Sealing gaskets and electrolytic cells

Abstract

This application discloses a sealing gasket and an electrolytic cell, relating to the field of electrolytic cell technology. The sealing gasket includes a skeleton and an elastic portion. The skeleton is annular, with its central axis extending along a first direction. The elastic portion is fixedly connected to the skeleton and includes two abutment layers, which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the skeleton in the first direction. The skeleton is embedded in the abutment layers, or the abutment layers are embedded in the skeleton. The technical solution provided by this application aims to improve the structural strength of the sealing gasket, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the electrolytic cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrolytic cell technology, and in particular to a sealing gasket and an electrolytic cell. Background Technology

[0002] Electrolytic cells typically consist of multiple electrodes arranged in sequence, with sealing gaskets sandwiched between the frames of adjacent electrodes to ensure system sealing. However, in related technologies, when subjected to pressure from the electrode frames, the sealing gaskets are prone to being squeezed outwards, potentially leading to shear fracture. Once the sealing gasket is damaged, its sealing effect will be significantly reduced, or even completely fail, thus affecting the overall efficiency and safety of the electrolytic cell. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main objective of this application is to provide a sealing gasket and an electrolytic cell, which aims to improve the structural strength of the sealing gasket, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the electrolytic cell.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the sealing gasket proposed in this application includes:

[0005] A skeleton, the skeleton being ring-shaped, the central axis of the skeleton extending along a first direction; and

[0006] An elastic part is fixedly connected to the frame, and the elastic part includes two abutting layers, which are respectively covered on opposite sides of the frame in the first direction;

[0007] Wherein, the skeleton is embedded in the abutment layer, or the abutment layer is embedded in the skeleton.

[0008] In one embodiment, the skeleton includes a base plate portion and an interlocking protrusion portion, wherein the base plate portion has the interlocking protrusion portion protruding on both opposite sides in the first direction, and the interlocking protrusion portion is embedded in the abutment layer.

[0009] In one embodiment, the interlocking protrusion is annular and is arranged around the central axis of the sealing gasket.

[0010] In one embodiment, the interlocking protrusions are provided in a plurality of manner, and the plurality of interlocking protrusions are provided at intervals.

[0011] In one embodiment, the spacing between any two adjacent interlocking protrusions is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm.

[0012] In one embodiment, the number of the interlocking protrusions is configured to be 20 to 30.

[0013] In one embodiment, the width of the interlocking protrusion at the position connecting the base plate portion is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm.

[0014] In one embodiment, the protrusion height of the interlocking protrusion is 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0015] In one embodiment, the thickness of the substrate plate is 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0016] In one embodiment, the interlocking protrusion is configured as an arc or a cone.

[0017] In one embodiment, the skeleton is configured as a mesh structure, and the two abutting layers are embedded in the mesh of the skeleton and connected as one unit.

[0018] In one embodiment, the elastic part is configured as a polytetrafluoroethylene material or a rubber material.

[0019] In one embodiment, the skeleton is configured to be made of metal.

[0020] In one embodiment, the skeleton and the elastic part are integrally formed by molding and sintering.

[0021] In one embodiment, the elastic portion further covers the inner and outer peripheral sides of the skeleton.

[0022] This application also proposes an electrolytic cell comprising a plurality of electrode plates and at least one of the aforementioned sealing gaskets, wherein the plurality of electrode plates are distributed along the first direction and the sealing gasket is sandwiched between two adjacent electrode plates.

[0023] In this application's technical solution, by configuring the sealing gasket as a composite structure consisting of a skeleton and an elastic part, the structural strength and shear resistance of the sealing gasket can be enhanced. This helps to prevent the sealing gasket from being extruded and sheared under the pressure of the electrode frame, thereby improving the service life of the sealing gasket and the safety and reliability of the electrolytic cell operation. Specifically, the skeleton provides stable structural support and deformation resistance for the entire gasket. When the sealing gasket is compressed by the electrode frame of adjacent electrode plates, the skeleton can effectively resist external pressure, limit excessive deformation and lateral flow of the elastic part, and thus significantly reduce the risk of the sealing gasket being extruded outward. At the same time, the elastic part includes two abutment layers respectively covering opposite sides of the skeleton, which can generate elastic compression during assembly to achieve reliable sealing. Furthermore, by setting the abutment layer and the skeleton as an interlocking structure, the contact area between the two is increased, thereby improving the strength of the connection and preventing interlayer peeling or relative slippage between the skeleton and the elastic part under long-term pressure or dynamic operating conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the sealing gasket provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the sealing gasket provided in this application sandwiched between the two electrode plates;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view along the middle AA section;

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of the lower middle section;

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0030] Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional structural diagram of another embodiment of the sealing gasket provided in this application;

[0031] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The front view of the skeleton in the first direction;

[0032] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The local area at point C is shown in the larger image;

[0033] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the skeleton of the sealing gasket provided in this application.

