A method of carrying out an electrochemical reaction comprises setting up a fluidized bed of particles at least some of which have at least their surfaces conducting or semi-conducting, using upwardly flowing liquid electrolyte, with or without reactant liquid, for the purpose, and applying a voltage gradient across at least a portion of said fluidized bed of particles, the size of particles, the conductivity of and rate of flow of the said electrolyte and/or reactant liquid and the voltage gradient being such that not only are anodic and cathodic faces established in respect of each of some of the at least partly conducting particles but the electropotentials on said faces on substantially each bipolar particle are such that said electrochemical reaction takes place on at least some of said bipolar particles but only on one portion of the surfaces thereon of said particles. The said bipolar particles which, preferably, are spherical or cylindrical may comprise solid conducting or semi-conducting material or cores of non-conducting material with coatings of conducting or non-conducting material thereon. The said method may be, for example, the electrolysis of sea water for the production of hypochlorite or of bromide solution for the production of hypobromite or the decarboxylation of monomethyl adipate to dimethyl sebacate.
Methods, materials and apparatus for production of hydrogen peroxide are disclosed. In one preferred embodiment, high surface area circulating elements derivatized with a quinone catalyst are reduced in an electrolytic cell where the cathode may also be derivatized with a quinone catalyst and a solution quinone at low concentration is used as a mediator. Once reduced, the circulating elements are separated and used to form hydrogen peroxide from molecular oxygen in an aqueous, electrolyte-free, environment. The circulating elements can be cycled repeatedly. Particular, novel naphthoquinone compounds are also disclosed.
In the production of metal by electrolysis of a metal compound dissolved in a molten solvent, the electrolysis is carried out with a bed of conductive pebbles.
An apparatus for the production of hydrogen peroxide is disclosed. In one preferred embodiment, high surface area circulating elements derivatized with a quinone catalyst are reduced in an electrolytic cell where the cathode may also be derivatized with a quinone catalyst and a solution quinone at low concentration is used as a mediator. Once reduced, the circulating elements are separated and used to form hydrogen peroxide from molecular oxygen in an aqueous, electrolyte-free, environment. The circulating elements can be cycled repeatedly. Particular, novel naphthoquinone compounds are also disclosed.
A novel method of polishing a workpiece surface comprises passing over the surface in elastically compressive abrasive contact therewith a mass of discrete, elastically deformable pieces each individually consisting of a matrix of elastomeric material containing finely divided abrasive particles substantially uniformly distributed at least along a surface region of the individual piece.
An electrolyzer for obtaining chemical products, comprising a cell having its inner surface made from a dielectric material, and filled with a circulating electrolyte; the cell accommodates current leads which are nonsoluble, the space between the current leads and the walls of the cell being filled with pieces of a conducting material, said pieces serving as a bulk electrode, and as these pieces react with the electrolyte, a coat of film is formed thereon, which promotes the bipolar action of said pieces when the current leads are energized; in addition, the cell is provided with a means for discharging slime and the products of electrolysis. A method of conducting electrolysis in the electrolyzer, which consists in charging the space between the current leads in layers with pieces of a conducting material, which pieces, when reacting with the circulating electrolyte, receive a coat of film of high resistance, said film promoting the bipolar action of the pieces and preventing current leakage through the metallic contact between said pieces; the current leads in the electrolyzer are then energized, creating an electric field providing for a potential difference across the oppositely charged portions of adjacent pieces, said potential difference being sufficient for obtaining the desired product; the electrolyte is made to circulate through the use of the lifting force of the gases evolving during the electrolysis, said gases saturating the electrolyte impairing its conductivity and impeding thereby current leakage through the electrolyte.
