GB1213165A - Electrolytic oxidation process - Google Patents

Abstract

1,213,165. Noble metal carboxylates. IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES Ltd. 25 April, 1968 [5 May, 1967], No. 21027/67. Heading C2C. [Also in Division C7] In an oxidation process a slurry of a finely divided noble metal of Group VIII, i.e. Pt, Rh, Ir, Pd, Os or Ru and/or a slurry or solution of a metal carboxylate e.g. copper or iron carboxylate, forming the reduced form of a redox system is introduced into the anode compartment of an electrolytic cell in which anode and cathode are separated by an anion exchange membrane or a salt bridge, and the cathode compartment contains a conducting carboxylic acid solution corresponding to the metal carboxylate, and after electrolysis withdrawing a solution of a noble metal carboxylate and/or the oxidized form of the metal carboxylate redox system from the anode compartment. Hydrogen is released at the cathode and oxygen may be supplied at the cathode to achieve a fuel cell effect. The slurry of material to be oxidized may comprise a carboxylic acid, e.g. acetic acid, and as a complexing agent may contain a nitrile, e.g. acetonitrile or benzonitrile; an amide, e.g. acetamide; a metal carboxylate; e.g. lithium acetate; an oxime, e.g. acetoxime, acetaldehyde oxime or formaldoxime. The catholyte may also contain alkali or alkaline earth metal carboxylate, e.g. lithium acetate. The electrodes may be formed by plates, or by a cylinder surrounding a rod. The cathode may be of iron, nickel, copper or carbon. The anode may be of porous carbon and the anode compartment may contain carbon granules. A salt bridge used should contain carboxylate ions corresponding to the carboxylate to be produced.