[0034] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0035] 10. Electrode plate; 11. Electrode frame; 101. Dense-textured water line; 20. Sealing gasket;

[0036] 100, skeleton; 110, base plate; 120, interlocking protrusion; 200, elastic part; 210, abutment layer.

[0037] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0040] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0041] This application proposes a sealing gasket.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one embodiment of this application, the sealing gasket 20 includes:

[0043] The skeleton 100 is annular, and its central axis extends along a first direction; and

[0044] The elastic part 200 is fixedly connected to the frame 100. The elastic part 200 includes two abutting layers 210, which are respectively covered on opposite sides of the frame 100 in the first direction.

[0045] The skeleton 100 is embedded in the abutment layer 210, or the abutment layer 210 is embedded in the skeleton 100.

[0046] It can be understood that the skeleton 100 is configured as a ring structure with its central axis extending along the first direction, and an abutment layer 210 is applied to each of the opposite sides in the first direction, and a corresponding sealing gasket 20 will also be formed. Figure 1 The annular structure shown, with its central axis extending along the first direction, has two abutting layers 210 on the side opposite to the skeleton 100, which abut against the pole frames 11 of the two adjacent pole plates 10, respectively. The skeleton 100 refers to a skeleton structure made of rigid material, which plays a supporting role in the sealing gasket 20. The elastic part 200 refers to an elastic structure that can adaptably deform and can adaptively fill the gap between the pole frames 11 of the two pole plates 10 to achieve a sealing effect.

[0047] In the technical solution of this application, by configuring the sealing gasket 20 as a composite structure composed of the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200, the structural strength and shear resistance of the sealing gasket 20 can be enhanced, which helps to avoid the sealing gasket 20 being extruded and sheared under the extrusion of the pole frame 11, and can improve the service life of the sealing gasket 20 and the safety and reliability of the electrolytic cell operation.

[0048] Specifically, the skeleton 100 provides stable structural support and resistance to deformation for the entire gasket. When the sealing gasket 20 is compressed by the pole frame 11 of the adjacent pole plate 10, the skeleton 100 can effectively resist external pressure, limit excessive deformation and lateral flow of the elastic part 200, thereby significantly reducing the risk of the sealing gasket 20 being extruded outward. At the same time, the elastic part 200 includes two abutment layers 210 respectively covering opposite sides of the skeleton 100, which can generate elastic compression during assembly to achieve a reliable seal. Furthermore, by setting the abutment layers 210 and the skeleton 100 to an interlocking structure, it is beneficial to increase the contact area between the two, thereby improving the strength of the connection between them and preventing interlayer peeling or relative slippage of the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200 under long-term pressure or dynamic working conditions.

[0049] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5The skeleton 100 includes a base plate portion 110 and interlocking protrusions 120. The base plate portion 110 has interlocking protrusions 120 protruding on opposite sides in a first direction, and these protrusions 120 are embedded within the abutment layer 210. Thus, the skeleton 100 is embedded into the abutment layer 210 through the protruding interlocking protrusions 120, increasing the contact area and mechanical engagement depth between the skeleton 100 and the elastic portion 200, and enhancing the interfacial bonding force between them. This ensures the stability of their connection and helps prevent delamination, slippage, or peeling between the elastic portion 200 and the skeleton 100 due to pressure fluctuations, thermal cycling, or vibration during long-term operation of the electrolytic cell. Furthermore, the interlocking protrusions 120 can radially limit the abutment layer 210, suppressing the radial extrusion tendency of the sealing gasket 20 under the pressure of the pole frame 11, helping to maintain the integrity of the sealing interface, reducing local stress concentration, and preventing the elastic portion 200 from breaking due to excessive shearing in the edge area. The base plate 110 provides good support to ensure the structural stability of the sealing gasket 20.

[0050] Furthermore, the interlocking protrusion 120 is annular and is arranged around the central axis of the sealing gasket 20. This ensures sufficient connection area between the interlocking protrusion 120 and the abutment layer 210, while also improving the central symmetry of the sealing gasket 20, thereby ensuring uniform stress distribution in the circumferential direction and enhancing the structural and installation stability of the sealing gasket 20. In other embodiments, the interlocking protrusion 120 may also be distributed in multiple segments at even intervals along the circumference.

[0051] Furthermore, please refer to the following: Figure 7 and Figure 8 Multiple interlocking protrusions 120 are provided, and the multiple interlocking protrusions 120 are arranged at intervals. It should be noted that "multiple" in this application refers to two or more. In this embodiment, by providing two or more interlocking protrusions 120 embedded in the abutment layer 210, the number of interlocking connection points between the skeleton 100 and the abutment layer 210 can be increased, and the contact area between the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200 can be further improved, thereby improving the connection stability between the two. In other embodiments, when ensuring that the skeleton 100 and the abutment layer 210 have sufficient connection strength, only one interlocking protrusion 120 may be provided.

