Chlor-alkali and carbon monoxide electrolyser integration

Abstract

Integration of a carbon monoxide electrolyser with a chlor-alkali electrolyser is disclosed herein. The disclosed integration includes a novel process chain for valuing oxygen-containing carbon compounds to hydrochloric acid, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, ethylene oxide, and other useful chemicals. The disclosed integration also includes a novel way of jointly operating the electrolyzers to increase the efficiency of both reactors. The present disclosure also includes a novel way to balance the operation of both electrolyzers to ensure that they operate at an optimal level to take advantage of the integrated benefits disclosed.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 18 / 237,897, filed August 25, 2023 (which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 521,878, filed June 20, 2023). Background Technology

[0002] In high-emission sectors such as industrial chemical production, there is an urgent need to develop technologies that make capturing or converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into economical forms. Furthermore, there is a pressing need in our societies to reduce emissions associated with the production of useful fuels and chemicals, and to find sustainable alternatives to producing these fuels, rather than relying on fossil fuel extraction and processing. Therefore, technologies that generate useful fuels and chemicals while simultaneously utilizing oxygenated carbon compound feedstocks (which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere) are crucial, as they generate useful chemicals without additional emissions and mitigate the impact of emission sources from which they capture oxygenated carbon compounds. Moreover, the economic value of useful chemicals can offset the costs of capturing and converting oxygenated carbon compounds, further increasing the economic incentive to prevent greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure relates to a carbon monoxide (CO) electrolyzer, and more specifically to the integration of a CO electrolyzer with a chlor-alkali electrolyzer. The disclosed integration includes novel process chains for the valuable conversion of oxygen-containing carbon compounds into hydrochloric acid, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, ethylene oxide, and other useful chemicals. The disclosed integration also includes novel methods for co-operating the electrolyzers to improve the efficiency of both reactors. This disclosure further includes novel methods for balancing the operation of the two electrolyzers to ensure they operate at optimal levels to take advantage of the benefits of the disclosed integration.

[0004] CO electrolyzers offer numerous opportunities to value oxygenated carbon compounds either directly or indirectly by value-enhancing CO2 or other oxygenated carbon compounds (which are first converted to CO). Operation of CO electrolyzers suitable for these purposes and for use according to the embodiments disclosed herein is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 111,631, filed February 20, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. These CO electrolyzers offer numerous benefits in terms of their efficiency and ability to value CO into useful chemicals. However, the operation of CO electrolyzers exhibits certain drawbacks that can be mitigated by integrated operation with chlor-alkali electrolyzers as disclosed herein.

[0005] One problem with CO electrolyzers is that an alkaline electrolyte stream may be necessary to ensure the efficient conversion of CO into useful chemicals. This alkaline electrolyte stream can be an aqueous alkaline stream, operating as either the anode or cathode electrolyte of the electrolyzer, such that any useful products generated at the corresponding electrodes will mix with the alkaline stream and may be difficult to separate from it. In particular, certain useful chemicals in the form of ionicly charged or miscible products, such as, but not limited to, carboxylates (e.g., acetates), alcohols (e.g., ethanol and propanol), and organic acids (e.g., propionic acid), may require significant additional energy to neutralize or evaporate them from the feed stream. These separation requirements can ultimately add prohibitively high costs to the conversion process, making it energy-inefficient. For this reason, a cost-effective way to separate these high-value organic species from the alkaline stream would improve the economic viability of systems that value emissions for environmental benefits. As disclosed below, integration with a chlor-alkali electrolyzer provides a way to efficiently remove such useful chemicals from the CO electrolyzer's output stream.

[0006] Another problem with CO electrolyzers is the consumption of hydroxides in the electrolyte, leading to a decline in performance over time. For example, during the cathodic electrosynthesis of carboxylates in an alkaline electrolyte in a CO electrolyzer, the process results in a stoichiometric consumption of one equivalent of hydroxide for every equivalent of carboxylate produced due to charge balance. Additional carboxylates are produced when alcohols (such as ethanol and propanol) are oxidized at the anode to acetates and propions, leading to further hydroxide consumption. Further loss of hydroxide content in the electrolyte can stem from hydroxide transport, formation, or dialysis to the cathode or, at the cathode, to the cathode trap (where it is physically isolated from the electrolyte). Hydroxide consumption during CO electrolysis or its inefficient transport to the anode results in a lower electrolyte pH at steady state relative to initial conditions, leading to performance degradation because the energy efficiency of geoproductive anodes used for CO electrolysis is higher in strongly alkaline media. A lower electrolyte pH also causes unstable species essential for high performance (such as Fe) to dissolve from the anode, potentially subsequently re-depositing onto the cathode, resulting in increased cell voltage and loss of selectivity for valuable products at the cathode. Hydroxide consumption also increases electrolyzer voltage and energy consumption by reducing solution conductivity, as the specific molar conductivity of acetate is lower than that of hydroxide. Solving these problems has not been readily apparent until now, as CO electrolysis systems have only recently reached high productivity levels, resulting in significant amounts of hydroxide being converted during electrolysis. As disclosed below, integration with a chlor-alkali electrolyzer can provide a way to maintain the hydroxide content of the CO electrolyzer by renewing the electrolyte.

[0007] Whether a given organic species needs to be harvested as a useful chemical or is unacceptably lowering the electrolyte pH, removing it from the electrolyte is beneficial for other reasons related to the performance of the CO electrolyzer. For example, many useful chemicals that can be generated by a CO electrolyzer (including alkali metal acetates and propions, as well as acetic acid and propionic acid) are amphiphilic, degrading the performance of some CO electrolyzers, in addition to lowering the solution pH by consuming hydroxides. When an amphiphilic substance is generated during CO electrolysis and accumulates in the CO electrolyzer, it reduces the hydrophobicity of the cathode and thus hinders efficient CO transport and conversion. Therefore, actively removing these species from the electrolyte to maintain the rate of CO transport and conversion is of concern. Under certain conditions, alkali metal carboxylates can also precipitate as solids, leading to impaired gas, ion, and electron transport and thus reducing overall efficiency.

[0008] The specific embodiments disclosed herein use a combination of a chlor-alkali electrolyzer and a CO electrolyzer to reduce the energy requirements for producing valuable chemicals from a CO electrolyzer and to address the aforementioned drawbacks. A chlor-alkali electrolyzer is an electrolyzer used to produce chlorine gas and alkali metal hydroxides (e.g., sodium hydroxide) by electrolyzing a solution of alkali metals and chlorides (e.g., sodium chloride). Sodium hydroxide is also known industrially as caustic soda. The chlor-alkali electrolyzer may include an oxygen depolarized cathode, which is a porous structure that promotes a three-phase interfacial process where oxygen is reduced on the surface of a solid electrocatalyst in the presence of liquid water. To obtain a high-purity alkali metal hydroxide solution from this process, the inlet of the oxygen depolarized chlor-alkali electrolyzer cathode can be purged because CO2 reacts with the electrolyte to produce carbonates (CO3). 2- ).

[0009] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided. The method includes: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas using a chlor-alkali reactor, generating a certain volume of hydrogen gas using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer, separating the hydrogen gas from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer, and generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid using a hydrochloric acid reactor, the hydrogen gas, and the chlorine gas.

[0010] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, another method is provided. This method includes: generating a volume of metal hydroxide using a metal salt and a chlor-alkali reactor, and generating an output stream using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer. The metal hydroxide is the electrolyte of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. The method further includes: supplying the volume of metal hydroxide to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer for use as the electrolyte of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer, and acidifying the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. The output stream contains the electrolyte. The metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt. The method further includes: supplying the volume of metal salt to the chlor-alkali reactor for generating a volume of chlorine gas.

[0011] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, another method is provided. This method includes: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas using a chlor-alkali reactor, generating a certain volume of acetate using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer, generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid using a hydrochloric acid reactor, monitoring the acetate generation rate, and changing the hydrochloric acid generation rate based on the acetate generation rate, wherein when the acetate generation rate increases, the hydrochloric acid generation rate is increased, and when the acetate generation rate decreases, the hydrochloric acid generation rate is decreased.

[0012] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating vinyl chloride is provided. The method includes: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas using a chlor-alkali reactor; generating a certain volume of ethylene using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; generating a certain volume of dichloroethane using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the volume of chlorine gas, and the volume of ethylene; and generating a certain volume of vinyl chloride using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the volume of dichloroethane.

[0013] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating vinyl acetate is provided. The method includes: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas using a chlor-alkali reactor; generating a certain volume of ethylene and a certain volume of oxygen using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; and acidifying the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer using the same volume of hydrochloric acid. The output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate. The acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid. The method further includes: distilling a certain volume of acetic acid from the carboxylic acid; and generating a certain volume of vinyl acetate using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, the same volume of acetic acid, the same volume of ethylene, and the same volume of oxygen.

[0014] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating ethylene oxide is provided. The method includes: generating a certain volume of ethylene and a certain volume of oxygen using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; generating a certain volume of ethylene oxide and a certain volume of carbon dioxide using an ethylene oxide synthesis reactor, the volume of oxygen, and the volume of ethylene; converting the volume of carbon dioxide into a second volume of carbon monoxide; and supplying the second volume of carbon monoxide to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments and other aspects of the systems and methods of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) shown in the figures represent one instance of a boundary. It is possible that in some instances, one element may be designed as multiple elements, or multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some instances, an element shown as an internal component of one element may be implemented as an external component in another element, and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. A non-limiting and non-exhaustive description is described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather the focus is on illustrating principles.

[0016] In the block diagram illustrating an integrated electrolyzer, lines represent fluid connections that fluidly connect functional blocks. A connection of a line to a block can be referred to as an input to that block. A connection of lines extending from a block can be referred to as an output to that block. The term "fluid connection" as used herein is not intended to be limited to a single connection between two blocks. Rather, the term is intended to refer to fluid connections that can extend through multiple functional blocks. Furthermore, the term "output flow" is intended to refer to a flow of one or more chemicals moving through a fluid connection in a given direction, and the term may continue to refer to the flow even if the component chemicals of that flow are separated out (e.g., if carbon dioxide is separated from the output flow, the remainder can still be referred to as the output flow).

[0017] Figure 1 This illustrates a CO electrolyzer process chain according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0018] Figure 2 The invention shown herein is based on specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein. Figure 1 The integration of the CO electrolyzer process chain with the chlor-alkali electrolyzer.

[0019] Figure 3 This illustrates a combination of a chlor-alkali electrolyzer and an HCl synthesis system with a CO electrolyzer, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0020] Figure 4 A combination of a chlor-alkali electrolyzer and a CO electrolyzer according to a specific embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is shown, wherein a chloride ion removal system prevents chloride ions from being supplied to the CO electrolyzer.

[0021] Figure 5 The process chain shown is based on a specific embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, wherein direct acidification is not employed to recover carboxylic acids from the CO electrolyzer effluent, in order to minimize the amount of acid and base equivalents used in the process chain.

[0022] Figure 6This illustrates the upstream purification process required to remove divalent ions from the brine feed of a chlor-alkali electrolyzer according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0023] Figure 7 This illustration shows a chlor-alkali electrolyzer and a CO electrolyzer integrated with a vinyl chloride production system using an ethylene chlorination reactor, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0024] Figure 8 This illustration shows a chlor-alkali electrolyzer and a CO electrolyzer integrated with a vinyl chloride production system using ethyleneoxychlorinatin, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0025] Figure 9 This document illustrates specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein. Figure 8 The downstream gas separation and purification system of the ethylene oxychlorination process collects the generated CO and CO2 for use in a CO electrolyzer and for upgrading to CO, respectively.

