March 6 , 1951 0 .

DE NORA 2, 544, 133

ELECTROLYTIC CELL WITH MOBILE MERCURY CATHODE
F i l e d Ap ri l 17 , 1947
H
B _ _ F i . 5
INVENTOR.
~ 0 e ' o / v z / a J ar/ Var )
P at e n t e d Mar. 6 , 1951
UNITED STATES P ATENT
2, 544, 138
OF F ICE
2, 544, 138
ELECTROLYTIC CELL WITH MOBILE
MERCURY CATHODE
Oro n z i o d c No ra, Mi l an o , It al y
Ap p l i cat i o n Ap ri l 17 , 1947 , Se ri al No . 7 41, 97 8
In It al y J un e 16 , 1941
' Se ct i o n 1, P ubl i c Law 6 90 , August 8 , 1946
P at e n t e x p i re s J un e 16 , 196 1
1 Cl ai m.
1
Thi s i n v e n t i o n re l at e s t o a co n t i n uo us cl o se d
cy cl e e l e ct ro l y t i c ce l l wi t h a mo bi l e me rcury
cat ho d e . E
El e ct ro l y t i c ce l l s wi t h mo bi l e me rcury cat h
o d e s hav e be e n use d i n i n d ust ry f o r t he p re p ara
t i o n o f hy d rat e s o r sul p hi d e s o f al k al i me t al s an d
chl o ri n e , an d are subst an t i al l y co mp o se d o f ' t wo
co mp art me n t s arran ge d si d e by si d e , i n o n e o f
whi ch t he e l e ct ro l y t i c p re p arat i o n o f t he
amal gam i s e ?e ct e d whi l e i n t he o t he r co mp art
me n t t he amal gam i s d e co mp o se d by sui t abl e
re age n t s. The me rcury i s re mo v e d f ro m t he , d e
co mp o si t i o n co mp art me n t an d e l e v at e d i n o rd e r
t o re e n t e r t he ?rst co mp art me n t an d re ge n e rat e
' n e w amal gam.
The p re se n t i n v e n t i o n has as i t s o bj e ct a p ar
t i cul ar d i sp o si t i o n o f t he e l e ct ro l y t i c ce l l an d
asso ci at e d ap p arat us so as t o co n si d e rabl y re d uce
t he q uan t i t y o f me rcury e mp l o y e d , t he co p p e r
n e ce ssary f o r t he co n n e ct i o n o f t he ce l l s i n ci r
cui t an d t he surf ace o ccup i e d by t he ce l l an d
asso ci at e d ap p arat us. '
Acco rd i n g t o t he p re se n t i n v e n t i o n , t he p l an t
co mp ri se s an e l o n gat e d e l e ct ro l y t i c ce l l hav i n g i t s
bo t t o m i n cl i n e d so t hat t he mo bi l e cat ho d e wi l l
?o w l o n gi t ud i n al l y t he re o f f ro m o n e e n d t o ward
t he o t he r, an d a d i samal gamat i o n ap p arat us
co n n e ct e d wi t h t he ce l l f o r re ce i v i n g t he mo bi l e
cat ho d e . The d i samal gamat i n g ap p arat us i s co n
st ruct e d i n such a man n e r as t o e f f e ct t he sub
d i v i si o n o f t he amal gam ?o wi n g t hro ugh t he
same an d i n cre ase t he d urat i o n o f co n t act wi t h
t he d i samal gamat i n g age n t . F re e d me rcury i s
t ak e n f ro m t he d i samal gamat i n g ap p arat us an d
re t urn e d t o t he up p e r e n d o f t he e l e ct ro l y t i c ce l l
t hro ugh a t ube l y i n g p aral l e l t o t he ce l l but o p
p o si t e l y i n cl i n e d so t hat t he me rcury i n t ro d uce d
i n t o t he t ube wi l l ?o w t o t he up p e r i n l e t e n d
o f t he ce l l .
In o rd e r t o f aci l i t at e an un d e rst an d i n g o f t he
p re se n t i n v e n t i o n , re f e re n ce i s mad e t o t he an
n e x e d d rawi n gs i n whi ch: 7
F i gure 1 i s t he sche mat i c l o n gi t ud i n al se ct i o n al
v i e w o f t he p l an t acco rd i n g t o t he i n v e n t i o n ;
F i g. 2 i s a si mi l ar v i e w o f a sl i ght l y mo d i ?e d
f o rm o f t he p l an t ; an d
F i gure 3 i s a p l an Vi e w o f t he p l an t o f F i g. 1.
