnium, aluminum, silicon, tin, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, lead, manganese, beryllium, iron, cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, rhenium, technetium, rhodium, ruthenium, gold, silver, cadmium, copper, zinc, germanium, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, boron, scandium and metals of the lanthanide and actinide series and at least one electroconductive agent, the said electrodes being provided over at least a portion of their surface with at least one electrocatalyst for electrolysis reaction and bipolar electrodes, electrolytic cells containing said electrodes and electrolytic processes using the said electrodes as anodes and/or electrodes. Oxycompounds include oxides, multiple oxides, mixed oxides, oxyhalides and oxycarbides and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Storage batteries having negative and positive electrodes in which oxidized lead and/or lead oxide paste for the positive electrodes is applied to a metal base selected from the group consisting of tungsten-rhenium alloys, tantalum and titanium-tantalum alloys and lead and/or oxidized lead paste for the negative electrodes is applied to a metal base selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium-tantalum alloys and an alloy of tungsten-rhenium provided with a thin coating of cadmium, silver or lead which avoid the defects of the known electrodes.

Abstract: Novel electrodes for electrochemical reactions in an electrolytic medium, wherein the active surface layer of the electrode contains an electrocatalytically effective amount of germanium disulfide. The electrodes can be used in electrochemical cells as the catalytic substrates for oxygen evolution, e.g. oxygen evolution anodes in metal electrowinning, or for the conversion of molecular oxygen to an ionized species as in fuel cells.

Abstract: A method of shaping an organic polymer insoluble in a polar solvent comprises reacting an insoluble organic polymer containing at least one Lewis acidic electron attracting group or Lewis basic group with a sufficient amount of a lower alkylene oxide to alkoxylate the Lewis group and form an alkoxylated product soluble or easily dispersible in a polar solvent, dissolving or dispersing the alkoxylated product in a polar solvent, shaping the alkoxylated product into the desired form by applying the solution or dispersion to a support and removing the polar solvent, and hydrolyzing the alkoxylated product to obtain the original polymer in the desired form. Products made by this process include self-supporting polymeric films and porous diaphragms for electrolytic cells made by impregnating suitable porous supports with the alkoxylated product.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for electrolyzing an aqueous bromide containing electrolyte to form bromine by passing an electrolysis current through said electrolyte between a cathode and an anode comprising at least a valve metal base which is exposed to the electrolyte over at least part of its surface, the improvement comprising maintaining a breakdown voltage at the valve metal base of the anode in excess of 2 volts (NHE) which may be effected, for example, by using a base consisting of a titanium alloy containing up to 10% by weight of at least one member of the group consisting of vanadium, zinc, hafnium, tantalum and niobium or by using a tantalum base or by the addition to the electrolyte of soluble salts of at least one metal of groups IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VB, VIIB and VIIIB of the Periodic Table in amounts up to 1% by weight or by the addition to the electrolyte of sulfate and/or nitrate ions in a range of 10 to 10 g/l.

Abstract: Novel vertical multiunit electrolyzers with bipolar metallic electrodes for the electrolysis of halide containing electrolytes to produce oxidized halogen compounds and to a novel electrolysis of electrolytes which is designed to produce a gas lift effect to sweep solid deposits off the electrodes and out of the electrolyzer.