[0026] Figure 10 The invention disclosed herein illustrates a chlor-alkali electrolyzer and a CO electrolyzer integrated into a process comprising a vinyl acetate synthesis and separation system (which reduces the greenhouse gas emission footprint of the vinyl acetate process chain) according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0027] Figure 11 This document illustrates an ethylene oxide production system integrated with a CO2-to-CO upgrading system to reduce the emission footprint of an ethylene oxide production process, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0028] Figure 12 The flowchart illustrates a set of processes involving the generation of hydrochloric acid using an integrated chlor-alkali electrolyzer and a CO electrolyzer, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0029] Figure 13 A flowchart illustrating a set of processes relating to electrolyte cycling in a CO electrolyzer integrated with a chlor-alkali electrolyzer, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0030] Figure 14 A flowchart is shown illustrating a set of processes for balancing acid production based on acetate production, according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0031] Figure 15 A flowchart is shown for a set of processes for the production of vinyl chloride according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 16 A flowchart is shown illustrating a set of processes for the production of vinyl acetate according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0033] Figure 17 A flowchart is shown illustrating a set of processes for the production of ethylene oxide according to specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments and examples of various aspects and variations of the systems and methods described herein. Although several exemplary variations of the systems and methods are described herein, other variations of the systems and methods may include aspects of the systems and methods described herein, which may be combined in any suitable manner, having a combination of all or some of the described aspects.

[0035] The methods and systems for integrating CO electrolyzers and chlor-alkali electrolyzers, as outlined above, are disclosed in detail herein. The methods and systems disclosed in this section are non-limiting embodiments of the invention, provided for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to limit the full scope of the invention. It should be understood that the disclosed embodiments may or may not overlap with each other. Thus, one embodiment or a portion thereof may or may not fall within the scope of another embodiment or a portion thereof, and vice versa. Different embodiments from different aspects may be practiced in combination or individually. Many different combinations and sub-combinations of representative embodiments shown within the broad framework of the invention may be apparent to those skilled in the art but are not explicitly shown or described and should not be construed as excluded.

[0036] The CO electrolyzer process chain is shown in Figure 1The process chain consists of a CO electrolyzer 101, downstream sub-units that allow for the separation and purification of the output stream, and upstream components that provide the gases, water, and alkaline equivalents required to operate the electrolyzer. The input gases may include carbon monoxide, which is supplied to the cathode of the CO electrolyzer and used to produce a variety of useful chemicals, such as, but not limited to, carboxylates (e.g., acetates), alcohols (e.g., ethanol and propanol), organic acids (e.g., propionic acid and acetic acid), hydrogen, ethylene, and propionates. As described in the overview above, the electrolyte for CO may include metal (M) hydroxides (MOHs). Depending on the operation of the CO electrolyzer, it may also produce purified oxygen and hydrogen. The downstream sub-units include: a liquid / gas separation unit 102 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 103 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 104 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation sub-unit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The alcohol removal system may use methods such as, but not limited to, distillation, adsorption, or solvent-based extraction to separate and recover alcohol products. The downstream subunit also includes a concentration and / or acidification subunit 105 downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert the metal hydroxide and carboxylate products into carboxylic acids, while generating a metal salt solution in water. The acidification subunit takes an acid (HX) such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) as input, which converts the carboxylate and MOH input into a metal salt (MX) through acidification. Liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 106 and / or solvent-based extraction can be used to separate the carboxylic acid from the aqueous salt solution. The entire process chain shown takes CO and MOH as inputs and outputs MX and the useful chemicals shown.

[0037] Figure 2 Shown from Figure 1 The CO electrolyzer process chain is integrated with the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 208. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the chlor-alkali electrolyzer can be an oxygen depolarized chlor-alkali membrane electrolyzer, which separates purified oxygen and metal salts (from...) Figure 2 The input of the metal chloride (MCl shown in the diagram) produces chlorine and alkali metal hydroxide. For example, the metal can be potassium or sodium. Chlorine from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer, along with hydrogen from the CO electrolyzer 201, can be supplied to an HCl synthesis reactor (e.g., a combustion chamber) to produce HCl, and the alkali metal hydroxide can be purified and supplied to the CO electrolyzer 201 to provide the alkaline equivalent required to operate the electrolyzer. Oxygen is supplied from the anode region of the CO electrolyzer 201 to the cathode region of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 208. The CO electrolyzer product stream undergoes a gas / liquid separation 202, followed by acidification of the electrolyte and distillation of the liquid product. The isolated aqueous phase containing metal salts is conditioned and recycled back to the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 208 to produce the alkaline equivalent required to operate the CO electrolyzer 201. Heat from exothermic process subunits (such as, but not limited to, the HCl synthesis reactor 207 and / or the combustion chamber) can be used to supply the heat required to operate the separation subunits throughout the process chain.

[0038] The combination of the oxygen depolarization chlor-alkali electrolyzer 208 and the HCl synthesis reactor with the CO electrolyzer 201 is unique because it offers benefits that cannot be easily achieved with other forms of electrolyzers. The CO electrolyzer 201 can provide a high-purity oxygen source to the cathode of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 208, minimizing the upstream purification costs required for cleaning and purifying the oxygen at the cathode of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 208. Furthermore, alkaline CO electrolyzers (e.g., CO electrolyzers with alkaline electrolytes) are particularly suitable for employing alkali metal hydroxides and HCl produced by the combined chlor-alkali / HCl synthesis process, as the electrolyzer process typically does not consume stoichiometric amounts of base and acid. The chlor-alkali reactor can supply water to the CO electrolyzer, or water can be supplied from another source.

[0039] Supplying high-purity oxygen to chlor-alkali electrolyzers reduces voltage and increases the purity of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer product stream. Since the kinetics of the oxygen depolarization cathode depend heavily on the concentration of oxygen supplied to it, process operators must purify and concentrate the oxygen from air using methods such as, but not limited to, absorption, pressure swing adsorption, membrane-based separation processes, and cryogenic separation before feeding it into the oxygen depolarization cathode. These upstream purification processes represent a cost to the process operator.

[0040] Using a pure oxygen stream from CO electrolyzer 201 instead of an unpurified or uncleaned air source is beneficial to the quality of the alkali products from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer. Air contains several hundred ppm of CO2, which reacts with alkali metal hydroxide products to produce alkali metal carbonates. Directly supplying an alkali metal hydroxide solution containing a large proportion of alkali metal carbonates is undesirable for the performance of the CO electrolyzer, as the alkali metal carbonates, in addition to reducing the efficiency of the electrochemical process, may contaminate the anode, membrane, and cathode chambers of CO electrolyzer 201.

[0041] The rates of chlor-alkali synthesis and / or CO electrolysis can be controlled to match the rates required for supplying acid and base equivalents. In some cases, the CO electrolyzer 201 may produce very little or no acetate, which reduces the amount of feedstock acid and base equivalents required to operate the electrolyzer. The CO electrolyzer 201 can be configured to produce very little or no acetate by adjusting the operating conditions and / or components of the CO electrolyzer 201. In some embodiments, the product stream from the CO electrolyzer may consist largely of acetate (depending on the operation and configuration of the electrolyzer), requiring methods for supplying acid and base equivalents to value the acetate product.

[0042] In some embodiments of the invention, the extent to which H2 is absorbed from the CO electrolyzer 201 into the HCl synthesis reactor may be partial, depending on the amount of acetate produced in the electrolyzer. Downstream subunits of the CO electrolyzer 201 include: a gas / liquid separation unit 202 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 203 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 204 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The alcohol removal system may use methods such as, but not limited to, distillation, adsorption, or solvent-based extraction to separate and recover alcohol products. Downstream subunits also include a concentration and / or acidification subunit 205 downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert the metal carboxylate product into a carboxylic acid, while producing a salt solution in water. The acidification subunit 205 uses an acid HX as input, such as hydrochloric acid HCl, which converts the input carboxylate into a metal salt MCl. Liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 206 and / or solvent-based extraction may be used to separate the carboxylic acid from the aqueous salt solution.

[0043] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates that the cathode of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer can operate with partial depolarization, meaning that the cathode can both consume oxygen supplied by the CO electrolyzer 301 and generate hydrogen, accompanied by the formation of hydroxide ions. The diagram also shows how the HCl synthesis reactor 307 can generate HCl, receiving chlorine from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 and from the CO electrolyzer 301 via a gas separation unit 303. The chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 can be operated such that the cathode generates hydrogen while the anode oxidizes chloride to chlorine. However, oxygen can be supplied to the cathode chamber to affect the oxygen reduction reaction and lower the voltage of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308, rather than generating hydrogen. Depolarization of the electrolyzer cathode lowers the system voltage by providing the cathode with a substrate that can be advantageously reduced. During this type of operation, controls are required to ensure that the hydrogen and oxygen levels within the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 remain below their explosive limits.

[0044] As disclosed above, the amount of hydrogen produced for acid synthesis can be adjusted based on the amount of chlorine produced by the chlor-alkali electrolyzer using the aforementioned operating mode. If the amount of hydrogen produced in the CO electrolyzer 301 exceeds the amount required to produce the HCl equivalent needed to supply the acidification module, the hydrogen can be stored for alternative uses or fed to the chlor-alkali reactor to assist in the production of additional chlorine.

[0045] In another example, the above method is modified so that the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 is not depolarized with oxygen but instead generates hydrogen. In this embodiment, hydrogen from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 is supplied together with chlorine to the HCl combustion chamber to generate the HCl required for the alkali metal carboxylates produced by the protonated CO electrolyzer 301. Alternatively, if the amount of acid equivalent required is low, such as in embodiments where, but not limited to, the CO electrolyzer 301 produces a small amount of metal carboxylates, the hydrogen can be supplied to the anode region of the CO electrolyzer 301 to reduce the overall process energy consumption of the CO electrolyzer 301.

[0046] Supplying hydrogen generated by chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 to the acid synthesis module serving the CO electrolyzer product stream or to the product stream itself provides an effective way to value the hydrogen generated by chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308. In many cases, separating the hydrogen generated by chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 is not economically feasible for chlor-alkali process operators due to the necessary downstream processing requirements for valuing the generated hydrogen. In some cases, hydrogen can be valued as a feedstock for other processes, such as, but not limited to, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, methanol, and hydrochloric acid synthesis. In other cases, hydrogen is burned to heat steam or generate heat, which is a relatively inefficient use of electrolyzed hydrogen. Integrating hydrogen from chlor-alkali electrolyzer 308 into the acid synthesis and acidification module is not immediately obvious because other electrolyzer types besides CO electrolyzer 301 typically do not produce alkaline product streams that require acidification to be effectively valued as commercial products.

[0047] The downstream subunit includes: a liquid / gas separation unit 302 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 303 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 304 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The alcohol removal system may use methods such as, but not limited to, distillation, adsorption, or solvent-based extraction to separate and recover alcohol products. The downstream subunit also includes a concentration and / or acidification subunit 305 downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert metal carboxylate products into carboxylic acids, while producing a salt solution in water. The acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate input is converted into a metal salt MX. Liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 306 and / or solvent-based extraction may be used to separate carboxylic acids from the aqueous salt solution.