F i gure 1 sho ws t he e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t A
co n n e ct e d wi t h t he d i samal gam' at i o n ap p arat us B,
f ro m whi ch t he me rcury , by me an s o f a p ump C,
i s rai se d i n t he t ube D, whi ch f e e d s t he e l e ct ro
l y t i c co mp art me n t A. The cy cl e i s cl o se d an d
co n t i n uo us. _
F i gure 2 sho ws a mo d i ?e d f o rm o f t he p l an t i n
whi ch t he e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t A i s co n ,
10
15
20
25
8 0
40
45
50
20 4-220 )
2
n e ct e d t o t he p ump 0 , whi ch f e e d s t he d i samal ga
mat i o n ap p arat us B, f ro m whi ch t he me rcury , by
me an s o f t he t ube D re t urn s t o t he e l e ct ro l y t i c
co mp art me n t A. 1
F i gure 3 re p re se n t s t he co up l i n g o f t wo e l e ct ro
l y t i c co mp art me n t s as t ho se d e scri be d i n F i gure 1
an d co n n e ct e d e l e ct ri cal l y i n se ri e s. '
Acco rd i n g t o F i g. 1 an e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art
me n t A hav i n g a l e n gt h e q ual t o at l e ast t e n
t i me s i t s wi d t h, i s f e d wi t h an al mo st sat urat e d
so l ut i o n o f an al k al i me t al chl o ri d e , an d t he re i s
o bt ai n e d an amal gam o f so d i um o r p o t assi um
t o ge t he r wi t h t he f o rmat i o n o f chl o ri n e . The
p ro d uce d al k al i me t al amal gam run s d ue t o
grav i t y d o wn al o n g t he i n cl i n e d bo t t o m o f t he
e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t an d i s f e d by me an s o f
a sho rt co n d ui t t o t he d i samal gamat i o n co mp art
me n t B, t hro ugh whi ch t he amal gam p asse s i n a
d o wn ward v e rt i cal d i re ct i o n .
The ap p arat us B co mp ri se s a t an k wi t h ad e
q uat e se ct i o n an d he i ght wi t h re f e re n ce t o t he
cap aci t y o f t he e l e ct ro l y t i c ap p arat us, co n t ai n
i n g wat e r o r a so l ut i o n o f al k al i me t al hy d rat e ,
i n whi ch re gul ar o r i rre gul ar shap e d p i e ce s o f
grap hi t e o r si mi l ar mat e ri al are i mme rse d an d
p l ace d as ?l l i n g. The se p i e ce s o f grap hi t e can
be subst i t ut e d by p i e ce s o f o t he r co n d uct i n g ma
t e ri al . ,
The amal gam co mi n g f ro m t he co mp art me n t
A, f al l i n g v e rt i cal l y o n t he p i e ce s o f grap hi t e o r
si mi l ar mat e ri al , d i v i d e s i n t o d ro p s, e f f e ct i n g an
i n t i mat e co n t act be t we e n t he amal gam, grap hi t e
an d wat e r wi t h t he f o rmat i o n o f al k al i me t al
hy d rat e an d hy d ro ge n . '
Wi t h t he o bj e ct o f p ro d uci n g so l ut i o n s o f sul
p hi d e s o f al k al i me t al s wi t h t he amal gam, t he
ap p arat us B sho ul d be sui t abl y bui l t o r co v e re d
wi t h n o n -co n d uct i n g mat e ri al , an d wi l l co n t ai n
a so l ut i o n o f al k al i me t al p o l y sul p hi d e an d i n
st e ad o f t he me t al l i c ?l l i n g, a n o n -co n d uct i n g
?l l i n g such as st o n e , gl ass o r si mi l ar mat e ri al s.
The re ge n e rat e d me rcury f l o ws, d ue t o grav i t y ,
i n t o t he p ump C f ro m t he re act i o n ap p arat us
an d . i s rai se d by t he p ump t hro ugh t he v e rt i cal
p o rt i o n o f t he re t urn p i p e D t o a he i ght e q ual
t o t he he i ght o f t he d i samal gamat o r p l us t wi ce
t he d i f f e re n ce i n l e v e l be t we e n t he t wo e n d s o f
t he e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t whe re t he n i t
?o ws by grav i t y d o wn t he o t he r p o rt i o n o f t he
p i p e D whi ch has a sl o p e e q ual an d o p p o si t e
t o t hat o f t he e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t . The
sai d o t he r p o rt i o n o f p i p e re t urn s t he re ge n e rat e d
me rcury at E abo v e an i n l e t me rcury se al F t o
f e e d t he e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t A an d t o ge n
:e rat e f re sh amal gam. The cy cl e i s co n t i n uo us.