[0048] In another instance, such as Figure 4The modified method described above transforms the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 408 into a diaphragm electrolyzer that produces an alkali metal hydroxide stream containing chloride and hypochlorite ions. In this type of embodiment, undesirable anions (such as, but not limited to, chloride and hypochlorite ions) are removed from the chlor-alkali liquid product stream to condition the electrolyte for use in the CO electrolyzer 401. These ions must be separated from the hydroxides using methods such as, but not limited to, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, precipitation, chemical precipitation using barium salts, electrodialysis, diffusion dialysis, salt removal using liquid ammonia, and ion adsorption before being supplied to the CO electrolyzer 401 to remove chloride ions from the liquid stream. The intrusion of anions (such as chloride ions) into the CO electrolyzer 401 is undesirable because components of the CO electrolyzer 401 may become scaled due to the presence of chloride ions. For example, stainless steel, nickel, and iridium-based components (such as valves, pumps, compressors, fittings, heaters, thermocouples, bipolar plates, stacked housings, and electrode supports) and electrodes may corrode over time when exposed to chloride ions, limiting the effective lifespan of the electrolyzer system.

[0049] The downstream subunit includes: a liquid / gas separation unit 402 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 403 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 404 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The alcohol removal system may use methods such as, but not limited to, distillation, adsorption, or solvent-based extraction to separate and recover alcohol products. The downstream subunit also includes a concentration and / or acidification subunit 405 downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert the metal carboxylate product into a carboxylic acid, while producing a salt solution in water. The acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate input is converted into a metal salt MX. Liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 406 and / or solvent-based extraction may be used to separate the carboxylic acid from the aqueous salt solution. Further, HCl synthesis is carried out in an HCl synthesis reactor 407. Downstream of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer, chloride ion removal is performed by a chloride ion removal unit 409.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 5 The modified method described above avoids direct acidification to recover carboxylic acids from the CO electrolyzer 501 effluent, minimizing the amount of acid and base equivalents used in the process chain. The carboxylic acid or carboxylate recovery process can be replaced by another method to separate alkali metal carboxylates and alkali metal hydroxides, such as, but not limited to, precipitation, solvent-based extraction, electrodialysis, and others. Therefore, in any embodiment disclosed herein in which hydrochloric acid is produced in the system, the hydrochloric acid does not necessarily need to be consumed to aid in the formation of carboxylic acids and / or recycled metal salts, and can be used for other purposes.

[0051] In another example, the above method is modified to include a reactive extraction process to maximize the recovery of carboxylates from the output of CO electrolyzer 501 (before the feed stream is acidified) and minimize the amount of acidified basic equivalents. Examples include, but are not limited to, esterification and the use of carboxylates as nucleophiles for electrophilic pairings in the organic phase.

[0052] In another example, the above method is modified to include mixing hydrogen peroxide and alkali metal oxides (such as, but not limited to, Na2O and K2O) generated in the chlor-alkali electrolyzer with water and supplying them to the anode region of the CO electrolyzer 501, thereby reducing the voltage of the entire process.

[0053] In another example, the method described above is modified such that the alkali metal hydroxide is incompletely converted to alkali metal carboxylates within the CO electrolyzer 501, resulting in an electrolyte stream partially composed of alkali metal hydroxide. This stream enters the downstream acidification module, leading to waste because the hydroxide reacts with acid. To supply sufficient alkali metal hydroxide to the electrolyzer for efficient operation, it must be supplied externally. Downstream subunits include: a liquid / gas separation unit 502 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 503 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 504 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The alcohol removal system may use methods such as, but not limited to, distillation, adsorption, or solvent-based extraction to separate and recover alcohol products. Downstream subunits also include a reactive extraction carboxylate subunit 505 downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert the metal carboxylate product to a carboxylic acid, simultaneously producing an alkaline solution in water.

[0054] The downstream subunits include: a liquid / gas separation unit 502 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 503 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 504 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The downstream subunits also include a metal carboxylate and metal hydroxide separation and reactive extraction carboxylate subunit 505 (such as a carboxylate to carboxylic acid conversion unit) downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert the metal carboxylate product into carboxylic acid, MOH in water, and water. MOH and water are then passed to the CO electrolyzer 501.

[0055] In another instance, such as Figure 6The modified method described above eliminates the need for upstream purification processes to remove divalent ions from the brine feed of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 608 by using purified brine from the CO electrolyzer. This specific integration results in energy savings because the necessity of removing divalent ions from the brine stream (before it enters the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 608) imposes a loss in energy demand and system productivity, as the consumption of the equivalent of acid (to regenerate the ion exchange or chelation column 611) and / or base (to precipitate polyvalent cations) is required. As a non-limiting example, the removal of Mg from the chlor-alkali brine feed... 2+ Make Mg 2+ A concentration at the ppm level may be necessary. In many cases, Mg 2+ By precipitating it into a solid (such as, but not limited to, via it and electrogenerated OH) – The reaction removes Mg(OH)2, which means that for every equivalent of Mg present in the brine feed... 2+ Two equivalents of the desired alkali metal hydroxide product are consumed in the electrolyzer. The precipitation and filtration subunit 612 transfers the salt to the ion exchange or chelation column 611.

[0056] In another instance, such as Figure 7 The modified method described above integrates the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 708 and CO electrolyzer 701 with the vinyl chloride production system, which produces fewer emissions compared to a purely fossil fuel-based system. In this type of process, ethylene and chlorine are supplied to the ethylene chlorination subunit by the CO electrolyzer 701 and chlor-alkali electrolyzer 708, respectively. The CO electrolyzer product stream, containing ethylene and / or oxygen, is supplied to the ethylene chlorination and chlor-alkali electrolyzers, respectively. Integrating the CO electrolyzer 701 into the vinyl chloride production system is advantageous because the high purity of the ethylene produced by the CO electrolyzer 701 eliminates the need for purification systems required to regulate the feedstock of the vinyl chloride production plant, which typically requires the separation of compounds such as propylene and propane to minimize the formation of chloropropane and chloropropylene, which are challenging to separate from dichloroethane intermediates. Furthermore, integrating the CO electrolyzer 701 into the vinyl chloride production system is advantageous because it provides a mechanism to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions from the vinyl chloride process resulting from reforming, combustion, and / or partial oxidation of ethylene during dichloroethane synthesis. Another benefit of integrating the vinyl chloride synthesis process chain with the CO electrolyzer 701 is the opportunity to value the HCl byproduct generated from the conversion of dichloroethane to vinyl chloride. This byproduct is typically treated as waste, but can be advantageously used by the chlor-alkali process for brine pretreatment or by the CO electrolyzer 701 process chain for product acidification.

[0057] The downstream subunit includes: a liquid / gas separation unit 702 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 703 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 704 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. The downstream subunit also includes a concentration and acidification subunit 705 downstream of the alcohol removal subunit to convert metal carboxylate products into carboxylic acids, specifically MOH in water. The acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate input is converted into a metal salt MX. Liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 706 and / or solvent-based extraction can be used to separate carboxylic acids from aqueous salt solutions. Ethyl chloride from the ethylene chloride subunit 707 is passed to the EDC or vinyl chloride subunit 709. Vinyl chloride is obtained from the vinyl chloride and HCl separation unit 710.

[0058] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 8 The modified method shown reduces the energy requirements of the ethylene oxychlorination process by using oxygen from CO electrolyzer 801. In such processes, oxygen and ethylene from CO electrolyzer 801, along with HCl from another source, are supplied to the ethylene oxychlorination sub-unit 807. In the illustrated case, the other source of HCl may be generated by combining hydrogen and chlorine in an HCl synthesis reactor, where the chlorine originates from chlor-alkali electrolyzer 808, and the hydrogen originates from either chlor-alkali electrolyzer 808 (as illustrated) or from a CO electrolyzer. By using oxygen instead of air as a feedstock, the efficiency of the ethylene oxychlorination sub-unit 807 is improved. Using oxygen instead of air also improves the ethylene utilization rate in the dichloroethane synthesis process. Operators of ethylene oxychlorination plants incur energy, capital, and operating costs by purifying oxygen from air using methods such as, but not limited to, membrane-based separation processes, pressure swing adsorption processes, and cryogenic separation. Obtaining oxygen from a CO electrolyzer is advantageous because it is of high purity and provides a pathway to value the oxygen produced by the CO electrolyzer, creating a synergistic effect between the two processes. The HCl supplied for the ethylene oxychlorination process can be obtained from multiple sources elsewhere in the process chain, such as, but not limited to, HCl byproducts from vinyl chloride synthesis, HCl combustion from a combination of H2 and Cl2, and / or downstream chemical processes that produce excess HCl (such as, but not limited to, the incineration of polyvinyl chloride or the production of dichloromethane and other organochlorine compounds).

[0059] Downstream subunits include: a liquid / gas separation unit 802 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 803 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 804 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. Downstream of the alcohol removal subunit, a concentration and acidification unit 805 converts carboxylate products into carboxylic acids. An acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate input is converted into a metal salt MX, such as MCL. Carboxylic acids can be separated from aqueous salt solutions using liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 806 and / or solvent-based extraction. MOH from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 808 is passed to the CO electrolyzer 801. Further, an EDC to vinyl chloride subunit 809 converts dichloroethane into vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride and HCl are obtained from a vinyl chloride and HCl separation unit 810. HCl synthesis takes place in HCl synthesis subunit 811, and the generated HCl is transferred to ethylene oxychlorination subunit 807.

[0060] Figure 9 The system described above is modified to implement a gas separation and purification system downstream of the ethylene oxychlorination process, harvesting CO and CO2 generated in the ethylene oxychlorination unit 907 for use in the CO electrolyzer 901 and for upgrading to CO, respectively. In this embodiment, the greenhouse gas emission intensity of the entire process can be mitigated by converting carbon oxides emitted from the ethylene oxychlorination unit into ethylene and other value-added chemicals. CO2 can be valued via thermochemical, electrochemical, or plasma-based processes such as, but not limited to, solid oxide electrolysis, RWGS, direct CO2 hydrogenation, or cryogenic CO2 electrolysis. The reduction equivalent required to convert CO2 to CO can be obtained from other parts of the process chain, such as, but not limited to, hydrogen generated in the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 908 and CO electrolyzer 901, or a separate water electrolyzer. Before being supplied to the CO electrolyzer 901, CO2 and other impurity gases (such as, but not limited to, HCl and Cl2) are separated and conditioned from the effluent gas stream for efficient operation of the CO electrolyzer 901.

[0061] Downstream subunits include: a liquid / gas separation unit 902 for recovering gaseous products from the output stream leaving the electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 903 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit; and an alcohol removal system 904 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. Downstream of the alcohol removal subunit, a concentration and acidification unit 905 converts metal carboxylate products into carboxylic acids. An acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate of the acidified input is converted into a metal salt MX, such as MCL. Carboxylic acids can be separated from aqueous salt solutions using liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 906 and / or solvent-based extraction. MOH from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 908 is passed to the CO electrolyzer 901. Further, an EDC or vinyl chloride subunit 909 converts dichloroethane into vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is obtained from the vinyl chloride and HCl separation unit 910. HCl synthesis takes place in the HCl synthesis subunit 911, and the resulting HCl is passed to the ethylene oxychlorination unit 907. The CO generated by the CO electrolyzer 901 is passed to the gas separation unit 912 to produce CO2. Further, the CO2 is converted into CO in the CO2 to CO upgrading unit 913.

[0062] In specific embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 10 As shown, the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 1008 and CO electrolyzer 1001 are integrated into a broader process that includes a vinyl acetate synthesis and separation system 1007, which reduces the greenhouse gas emission footprint of the vinyl acetate process chain. Industrially, vinyl acetate is produced via reaction 1 through the reaction of ethylene, acetic acid, and oxygen (all products of CO electrolyzer 1001) at elevated temperatures. Byproducts of the vinyl acetate process, derived from hydrocarbon reforming with byproduct water and partial combustion of ethylene and acetic acid inputs, include CO and CO2 (via reactions 2-6). Direct emissions of CO and CO2 from the vinyl acetate process chain represent a burden for process operators, but the integration of the CO2-to-CO upgrading unit 1013 and CO electrolyzer 1001 provides a mechanism for operators to mitigate the costs of managing direct emissions from vinyl acetate synthesis.

[0063]

[0064] In addition to reducing the greenhouse gas emission intensity of vinyl acetate synthesis, integrating the CO electrolyzer 1001 into the process chain is advantageous for vinyl acetate synthesis operators because it provides a source of pure ethylene, acetic acid, and oxygen, reducing the purification costs required to supply the vinyl acetate synthesis system. For example, oxygen typically must be obtained from the air using energy- and cost-intensive separation methods, adding to the cost of vinyl acetate production. The CO electrolyzer benefits from integration with the vinyl acetate process chain because it provides a pathway to value the oxygen products of the CO electrolyzer 1001, provides a source of concentrated CO2 to supply CO2 to the CO upgrading unit to generate the required CO feedstock, and provides a pathway for the disposal of alkali metal carboxylates produced by the CO electrolyzer 1001, reducing the acidification requirements of the CO electrolyzer system. Specifically, the vinyl acetate synthesis process requires a continuous supply of alkali metal carboxylates as reaction promoters. This is advantageous for the CO electrolyzer process chain because the need to acidify the alkali metal carboxylates produced by the CO electrolyzer represents a cost in the form of added acid and the alkali metal hydroxides neutralized by the added acid. In specific embodiments of the invention, electrodialysis or other methods can be used to remove carboxylates from the output stream without acidifying it. However, acidification is advantageous in some cases. Downstream subunits include: a vinyl acetate synthesis and separation system 1007 for recovering vinyl acetate from the output stream leaving the CO electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 1003 located downstream of a gas / liquid separation unit 1002; and an alcohol removal system 1004 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. Downstream of the alcohol removal subunit, concentration and acidification 1005 converts the metal carboxylate product into a carboxylic acid. An acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate from the acidified input is converted into a metal salt MX, such as MCl. Liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 1006 and / or solvent-based extraction can be used to separate carboxylic acids from aqueous salt solutions. MOH from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 1008 is passed to the CO electrolyzer 1001. The CO generated by the CO electrolyzer 901 is passed to the gas separation unit 1012 to produce CO2. The chlor-alkali electrolyzer 1008 produces hydrogen and chlorine. The resulting hydrogen and chlorine are passed to the HCl synthesis subunit 1011 to produce HCl.

[0065] In specific embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 11The modified method described above integrates the ethylene oxide production system with the combination of chlor-alkali electrolyzer 1108 and CO electrolyzer 1101, as well as the CO2 to CO upgrading system 1113, to reduce the emission footprint of the ethylene oxide production process. Ethylene oxide is produced by oxidizing ethylene with oxygen via reaction 7 using a silver-based catalyst on a support at elevated temperatures. Byproducts of this reaction include the oxidation of ethylene to CO and CO2, in addition to the reforming reactions with water as a byproduct, as described in reactions 2-6 above.

[0066]

[0067] In addition to reducing the greenhouse gas emission intensity of ethylene oxide synthesis, integrating a CO electrolyzer 1101 into the ethylene oxide production system is advantageous because CO electrolysis provides a high-purity source of both ethylene and oxygen. The CO electrolyzer 1101 benefits from integration with the ethylene oxide process chain because it provides a pathway to value the oxygen products of the CO electrolyzer 1101 and provides a source of concentrated CO2 to supply the CO upgrading unit to generate the required CO feedstock.

[0068] In the specific embodiments detailed herein, the extent to which oxygen is absorbed from the CO electrolyzer 1101 through any particular process subunit can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of oxygen from the CO electrolyzer 1101 to the individual process subunit, depending on where the maximum process benefit is obtained by supplying oxygen. In some embodiments, the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 1108 can operate without oxygen depolarization of the cathode, and oxygen from the CO electrolyzer 1101 is diverted to the vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, and / or ethylene oxide process chains.

[0069] When the CO electrolyzer operates with a highly alkaline electrolyte (especially at the anode), the energy required to power the electrochemical processes occurring at the cathode and anode of the CO electrolyzer 1101 is minimized. Operating at a high pH also allows for the use of highly efficient and abundant metal catalysts in the water oxidation reaction at the anode of the CO electrolyzer 1101. However, under steady-state conditions, CO2 upstream of the CO electrolyzer 1101 reacts with the alkaline equivalent in the electrolyzer (see reaction equations 8-11 below), consuming the alkaline equivalent and lowering the operating pH of the electrolyzer due to the formation of bicarbonate and carbonate species. This results in a significant increase in the energy required to power the electrolysis process, and the formation of these anionic species and their salts leads to a decrease in electrolyzer performance and operational stability. Downstream subunits include: an ethylene oxide synthesis and separation unit 1107 for recovering vinyl acetate from the output stream leaving the CO electrolyzer; a gas separation unit 1103 located downstream of the gas / liquid separation unit 1102; and an alcohol removal system 1104 located downstream of the liquid / gas separation subunit for recovering alcohol products from the CO electrolyzer. Downstream of the alcohol removal subunit, a concentration and acidification unit 1105 converts metal carboxylate products into carboxylic acids. The acidification subunit takes an acid HX (such as hydrochloric acid HCl) as input, through which the carboxylate of the acidified input is converted into a metal salt MX, such as MCL. Carboxylic acids can be separated from aqueous salt solutions using liquid product separation methods such as, but not limited to, distillation 1106 and / or solvent-based extraction. MOH from the chlor-alkali electrolyzer 1108 is passed to the CO electrolyzer 1101. A gas separation unit 1112 downstream of the ethylene oxide synthesis and separation unit 1107 separates CO and CO2. Furthermore, the generated CO2 is used by the CO2 to CO upgrading system 1113 to produce CO.

[0070]

[0071] The lower the electrolyte pH, the higher the energy required at the anode of the CO electrolyzer. This is because non-noble metal anode materials (such as, but not limited to, Ni, Co, Mn, Ti) and even anode materials made of noble metals (such as Ir, Ru, Pt, and Fe, or their alloys with high activity, selectivity, and stability) require a higher driving force to achieve the same current at low pH compared to high pH. At high electrolyte pH, the cathode overpotential is also lower because the thermodynamic potential for CO reduction becomes more negative as pH increases. A lower electrolyte pH can also increase the proportion of current that generates hydrogen at the cathode, rather than reducing CO to more valuable products, and alter the distribution of CO reduction products.

[0072] CO electrolyzers according to embodiments disclosed herein can have various architectures for converting CO into valuable chemicals. The electrolyzer may include an anode region and a cathode region. CO may be supplied to the anode region. Useful chemicals may be generated in the cathode region, in the anode region, or in a partition region located between the cathode and anode regions of the electrolyzer. The electrolyzer may be a single-plane electrolyzer. The electrolyzer may be a stack of electrolytic cells. The electrolytic cells in the stack may utilize bipolar plates. The bipolar plates may be energized to initiate a reaction within the reactor. The electrolyzer may also be a pressure filter electrolyzer or a tubular electrolyzer.

[0073] In specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, the CO electrolyzer comprises a cathode region and an anode region, wherein CO reduction takes place in the cathode region according to reaction formula 12 below, and the oxidation reaction takes place in the anode region on an oxidizing substrate or an oxidizing substrate / catalyst combination based on an element abundant on Earth, a precious element, or a combination of both. The oxidizing substrate can be water, hydrogen, halides, organic waste, or any other oxidizing substrate. For example, the oxidation reaction may involve water oxidation or hydrogen oxidation according to reactions formulas 13 and 14 below, respectively.

[0074]

[0075] Both CO and the oxidizing substrate can be mixed with added chemicals to alter the characteristics of the reactor and the chemicals produced by the electrolyzer. CO electrolysis can be carried out in a variety of electrolyzers, including but not limited to flow-cell electrolyzers and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzers. In a flow-cell electrolyzer, the reactant CO and the electrolyte (water and dissolved salts, including but not limited to potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, cesium hydroxide, and lithium hydroxide) are decoupled through a gas diffusion electrode, thereby overcoming CO mass transport limitations and achieving industrially relevant productivity at the cathode. In a flow-cell electrolyzer, the anodic reaction is an oxidation reaction, including but not limited to water oxidation, hydrogen oxidation, chlorination, halide oxidation, hydrocarbon oxidation, and waste organic oxidation. In a flow-cell electrolyzer, the electrolyte is fed into the electrolyzer through the anode and cathode compartments, or only through the anode compartment, or only through the cathode compartment. The anodic reaction can be carried out on carbon (such as, but not limited to, carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt) or metal-based substrates / catalysts (including but not limited to Ir, Ni, Pt, Fe, Ti, Ru, Co). In a zero-gap membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer, water vapor (in pure form or with dissolved salts, including but not limited to potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, cesium hydroxide) and reactant CO can be fed into the cathode inlet, while the oxidizing substrate / catalyst, such as water or hydrogen, can optionally be provided with other species, such as dissolved salts, to another connection coupled to the anode input of the electrolyzer.

[0076] The chemicals produced by the electrolyzer can vary in different embodiments of the invention. Separating elements can be used to separate the chemicals, such as traps for liquid chemicals on the anode or cathode output of the electrolyzer, or a separating region between the cathode and anode regions having its own output from the electrolyzer. The produced chemicals can be removed from the electrolyzer in solid or gaseous form and can be removed from the cathode or anode output stream on the cathode or anode output of the electrolyzer, or removed from a separate output using a separating layer / compartment. Examples of such separating layers are provided below. A single electrolyzer can produce chemicals in gaseous, liquid, or both forms. Thus, the volume of chemicals produced can include at least one of the following: a volume of hydrocarbons, a volume of organic acids, a volume of alcohols, a volume of olefins, and a volume of nitrogen-rich organic compounds, wherein the chemicals are in gaseous, liquid, or both forms. For example, the volume of chemicals produced can include a volume of gaseous hydrocarbons and a volume of liquid alcohols. As another example, the volume of chemicals produced can include a volume of gaseous hydrocarbons and a volume of organic acids. As another example, the generated chemicals may include a volume of gaseous hydrocarbons and a volume of alkali metal carboxylates. In one specific embodiment, the primary target products are ethylene (in the gaseous product stream) and acetate / acetate (in the liquid product stream). In another embodiment, the primary target products are ethylene (in the gaseous product stream) and ethanol (in the liquid product stream). In yet another embodiment, the primary target products are n-propanol and ethanol (in the liquid product stream). In other embodiments, the oxidation reaction used at the anode is an oxidation reaction of hydrogen, and this hydrogen can be supplied by a hydrogen generation system such as, but not limited to, a chlor-alkali electrolyzer.