2, 544, 138
3 .
The wo rk i n g o f t he ap p arat us i l l ust rat e d i n
F i gure 2 i s p e rf e ct l y an al o go us t o t hat o f F i g.
1, t he v ari at i o n s d e ri v i n g o n l y f ro m t he re l at i v e
p o si t i o n s o f t he v ari o us p art s.
What I cl ai m i s:
A co n t i n uo us cy cl e e l e ct ro l y t i c ce l l wi t h mo bi l e
me rcury cat ho d e , co mp ri si n g i n co mbi n at i o n an
e l e ct ro l y t i c co mp art me n t hav i n g an e l o n gat e d " "
an d n arro w f o rm, t he l e n gt h be i n g at l e ast t e n
t i me s t he Wi d t h, wi t h a sl i ght l y i n cl i n e d bo t t o m,
t he sl o p e be i n g o n l y t hat n e ce ssary f o r assur
i n g t he f l o w o f t he me rcury an d a v e rt i cal d i s
amal gamat i o n d e v i ce p o si t i o n e d f o r v e rt i cal
grav i t y f l o w o f t he amal gam f ro m t he e l e ct ro l y t i c
co mp art me n t t he re t hro ugh, t he d i samal gama
t i o n d e v i ce be i n g d i sp o se d n e ar t he o ut l e t e n d
o f t he e l e ct ro l y t i c ce l l , t wo p o rt i o n s o f p i p e s
p ro v i d i n g co n n e ct i o n s f o r t he re t urn o f -me rcury
t o t he ce l l f ro m t he d i samal gamat o r, o n e o f
sai d , p i p e p o rt i o n s be i n g v e rt i cal an d ' o f a l e n gt h
e q ual t o t he he i ght o f t he d i samal gamat o r p l us
t wi ce t he d i ?e re n ce i n l e v e l be t we e n t he t wo
e n d s o f t he ce l l f o r co n v e y i n g me rcury f ro m, t he
10
15
20
bo t t o m o f t he d i samal gamat o r t o a p o i n t as.
hi gh abo v e t he l o we r e n d o f t he ce l l as t wi ce t he 25
d i f f e re n ce i n l e v e l o f t he t wo e n d s o f t he e l e c
rt ro l y t i c ce l l , t he o t he r p o rt i o n o f p i p e hav i n g a
4
sl o p e e q ual an d o p p o si t e t o t hat o f t he e l e ct ro l y
t i c ce l l , an d be i n g a co n t i n uat i o n o f t he ?rst
re ci t e d p i p e p o rt i o n f o r co n v e y i n g me rcury t o
t he i n l e t e n d o f t he ce l l , a me rcury se al at t he
i n l e t e n d o f t he ce l l , sai d o t he r p o rt i o n o f p i p e
hav i n g i t s d e l i v e ry e n d abo v e t he me rcury i n
sai d se al , a sho rt co n d ui t co n n e ct i n g t he o ut l e t
o f t he ce l l t o t he i n l e t o f t he d i samal gamat o r,
an d p ump me an s at t he l o we st e n d o f t he v e r
t i cal p o rt i o n o f p i p e .
ORONZIO DE NORA.
REF ERENCES CITED
The f o l l o wi n g re f e re n ce s are o f re co rd i n t he
f i l e o f t hi s p at e n t :
UNITED STATES P ATENTS
Numbe r > Name Dat e
50 1, 7 8 3 He rmi t e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ J ul y 18 , 18 93
951, 229 . Whi t i n g _ _ _ _ _ _ l _ _ _ _ _ _ Mar. 8 , , 1910
2, 0 8 3, 6 48 Go rk e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ J un e 15, 1937
2, 316 , 6 8 5 Gard i n e r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ap r. 13, 1943
' F OREIGN P ATENTS
Numbe r Co un t ry Dat e
310 , 8 7 2 It al y _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Se p t . 11, 1933