[0077] In a specific embodiment of the invention, a chlor-alkali electrolyzer is used to replenish the hydroxides lost in the CO electrolyzer due to processes including, but not limited to, dialysis or acetate formation. The chlor-alkali process is a well-established technology for the large-scale production of hydroxide salts and chlorine. The chlor-alkali electrolyzer includes a cathode that performs water reduction to produce hydrogen and hydroxides. In some embodiments, oxygen is supplied to the cathode, causing a combination of water reduction and oxygen reduction. This lowers the cathode potential by reducing the total current toward water reduction, which requires a high cathode overpotential. The cathode that performs both water reduction and oxygen reduction is called the oxygen depolarization cathode. A caustic alkali solution is supplied to the cathode, becoming more concentrated (10–35 wt% caustic alkali) as it passes through the cathode where hydroxides are generated. The anode of the chlor-alkali electrolyzer is supplied with a pretreated brine solution, and chloride oxidation occurs at this electrode. The anodic reaction typically occurs at a pH of about 2–4. Undesirable water oxidation can also occur at the anode, but because water oxidation is a pH-dependent reaction while chlorination is pH-independent, chlorination is advantageous at lower pH levels.

[0078]

[0079] The cathode is made of materials including, but not limited to, carbon steel, stainless steel, and nickel. The cathode may be coated with nickel-zinc, nickel-aluminum, Raney nickel, nickel-sulfur, platinum-, cobalt-, or ruthenium-containing coatings, or other coatings, to reduce cathode overpotential. The anode substrate is made of, but not limited to, graphite or titanium. In some embodiments, the titanium anode is coated with metal oxides, such as, but not limited to, Ru and Ir, to reduce overpotential and improve anode lifetime. For oxygen depolarization cathodes, the cathode substrate must be hydrophobic to facilitate the transport of gaseous oxygen to the surface of the cathode catalyst. The gas diffusion electrode can be homemade as described above, or derived from one of the substrates listed below: Sigracet 39AA, Sigracet 39BC, Sigracet 39BB, Sigracet 39BA, Sigracet 36AA, Sigracet 36BB, Sigracet 35BC, Sigracet 35BA, Sigracet 29BA, Sigracet 28BB, Sigracet 28AA, Sigracet 28BC, Sigracet 25BC, Sigracet 22BB, Sigracet 35BI, Toraypapers, Toray THP-H-030, Toray TGP-H-060, Toray TGP-H-090, Toray TGP-H-120, Freudenberg H23C6, Freudenberg H15C13, Freudenberg H15C14, Freudenberg Avcarb MB-30, Avcarb GDS5130, Avcarb GDS2130, AvcarbGDS3250, Avcarb GDS3260, Avcarb GDS2230, Avcarb GDS2240, Avcarb GDS2255, AvcarbGDS2185, AvCar 1071, AvCarb 1698、AvCarbon1209、AvCarb 1185, AvCarb1186, AvCarb7497, AvCarb T1819, AvCarb T1820, AvCarb T1824, AvCarbon 1071, AvCarb1698, AvCarb1209, AvCarb 1185, AvCarb 1186, AvCarb 1186, AvCarb T1819, AvCarb T1820, AvCarbT1824, AvCarb EP40, AvCarb P75, AvCarb EP55, AvCarbon EP40T, AvCarb P75T, AvCarbEP55T, AvCarb MGL190, AvCarb MGL280, AvCarbMGL370.

[0080] In conventional chlor-alkali systems, the incoming brine solution must undergo thorough pretreatment to remove polyvalent cations before being supplied to the chlor-alkali anode. Cationic impurities can precipitate as salts in membranes, separators, cathodes, or anodes, which is detrimental to electrolyzer voltage, current efficiency, and electrolyzer lifespan. Furthermore, divalent cations can cause membrane fouling. Cationic impurities that must be removed for adequate electrolyzer performance include, but are not limited to, Ca2+. 2+ Mg 2+ Ba 2+ Fe 3+ Al 3+ And heavy metals. Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ The concentration of chlorine should be at a maximum of 20 ppb, while other cationic impurities are typically purified to 0.1–4 ppm for membrane chlor-alkali electrolyzers. The impurity concentration in the brine feed for diaphragm chlor-alkali electrolyzers can be higher because the diaphragm does not scale during electrolysis. Impurities such as sulfates, chlorates, and silica must also be removed. Impurities are removed from the brine solution using methods including, but not limited to, chemical precipitation, clarification, ion exchange purification, submicron filtration, nanofiltration, barium salt precipitation, ion exchange columns, acidification, and purging. After impurity removal, in some embodiments, hydrochloric acid is added to the brine to lower its pH to 2–4 to minimize chlorate formation during electrolysis and maximize anodic selectivity for chlorine generation. In typical chlor-alkali processes, a continuous supply of purified brine must be supplied to the electrolysis. In some embodiments of the invention, integrating the chlor-alkali system with a CO electrolyzer results in a situation where expensive brine purification only needs to be performed once, because M + It is preserved during the process. Any consumed Cl - It can be added to the saline solution in the form of HCl.

[0081] In some embodiments, the brine concentration must be purified so that Ca 2+ and Mg 2+The concentration is below 20 ppb. To achieve this concentration from standard brine sources (such as, but not limited to, rock salt, vacuum salt, sea salt, well brine, or salt from waste incinerators), an ion exchange column can be used. More specifically, once the salt is dissolved in water and initially purified using precipitation, clarification, submicron filtration, and nanofiltration, it can be passed through an ion exchange system consisting of several resin beds running in series. When the first ion exchange resin bed (initially in protonated form) is depleted, the solution is passed through a second ion exchange resin bed. As the solution passes through the second ion exchange resin bed, the first exchanger is regenerated by treating it with an acid (such as, but not limited to, hydrochloric acid). The solution can be passed between ion exchangers until the concentration of cationic impurities is below the threshold required by the process.

[0082] The anode and cathode of a chlor-alkali electrolyzer can be separated by a membrane or a diaphragm. The diaphragm can be made of materials such as, but not limited to, asbestos, zirconium oxide, poly(tetrafluoroethylene), polyethylene, polypropylene, and carbon fiber. In some embodiments, the separator is a cation exchange membrane designed to facilitate the transport of M... + At the same time, minimize the transmission of OH - Furthermore, the membrane is durable under electrolytic conditions, exhibiting low ion transport resistance and is mechanically robust. The membrane's selective permeability is determined by sulfonate functionality (its preferential transport M... + The cation exchange membranes used in chlor-alkali electrolyzers are controlled by M. Commercially available cation exchange membranes typically used in chlor-alkali electrolyzers include, but are not limited to, Aciplex, Flemion, Nafion, and Aquivion membranes. In some embodiments, the membrane is reinforced with dispersed microfibers, PTFE, and fabrics. The membrane may also be coated with non-conductive oxide, hydroxide, or carbide materials to improve the membrane's hydrophilicity and thus reduce the electrolyzer voltage. In chlor-alkali electrolyzers, approximately 95% of the transferred charge is controlled by M. + Carrier, while the rest are composed of OH - To carry.

[0083] Several electrolyzer designs have been used in commercial chlor-alkali electrolyzers. In some embodiments, the CO electrolyzer is integrated with a membrane chlor-alkali electrolyzer, and its electrolyzer design includes, but is not limited to, unipolar stacks, bipolar stacks, pressure filter stacks, unit cell concepts, zero-gap electrolyzer configurations, the use of pressed electrodes in zero-gap configurations, and the use of retractable cathodes and anodes. In other embodiments, the CO electrolyzer is integrated with a diaphragm chlor-alkali electrolyzer, and its electrolyzer design includes, but is not limited to, rectangular vertical electrode electrolyzers, cylindrical vertical electrode electrolyzers, Glanor electrolyzers, Dow electrolyzers, OxyTech “Hooker” electrolyzers, HU unipolar electrolyzers, and OxyTech MDC electrolyzers. The material in the anode chamber is composed of materials including, but not limited to, pure titanium and titanium alloys. The material in the cathode chamber is composed of materials including, but not limited to, stainless steel, nickel, and titanium.

[0084] The concentrated caustic alkali leaving the cathode of a chlor-alkali electrolyzer has a low chloride ion concentration and is used in most commercial applications or supplied to CO electrolyzers. The caustic alkali product from a diaphragm chlor-alkali electrolyzer may contain 0.5–2 wt% MCl and, in some embodiments, must be further purified. In a membrane chlor-alkali electrolyzer, chloride ion diffusion from the anode chamber to the cathode chamber is restricted, resulting in chloride ion concentrations as low as 20 ppm. To remove chloride ions from the caustic alkali product of a diaphragm electrolyzer, a liquid containing MOH and MCl can be concentrated in an evaporator until the solution contains approximately 50% MOH, followed by stepwise crystallization to remove MCl. To further purify the caustic alkali, liquid ammonia can be added to absorb salts, chlorates, and other impurities. The liquid ammonia must then be stripped from the caustic alkali solution. Removal of chloride ions from membrane or diaphragm processes can also be achieved through processes including, but not limited to, ion exchange purification, nanofiltration, precipitation using barium salts, chemical precipitation, ion exchange columns, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, and diffusion dialysis.

[0085] The dichloroethane and vinyl chloride process units downstream of the CO electrolyzer operate as described below. In short, dichloroethane is produced by the reaction of ethylene with chlorine and / or hydrochloric acid and oxygen. In the direct reaction of ethylene with chlorine, a Lewis acid such as ferric chloride (III) is used as a catalyst in the liquid phase according to reaction formula 19. In some cases, oxygen is added to the reaction mixture.

[0086]

[0087] The oxychlorination of ethylene to form dichloroethane involves the use of Cu(II) as a catalyst, reacting ethylene with hydrogen chloride and oxygen at temperatures ranging from 100°C to 400°C, according to reaction formula 20. Other catalysts and additives (such as, but not limited to, those containing alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and metal compounds) may also be used in the reactor to improve efficiency. Supports such as, but not limited to, alumina, carbon, silica, and other high-surface-area porous materials can be used to improve reaction efficiency. System pressure can vary between 1 bar and 20 bar. Side reactions of ethylene oxychlorination include the combustion of ethylene and / or steam reforming to form CO or CO2 (reaction formulas 20-24).

[0088]

[0089] Downstream of the chlorination unit, separators using techniques such as, but not limited to, membrane-based adsorption, pressure swing temperature adsorption, and distillation are used to purify the dichloroethane product. In the direct chlorination process, unreacted ethylene is condensed and recycled back to the reactor. Dichloroethane is collected in the condenser.

[0090] Following the production of dichloroethane, vinyl chloride and hydrochloric acid can be simultaneously produced via the thermal cracking of dichloroethane (the process is outlined in reaction formula 25). The reaction typically proceeds in the gas phase, and in some cases, a catalyst may be used. The catalysts used may include, but are not limited to, ammonium salts, carbon, silicates, alumina compounds, salts, zeolites, and other ceramics. The reaction temperature can vary between 300°C and 700°C, while the reactor pressure can vary between 1 bar and 50 bar.

[0091]

[0092] Downstream of the vinyl chloride cracking unit, cooling and separation units can be used to obtain purified products. One or more separation techniques and combinations of units, such as, but not limited to, distillation, filtration, and adsorption furnace products, can be used to remove impurities (such as, but not limited to, hydrocarbons, such as ethylene, acetylene, benzene, vinylacetylene, and chlorinated organic compounds). Filters can be used to remove carbonaceous deposits formed by side reactions.

[0093] The separation steps and processes described above can take various forms. The separation system can perform one or more of multiple separation / purification steps, including any technology applicable to the target purification / separation. The separation system may include separation units based on, but not limited to, the following: membrane technologies, including but not limited to dense polymer membranes, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes, transport-enhancing membranes, metal membranes, zeolite membranes, ceramic proton-conductive membranes, hollow fiber pervaporation membranes, and carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes; cryogenic technologies; adsorption technologies, including but not limited to those based on physical and chemical adsorption; absorption technologies, including physical and chemical absorption technologies; and operating technologies such as, but not limited to, vacuum pressure swing, temperature swing, pressure swing, dry pressure swing, pressure-temperature swing coupling, and electric swing. Chemical adsorbents that can be used include, but are not limited to, amine-based adsorbents (amine-grafted or impregnated solids), metal oxides, metal salts, double salts, and hydrotalcite. Physical adsorbents that can be used include, but are not limited to, materials such as carbon-based materials (e.g., activated carbon or carbon molecular sieves), mesoporous silica, activated alumina, zeolite, zeolite imidazole ester framework (ZIF), metal-organic framework (MOF), covalent organic framework (COF) blend adsorbents, etc.

[0094] Change adsorption (COA) technology is used to physically or chemically adsorb species in fluid pipelines for separation from other gases. COA is typically non-oxidizing for CO and hydrogen present in the gas stream. This type of technology uses an adsorbent selective for one or more molecules in the fluid pipeline and achieves separation through the following steps: a first step is the adsorption of one species while all other species pass through the adsorbent; and a second step is regeneration, where the adsorbed species is extracted from the adsorbent material using an increase in temperature and / or a decrease in pressure. Multiple COA separators (typically two to ten) can operate in parallel, allowing for continuous separation and minimizing specific power consumption. The adsorbent material can function through chemical or physical mechanisms. Chemical adsorbents that can be used include, but are not limited to, amine-based adsorbents (amine-grafted or impregnated solids), metal oxides, metal salts, double salts, and hydrotalcite. Physical adsorbents that can be used include, but are not limited to, materials such as activated carbon, carbon molecular sieves, mesoporous silica, zeolites, zeolite imidazole ester frameworks (ZIFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), or blended adsorbents. Depending on the properties of the adsorbent material, the number of different adsorbent layers, and the operating conditions, the modified adsorption process can be applied to, but is not limited to, CO2 removal, oxygen removal, carbon oxide / hydrogen separation, nitrogen removal, volatile organic chemical removal, methane / carbon oxide separation, gas drying, and a combination of the aforementioned applications.

[0095] Membrane separation technology uses extended surfaces containing polymeric species to move / confine specific species in a fluid pipeline. Membrane separation is typically non-oxidizing for CO and hydrogen present in the gas stream. Separators can contain several layers of membrane surfaces to achieve efficient separation. On a commercial scale, membranes can be arranged in hollow fiber modules, helical winding modules, and other modules. Separation is achieved through favorable chemical interactions between the membrane and the substances to be removed from the fluid pipeline or through pore sizes tailored to exclude larger molecules in the fluid. Different gas species either end on the permeate side, meaning they have passed through the membrane layers, resulting in a pressure drop, or on the residue side. The separation driving force can be a pressure gradient and / or a concentration gradient between the permeate and residue sides. These processes may require several separate compressor and membrane units to achieve complete purification of the fluid pipeline and to reach the maximum recovery rate of the desired species. Depending on the membrane material, number of membrane stages, and operating conditions, membranes can be applied to CO2 removal, oxygen removal, nitrogen removal, hydrogen / CO separation, olefin removal, gas drying, and mixing of the aforementioned applications.

[0096] Depending on the production process, the CO gas mixture to be purified and fed into the CO electrolyzer can be water-saturated at the flow pressure and temperature, or the relative humidity can be as high as 80%-100% at the pressure and temperature under consideration. To prevent water condensation in pipelines, gas compressors, and process units, water can be removed, either entirely or partially, until a defined temperature dew point is reached. Pipelines and process units can be insulated or thermally tracked (electrically or through sealed enclosures). Several processes can be used to remove water, such as, but not limited to: (1) heat exchangers using cold refrigerants to condense water; (2) physical absorption units using physical solvents, such as, but not limited to, methanol, ethylene glycol (e.g., monoethylene glycol (MEG), diethylene glycol (DEG), triethylene glycol (TEG), or tetraethylene glycol (TREG)); (3) membrane-based processes that are selective for water removal; and (4) adsorption filters using adsorbents, such as, but not limited to, activated alumina, zeolites (3A, 4A), and silica gel. Solution (1) is unable to lower the gas water dew point below 0-5°C. Solutions (2), (3) and (4) can lower the gas water dew point to between -10°C and -50°C, which means less than 10 ppm of water.

[0097] The CO-rich gas can be compressed upstream or downstream of the separation unit before being introduced into the electrolyzer. Compressor technologies that can be used include centrifugal or volumetric technologies. Volumetric technologies include, but are not limited to, membrane compressors, screw compressors, and reciprocating compressors. The technology choice depends on the gas flow rate and the required outlet pressure. It is known that the maximum compression ratio through the compressor is typically 3, therefore one to five compression stages may be required to achieve the desired pressure. Then, an interstage cooling step may be necessary.

[0098] Specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein provide a method for producing hydrochloric acid using products from two reactors (i.e., a CO electrolyzer and a chlor-alkali electrolyzer). The process includes the following steps: generating a certain volume of metal hydroxide and a certain volume of chlorine gas 1201 using a chlor-alkali reactor; generating a certain volume of hydrogen gas 1202 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; separating the hydrogen gas 1203 from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; and generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1204 using a hydrochloric acid reactor, the hydrogen gas 1203, and the chlorine gas 1204.

[0099] The specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein provide a method 1205 for acidifying the output stream of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer using a volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein (i) the output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate; and (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid.

[0100] In this process, the metal is recycled as follows: the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified with a volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains electrolyte 1206, wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide, and the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt; the volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor 1207; a volume of metal hydroxide 1208 is generated using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor; and the volume of metal hydroxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer for use as electrolyte 1209.

[0101] Furthermore, the production of the product is achieved through the following equilibrium: using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide to generate a certain volume of acetate 1210; monitoring the acetate production rate 1211; and changing the production of a certain volume of hydrochloric acid based on the acetate production rate 1212, wherein when the acetate production rate increases, the production rate of a certain volume of hydrochloric acid is increased, and when the acetate production rate decreases, the production rate of a certain volume of hydrochloric acid is decreased.

[0102] Specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein include a method comprising supplying a first portion of a volume of hydrogen gas to a chlor-alkali reactor 1213; wherein: (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of hydrogen gas; and (ii) a change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

[0103] The method further includes capturing a first portion 1214 of the volume of chlorine gas, such that (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of chlorine gas; and (ii) changing the rate of hydrochloric acid generation of the volume of chlorine gas includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

[0104] Methods for harvesting hydrogen include: using a liquid-gas separator to separate the volume of hydrogen from the output stream of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer into a gaseous output stream 1215; and using a gas separator to separate the volume of hydrogen from the gaseous output stream 1216.

[0105] Specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein provide a method for producing vinyl chloride by: separating a volume of ethylene 1217 from a gaseous output stream using a gas separator; generating a volume of dichloroethane 1218 using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the same volume of hydrochloric acid, and the same volume of ethylene; and generating a volume of vinyl chloride 1219 using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the same volume of dichloroethane. Sufficient hydrochloric acid is produced for the output stream of a CO electrolyzer to convert the carboxylate into an acid and for the production of dichloroethane. Further, a second volume of hydrochloric acid 1220 is separated from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; and the second volume of hydrochloric acid is used to acidify the output stream of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer 1221, such that (i) the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer contains a volume of carboxylate; and (ii) the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid. Sufficient hydrochloric acid is produced for the output stream of the CO electrolyzer to recycle metals and for the production of dichloroethane.

[0106] In other specific embodiments of the invention, a method includes: separating a second volume of hydrochloric acid 1220 from the output stream of a vinyl chloride reactor; acidifying the output stream 1221 of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer with the second volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt; supplying the volume of metal salt to a chlor-alkali reactor 1207; using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor to generate a volume of metal hydroxide 1208; and supplying the volume of metal hydroxide to a carbon monoxide electrolyzer for use as an electrolyte 1209.

[0107] In another embodiment of the invention, a process for preparing vinyl acetate is provided by: acidifying the output stream 1221 of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer with a volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein: (i) the output stream contains a volume of carboxylate; (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid; distilling a volume of acetic acid 1222 from the volume of carboxylic acid; and generating a volume of vinyl acetate 1223 using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, the volume of acetic acid, a volume of ethylene, and a volume of oxygen.

[0108] In another embodiment of the invention, a method for updating the electrolyte of a CO electrolyzer is provided, comprising: generating a volume of metal hydroxide 1301 using a metal salt and a chlor-alkali reactor; generating an output stream 1302 using a volume of carbon monoxide and a carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the metal hydroxide is the electrolyte of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; supplying the volume of metal hydroxide to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer for use as the electrolyte 1303 of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; acidifying the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the output stream contains the electrolyte 1304, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt; and supplying the volume of metal salt to the chlor-alkali reactor for generating a volume of chlorine gas 1305.

[0109] In another embodiment of the invention, the metal is recycled and the carboxylate is acidified, the output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate; and the acidification of the output stream converts that volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid 1304a.

[0110] In another embodiment of the invention, the metal is recycled, and a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1306 is generated by using a hydrochloric acid reactor and the volume of chlorine gas, and acid is generated using chlorine gas from chlor-alkali; wherein the acidification of the output stream is carried out using the volume of hydrochloric acid.

[0111] In another embodiment of the invention, the metal is recycled, and a certain volume of hydrogen gas 1307 is generated by using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide, and an acid is generated using a combination from the reactor; wherein the generation of hydrochloric acid using a hydrochloric acid reactor uses the volume of hydrogen gas.

[0112] In another embodiment of the invention, metal recycling and production balancing are achieved by: generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1306 using a hydrochloric acid reactor; generating a certain volume of acetate 1308 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the same volume of carbon monoxide; and changing the production rate 1309 of the volume of hydrochloric acid based on the production rate of the acetate, wherein the production rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid is increased when the acetate production rate increases, and decreased when the acetate production rate decreases.

[0113] In other embodiments of the invention, specific embodiments of the invention provide: using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide to generate a certain volume of hydrogen gas 1307; and supplying a first portion of the volume of hydrogen gas to a chlor-alkali reactor 1310, wherein: (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of hydrogen gas; and (ii) changing the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

[0114] Further, a specific embodiment of the present invention provides: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas 1311 using a chlor-alkali reactor; capturing a first portion 1312 of the chlorine gas volume; wherein: (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the chlorine gas volume; (ii) changing the generation rate of the hydrochloric acid volume includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

[0115] In another embodiment of the invention, vinyl chloride is produced by: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas 1311 using a chlor-alkali reactor; separating a certain volume of ethylene 1313 from the output stream; generating a certain volume of dichloroethane 1314 using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the chlorine gas, and the ethylene; and generating a certain volume of vinyl chloride 1315 using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the dichloroethane.

[0116] In one embodiment, a specific embodiment of the invention provides the use of a second volume of hydrochloric acid from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor to recycle metal 1316; and the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is thus achieved using the second volume of hydrochloric acid.

[0117] In other embodiments, the metal is recycled and vinyl acetate is produced by: generating a volume of oxygen 1317 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; separating a volume of ethylene 1313 from the output stream; and generating a volume of vinyl acetate 1322 using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, a volume of acetic acid, the volume of ethylene, and the volume of oxygen; wherein: (i) the output stream contains a volume of carboxylate; (ii) acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid; and (iii) distilling the volume of acetic acid from the volume of carboxylic acid.

[0118] Other specific embodiments of the present invention provide an acid production balance based on acetate production through the following: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas 1401 using a chlor-alkali reactor; generating a certain volume of acetate 1402 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide; generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1403 using a hydrochloric acid reactor; monitoring the acetate production rate 1404; and changing the hydrochloric acid production rate 1405 based on the acetate production rate, wherein when the acetate production rate increases, the hydrochloric acid production rate is increased, and when the acetate production rate decreases, the hydrochloric acid production rate is decreased.

[0119] Further, specific embodiments of the present invention provide: using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a volume of carbon monoxide to generate a certain volume of hydrogen gas 1406; and supplying a first portion of this volume of hydrogen gas to a chlor-alkali reactor 1407; wherein: (i) a certain volume of hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of this volume of hydrogen gas; (ii) changing the generation rate of this volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion. The first portion of this volume of chlorine gas 1408 is captured; wherein: (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of this volume of chlorine gas; (ii) changing the generation rate of this volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

[0120] In another embodiment of the invention, a method includes: using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide to generate a certain volume of hydrogen gas 1406; wherein a certain volume of hydrochloric acid is generated using the volume of hydrogen gas.

[0121] Furthermore, a method is provided comprising: separating a volume of acetate 1409 from an output stream of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte of the electrolyzer, and wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide; acidifying the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte 1410, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt; and supplying the volume of metal salt to a chlor-alkali reactor 1411.

[0122] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the invention, acetic acid 1412 is produced by acidifying the output stream of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer with the volume of hydrochloric acid; wherein (i) the output stream contains a certain volume of acetate; and (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of acetate into a certain volume of acetic acid.

[0123] Furthermore, vinyl chloride is produced by: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas 1401 using a chlor-alkali reactor; separating a certain volume of ethylene 1413 from the output stream; generating a certain volume of dichloroethane 1414 using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the same volume of chlorine gas, and the same volume of ethylene; and generating a certain volume of vinyl chloride 1415 using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the same volume of dichloroethane.

[0124] Furthermore, a method is provided comprising acidifying an output stream with a second volume by separating a second volume of hydrochloric acid 1416 from the output stream of a vinyl chloride reactor; and acidifying an output stream 1412 of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer using the second volume of hydrochloric acid; wherein: (i) the output stream contains a volume of acetate; and (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts that volume of acetate into a volume of acetic acid.

[0125] In other embodiments of the invention, vinyl acetate is produced by: acidifying the output stream 1412 of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer with a volume of hydrochloric acid; generating a volume of oxygen 1417 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; separating a volume of ethylene 1413 from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; and generating a volume of vinyl acetate 1418 using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, a volume of acetic acid, the volume of ethylene, and the volume of oxygen; wherein: (i) the output stream contains the volume of acetate; and (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of acetate into the volume of acetic acid.

[0126] In another embodiment of the invention, vinyl chloride is produced by: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas 1501 using a chlor-alkali reactor; generating a certain volume of ethylene 1502 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; generating a certain volume of dichloroethane 1503 using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the same volume of chlorine gas, and the same volume of ethylene; and generating a certain volume of vinyl chloride 1504 using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the same volume of dichloroethane.

[0127] In another embodiment of the invention, the method includes: generating a certain volume of oxygen 1505 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; generating a certain volume of hydrogen 1506 using a chlor-alkali electrolyzer; and generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1507 using a certain volume of chlorine and the same volume of hydrogen; wherein the generation of dichloroethane uses the same volume of chlorine in a manner that supplies the volume of hydrochloric acid to an ethylene chlorination reactor.

[0128] Furthermore, in another embodiment, the method includes: generating the volume of hydrogen 1506 using a chlor-alkali electrolyzer; and generating a volume of hydrochloric acid 1507 using a certain volume of chlorine and the same volume of hydrogen; wherein the generation of dichloroethane utilizes the volume of chlorine in a manner that supplies the volume of hydrochloric acid to the ethylene chlorination reactor.

[0129] Further, the method includes: separating a volume of vinyl chloride and a volume of hydrochloric acid 1508 from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; and acidifying the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer using the volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains a volume of carboxylate, and the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid.

[0130] In another embodiment of the invention, the method includes the following steps: separating a volume of vinyl chloride and a volume of hydrochloric acid 1508 from the output stream of a vinyl chloride reactor; acidifying the output stream of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt 1509; supplying the volume of metal salt to a chlor-alkali reactor 1510; using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor to generate a volume of metal hydroxide 1511; and supplying the volume of metal hydroxide to a carbon monoxide electrolyzer for use as an electrolyte 1512.

[0131] Another embodiment of the invention provides the use of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer to generate the volume of oxygen 1505; wherein the generation of dichloroethane uses this volume of oxygen. A certain volume of oxygen 1505 is generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; wherein both the generation of dichloroethane and the chlor-alkali reactor use this volume of oxygen.

[0132] Furthermore, the method of this embodiment of the invention includes: separating a volume of vinyl chloride and a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1508 from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; and supplying the volume of hydrochloric acid to the ethylene chlorination reactor 1513.

[0133] The method includes: generating a second volume of carbon monoxide 1514 using an ethylene chlorination reactor; and supplying the second volume of carbon monoxide to a carbon monoxide electrolyzer 1515. A certain volume of carbon dioxide 1516 is generated using the ethylene chlorination reactor, and this volume of carbon dioxide is converted into a second volume of carbon monoxide 1517; and the second volume of carbon monoxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer 1515.

[0134] In another embodiment of the invention, the invention provides a method for preparing vinyl acetate by: providing a volume of carbon monoxide 1601; using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide to generate a volume of ethylene and a volume of oxygen 1602; acidifying the output stream 1603 of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer with a volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains a volume of carboxylate, and the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid; distilling a volume of acetic acid 1604 from the volume of carboxylic acid; and using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, the volume of acetic acid, the volume of ethylene, and the volume of oxygen to generate a volume of vinyl acetate 1605.

[0135] In another embodiment of the invention, the invention provides a method for preparing hydrochloric acid by an integrated electrolyzer through the following steps: generating a certain volume of chlorine gas 1606 using a chlor-alkali reactor; generating a certain volume of hydrogen gas 1607 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the same volume of carbon monoxide; separating the same volume of hydrogen gas 1608 from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; and generating a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1609 using a hydrochloric acid reactor, the same volume of hydrogen gas, and the same volume of chlorine gas.

[0136] In other embodiments of the invention, production is balanced by: generating a certain volume of carboxylate 1610 using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide; monitoring the carboxylate production rate 1611; and changing the production rate of a certain volume of hydrochloric acid 1612 based on the production rate of a certain volume of acetate, wherein when the carboxylate production rate increases, the production rate of that volume of hydrochloric acid is increased, and when the carboxylate production rate decreases, the production rate of that volume of hydrochloric acid is decreased.

[0137] Further, the method includes the step of supplying a first portion of the volume of hydrogen to a chlor-alkali reactor; wherein: (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of hydrogen; and (ii) changing the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion. Further, the method includes capturing a first portion 1614 of the volume of chlorine; wherein: (i) hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of chlorine; and (ii) changing the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

[0138] Furthermore, in embodiments of the invention, hydrogen is harvested by: separating a certain volume of hydrogen from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer into a gaseous output stream 1615 using a liquid-gas separator; and separating that volume of hydrogen from the gaseous output stream 1616 using a gas separator.

[0139] In other embodiments of the invention, acidification is used to recycle the electrolyte of the CO electrolyzer, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte; the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide; and wherein a certain volume of hydrochloric acid is used to acidify the output stream 1603 of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer to convert the metal hydroxide in the output stream into a certain volume of metal salt; and the method further includes: supplying the volume of metal salt to a chlor-alkali reactor 1617; using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor to generate the volume of metal hydroxide 1618; and supplying the volume of metal hydroxide to a carbon monoxide electrolyzer for use as an electrolyte 1619.

[0140] In another embodiment of the invention, ethylene oxide is produced by: providing a certain volume of carbon monoxide 1701; using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide to generate a certain volume of ethylene and a certain volume of oxygen 1702; using an ethylene oxide synthesis reactor, the volume of oxygen, and the volume of ethylene to generate a certain volume of ethylene oxide and a certain volume of carbon dioxide 1703; converting the volume of carbon dioxide into a second volume of carbon monoxide 1704; and supplying the second volume of carbon monoxide to a carbon monoxide electrolyzer 1705. Further, a first portion of the volume of oxygen is supplied to a chlor-alkali reactor 1706; the production rate of the volume of ethylene is monitored 1707; the production rate of the volume of ethylene is changed 1708; wherein: (i) the production of ethylene oxide uses a second portion of the volume of oxygen; (ii) the change in the production rate of the volume of ethylene includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion. The second volume of carbon monoxide 1709 is generated using an ethylene oxide synthesis reactor, a volume of oxygen, and a volume of ethylene; and the second volume of carbon monoxide is supplied to a carbon monoxide electrolyzer 1705.

[0141] Although this specification has described specific embodiments of the invention in detail, it should be understood that changes, variations, and equivalents thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon understanding the foregoing. The chemical volumes disclosed herein do not imply physically isolated volumes, as a volume of hydrogen can coexist with a volume of carbon dioxide in a single physical volume. While the examples in this disclosure are generally limited to the integration of CO electrolyzers and chlor-alkali electrolyzers, the process chains disclosed herein do not require all the integrations described. For example, in the case of ethylene oxide production, the sources of carbon monoxide or acid can be different and do not necessarily have to be chlor-alkali electrolyzers. Although the examples in this disclosure are generally applied to industrial chemical processes, similar methods are applicable to chemical processing of any scale and scope. These and other modifications and variations of the invention can be practiced by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, the scope of which is more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1201) is generated using a chlor-alkali reactor; A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1202) is generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer; The volume of hydrogen (1203) is separated from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; as well as A certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1204) is generated using a hydrochloric acid reactor, the stated volume of hydrogen gas, and the stated volume of chlorine gas.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1205) using the volume of hydrochloric acid described above. Wherein: (i) the output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate; (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1206) using the volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a volume of metal salt. The volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1207); A certain volume of the metal hydroxide (1208) is generated using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor; and The volume of the metal hydroxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer to be used as the electrolyte (1209).

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A certain volume of acetate (1210) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the certain volume of carbon monoxide. Monitor the rate of acetate production (1211); and The production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is changed based on the production rate of acetate of the volume (1212), wherein when the production rate of acetate increases, the production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is increased, and when the production rate of acetate decreases, the production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is decreased.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: The first portion of the volume of hydrogen is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1213); Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of hydrogen; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: The first portion (1214) of the chlorine gas in the volume is captured; Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of chlorine gas; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The volume of hydrogen is separated into a gaseous output stream from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer using a liquid-gas separator (1215). as well as The volume of hydrogen (1216) is separated from the gaseous output stream using a gas separator.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: A certain volume of ethylene (1217) is separated from the gaseous output stream using the gas separator; A certain volume of dichloroethane (1218) is produced using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the stated volume of hydrochloric acid, and the stated volume of ethylene; and A certain volume of vinyl chloride (1219) is generated using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the stated volume of dichloroethane.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: A second volume of hydrochloric acid (1220) is separated from the effluent from the vinyl chloride reactor; as well as The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified using the second volume of hydrochloric acid (1221); Wherein: (i) the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer contains a certain volume of carboxylate; (ii) the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: A second volume of hydrochloric acid (1220) is separated from the effluent from the vinyl chloride reactor; The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1221) using the second volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a certain volume of metal salt. The volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1207); A certain volume of the metal hydroxide (1208) is generated using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor; and The volume of the metal hydroxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer to be used as the electrolyte (1209).

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1221) using the volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein: (i) the output stream contains a volume of carboxylate; (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid; A certain volume of acetic acid (1222) is distilled from the said volume of carboxylic acid; and A certain volume of vinyl acetate (1223) is generated using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, a certain volume of acetic acid, a certain volume of ethylene, and a certain volume of oxygen.

12. A method comprising: A certain volume of metal hydroxide (1301) is generated using a metal salt and chlor-alkali reactor; An output stream (1302) is generated using a certain volume of carbon monoxide and a carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the metal hydroxide is the electrolyte of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; The volume of metal hydroxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer to be used as the electrolyte (1303) of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified, wherein the output stream contains the electrolyte (1304), and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a certain volume of the metal salt; and The volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor to generate a certain volume of chlorine gas (1305).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate; The acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid (1304a).

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1306) is generated using a hydrochloric acid reactor and the volume of chlorine gas described above; The acidification of the output stream is performed using the stated volume of hydrochloric acid.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1307) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. The hydrochloric acid produced using the hydrochloric acid reactor utilizes the volume of hydrogen gas.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1306) was generated using a hydrochloric acid reactor; A certain volume of acetate (1308) is generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the stated volume of carbon monoxide; and The production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is changed based on the production rate of acetate of the volume (1309), wherein when the production rate of acetate increases, the production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is increased, and when the production rate of acetate decreases, the production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is decreased.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1307) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide. as well as The first portion of the volume of hydrogen is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1310); Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of hydrogen; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1311) is generated using the chlor-alkali reactor described above; as well as The first portion (1312) of the volume of chlorine gas is captured; Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of chlorine gas; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1311) is generated using the chlor-alkali reactor described above; A certain volume of ethylene (1313) is separated from the output stream; A certain volume of dichloroethane (1314) is generated using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the stated volume of chlorine gas, and the stated volume of ethylene; and A certain volume of vinyl chloride (1315) is generated using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the stated volume of dichloroethane.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: A second volume of hydrochloric acid (1316) is separated from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; as well as Therefore, the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified using the second volume of hydrochloric acid.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising: A certain volume of oxygen (1317) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; A certain volume of ethylene (1313) is separated from the output stream; as well as A vinyl acetate synthesis reactor is used to generate a certain volume of vinyl acetate (1318) using a certain volume of acetic acid, the same volume of ethylene, and the same volume of oxygen. Wherein: (i) the output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate; (ii) acidification of the output stream converts the volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid; and (iii) distillation of the volume of acetic acid from the volume of carboxylic acid.

22. A method comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1401) is generated using a chlor-alkali reactor; A certain volume of acetate (1402) is generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide. A certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1403) was generated using a hydrochloric acid reactor; Monitoring the rate of acetate production (1404); and The production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is changed based on the production rate of acetate of the volume (1405), wherein when the production rate of acetate increases, the production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is increased, and when the production rate of acetate decreases, the production rate of hydrochloric acid of the volume is decreased.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1406) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide. as well as The first portion of the volume of hydrogen is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1407); Wherein: (i) the generation of the volume of hydrochloric acid uses a second portion of the volume of hydrogen; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising: The first portion (1408) of the chlorine gas in the volume is captured; Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of chlorine gas; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1406) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide. The volume of hydrochloric acid is generated using the volume of hydrogen gas.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising: The volume of acetate (1409) is separated from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer, wherein the output stream contains the electrolyte of the electrolyzer, and wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide; The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified, wherein the output stream contains the electrolyte (1410), and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a certain volume of metal salt; and The volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1411).

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising: The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified using the volume of hydrochloric acid described above (1412). Wherein (i) the output stream contains a certain volume of acetate; and (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of acetate into a certain volume of acetic acid.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1401) is generated using the chlor-alkali reactor. A certain volume of ethylene (1413) is separated from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; A certain volume of dichloroethane (1414) is generated using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the stated volume of chlorine gas, and the stated volume of ethylene; and A certain volume of vinyl chloride (1415) is generated using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the stated volume of dichloroethane.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: A second volume of hydrochloric acid (1416) is separated from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; as well as The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified using the second volume of hydrochloric acid (1412); Wherein: (i) the output stream contains a certain volume of acetate; (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of acetate into a certain volume of acetic acid.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising: The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified using the volume of hydrochloric acid described above (1412). A certain volume of oxygen (1417) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; A certain volume of ethylene (1413) is separated from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; and A vinyl acetate synthesis reactor is used to generate a certain volume of vinyl acetate (1418) using a certain volume of acetic acid, the same volume of ethylene, and the same volume of oxygen. Wherein: (i) the output stream contains the volume of acetate; (ii) the acidification of the output stream converts the volume of acetate into the volume of acetic acid.

31. A method comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1501) is generated using a chlor-alkali reactor; A certain volume of ethylene (1502) is generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and a certain volume of carbon monoxide. A certain volume of dichloroethane (1503) is produced using an ethylene chlorination reactor, the stated volume of chlorine gas, and the stated volume of ethylene; and A certain volume of vinyl chloride (1504) is generated using a dichloroethane-vinyl chloride reactor and the stated volume of dichloroethane.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising: A certain volume of oxygen (1505) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1506) is generated using the chlor-alkali reactor described above; as well as A certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1507) is generated using the stated volume of chlorine gas and the stated volume of hydrogen gas. The generation of the dichloroethane utilizes the volume of chlorine gas in a manner that supplies the volume of hydrochloric acid to the ethylene chlorination reactor.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising: A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1506) is generated using the chlor-alkali electrolyzer. as well as A certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1507) is generated using the stated volume of chlorine gas and the stated volume of hydrogen gas. The generation of the dichloroethane utilizes the volume of chlorine gas in a manner that supplies the volume of hydrochloric acid to the ethylene chlorination reactor.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising: The volume of vinyl chloride and a certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1508) are separated from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; as well as The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1509) using the volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains a volume of carboxylate, and thereby the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the volume of carboxylate into a volume of carboxylic acid.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising: The volume of vinyl chloride and a certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1508) are separated from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1509), wherein the output stream contains an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte is a metal hydroxide, and thereby the metal hydroxide in the output stream is converted into a certain volume of metal salt. The volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1510); A certain volume of the metal hydroxide (1511) is generated using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor; as well as The volume of the metal hydroxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer to be used as the electrolyte (1512).

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising: A certain volume of oxygen (1505) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. The dichloroethane is generated using the volume of oxygen described above.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising: A certain volume of oxygen (1505) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer. The volume of oxygen is used in both the generation of dichloroethane and the chlor-alkali reactor.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising: The volume of vinyl chloride and a certain volume of hydrochloric acid (1508) are separated from the output stream of the vinyl chloride reactor; as well as The volume of hydrochloric acid is supplied to the ethylene chlorination reactor (1513).

39. The method according to claim 31, wherein: A second volume of carbon monoxide (1514) is generated using the ethylene chlorination reactor; and The second volume of carbon monoxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer (1515).

40. The method of claim 31, wherein: A certain volume of carbon dioxide (1516) is generated using the ethylene chlorination reactor described above. The volume of carbon dioxide is converted into a second volume of carbon monoxide (1517); and The second volume of carbon monoxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer (1515).

41. A method comprising: Provide a certain volume of carbon monoxide (1601); A certain volume of ethylene and a certain volume of oxygen (1602) are generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the stated volume of carbon monoxide. The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1603) using a certain volume of hydrochloric acid, wherein the output stream contains a certain volume of carboxylate, and thereby the acidification of the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer converts the volume of carboxylate into a certain volume of carboxylic acid. A certain volume of acetic acid (1604) is distilled from the said volume of carboxylic acid; and A certain volume of vinyl acetate (1605) is generated using a vinyl acetate synthesis reactor, the stated volume of acetic acid, the stated volume of ethylene, and the stated volume of oxygen.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising: A certain volume of chlorine gas (1606) is generated using a chlor-alkali reactor; A certain volume of hydrogen gas (1607) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide. The volume of hydrogen (1608) is separated from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer; as well as The volume of hydrochloric acid (1609) is generated using a hydrochloric acid reactor, the volume of hydrogen gas, and the volume of chlorine gas.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising: A certain volume of carboxylate (1610) is generated using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the volume of carbon monoxide. The rate of carboxylate production in the stated volume was monitored (1611); and The production rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid is changed based on the production rate of the volume of acetate (1612), wherein when the production rate of the volume of carboxylate increases, the production rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid is increased, and when the production rate of the volume of carboxylate decreases, the production rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid is decreased.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprises: The first portion of the volume of hydrogen is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1613); Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of hydrogen; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising: The first portion (1614) of the chlorine gas in the volume is captured; Wherein: (i) the hydrochloric acid is generated using a second portion of the volume of chlorine gas; (ii) the change in the generation rate of the volume of hydrochloric acid includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

46. ​​The method of claim 42, further comprising: The volume of hydrogen is separated into a gaseous output stream from the output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer using a liquid-gas separator (1615). as well as The volume of hydrogen (1616) is separated from the gaseous output stream using a gas separator.

47. The method according to claim 42, wherein: The output stream contains an electrolyte; The electrolyte is a metal hydroxide; The output stream of the carbon monoxide electrolyzer is acidified (1603) using the stated volume of hydrochloric acid to convert the metal hydroxide in the output stream into a given volume of metal salt; and The method further includes: The volume of metal salt is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1617); A certain volume of the metal hydroxide (1618) is generated using the metal salt and the chlor-alkali reactor; and The volume of the metal hydroxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer to be used as the electrolyte (1619).

48. A method comprising: Provide a certain volume of carbon monoxide (1701); A certain volume of ethylene and a certain volume of oxygen (1702) are generated using a carbon monoxide electrolyzer and the aforementioned volume of carbon monoxide. Using an ethylene oxide synthesis reactor, the stated volume of oxygen and the stated volume of ethylene are used to produce a certain volume of ethylene oxide and a certain volume of carbon dioxide (1703). The volume of carbon dioxide is converted into a second volume of carbon monoxide (1704); and The second volume of carbon monoxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer (1705).

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising: The first portion of the volume of oxygen is supplied to the chlor-alkali reactor (1706); Monitor the ethylene production rate of the stated volume (1707); as well as The rate of ethylene production by changing the volume (1708); Wherein: (i) the ethylene oxide synthesis reactor uses a second portion of the volume of oxygen; (ii) the change in the production rate of the volume of ethylene includes changing the first portion relative to the second portion.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising: Using an ethylene oxide synthesis reactor, the volume of oxygen and the volume of ethylene are used to generate a second volume of carbon monoxide (1709); as well as The second volume of carbon monoxide is supplied to the carbon monoxide electrolyzer (1705).

51. The method of claim 48, further comprising: Carboxylate is harvested from the carbon monoxide output stream without acidifying the output stream.

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