[0052] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6The spacing L between any two adjacent interlocking protrusions 120 is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. This ensures sufficient density of the interlocking connection points between the skeleton 100 and the abutment layer 210 to maintain their connection stability, while also providing adequate deformation space for the abutment layer 210. When the sealing gasket 20 is under pressure, the area between each interlocking protrusion 120 can serve as a stress relief zone, alleviating shear stress concentration within the elastic part 200, reducing the risk of material fatigue, and extending service life. The spacing L between two adjacent interlocking protrusions 120 can be 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm, 2.6 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, etc. In other embodiments, the spacing L can be less than 0.8 mm, for example, configured as 0.6 mm or 0.7 mm, or greater than 1.2 mm, for example, configured as 1.3 mm or 1.4 mm.

[0053] In one embodiment, the number of interlocking protrusions 120 is configured to be 20 to 30. This ensures a sufficient number of interlocking connection points between the frame 100 and the abutment layer 210, thereby guaranteeing the stability of their connection. Simultaneously, it provides sufficient space for the deformation of the abutment layer 210, ensuring the structural stability of the sealing gasket 20. The number of interlocking protrusions 120 can be 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, or 30, etc. In other embodiments, the number of interlocking protrusions 120 can be less than 20, for example, configured as 16 or 18; or the number can be greater than 30, for example, configured as 32 or 35, etc.

[0054] In particular, when the spacing L between any two adjacent interlocking protrusions 120 is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, and the number of interlocking protrusions 120 is configured to be 20 to 30, it can be ensured that the interlocking protrusions 120 can substantially cover most of the base plate portion 110 in the radial direction, which is beneficial to ensuring the connection stability of the skeleton 100 and the elastic portion 200, thereby ensuring the structural stability of the sealing gasket 20.

[0055] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6The width D of the interlocking protrusion 120 at the position connecting to the base plate portion 110 is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. This provides the interlocking protrusion 120 with sufficient root cross-sectional area to withstand the tensile and shear loads generated during the coverage and use of the elastic portion 200, preventing breakage or peeling due to an excessively thin root. Simultaneously, it facilitates precise molding of the interlocking protrusion 120 in the mold, avoiding increased material usage or impact on the thickness distribution of the elastic portion 200 due to excessive width, and also avoiding structural fragility or demolding difficulties due to excessive narrowness. The aforementioned width D can be 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm, 2.6 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.2 mm, etc. In other embodiments, the width D can also be less than 0.8 mm, for example, configured as 0.6 mm or 0.7 mm, or greater than 1.2 mm, for example, configured as 1.3 mm or 1.4 mm.

[0056] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The protrusion height H of the interlocking protrusion 120 is 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm. This allows the interlocking protrusion 120 to have sufficient embedding depth within the abutment layer 210, ensuring the stability of the connection between the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200, thereby ensuring the structural stability of the sealing gasket 20. The height H can be 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, or 0.8 mm. In other embodiments, the height H can be less than 0.3 mm, such as 0.1 mm or 0.2 mm, or greater than 0.8 mm, such as 0.9 mm or 1 mm.

[0057] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The thickness T1 of the substrate plate 110 is 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm. This allows the substrate plate 110 to provide sufficient structural support while maintaining appropriate flexibility for the sealing gasket 20, ensuring that when the sealing gasket 20 is sandwiched between the two electrode plates 10, it can resist extrusion and achieve a good fit. The thickness T1 can be 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 1.2 mm, or 1.5 mm. In other embodiments, the thickness T1 can be less than 0.6 mm, such as 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm, or greater than 1.5 mm, such as 1.6 mm or 1.8 mm.

[0058] Specifically, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6The thickness T2 of the sealing gasket 20 is greater than or equal to 2.5 mm and less than or equal to 3.5 mm. The interlocking protrusion 120 is configured according to the aforementioned root width dimension D and protrusion height H, while the base plate portion 110 is configured according to the aforementioned thickness T1. In this way, the relevant structure of the skeleton 100 can be well adapted to the thickness of the sealing gasket 20. At the same time, the base plate portion 110 is centrally located in the thickness direction of the sealing gasket 20, which can leave sufficient space on both sides for the placement of the abutment layer 210, so as to ensure the bonding stability of the skeleton 100 and the elastic portion 200, thereby ensuring the structural stability of the sealing gasket 20. It can be understood that the thickness direction of the sealing gasket 20 is also the first direction.

[0059] In one embodiment, the interlocking protrusion 120 is configured as follows: Figure 5 The arc or shown Figure 6 The cone shape shown. The arc or cone structure facilitates demolding in the mold, enabling the frame 100 to be formed easily and ensuring the processing quality of the frame 100; simultaneously, during use, the arc or cone shape of the interlocking protrusion 120 can effectively alleviate stress concentration, helping to achieve more uniform stress transmission under compression and suppressing shear breakage of the sealing gasket 20. In other embodiments, the interlocking protrusion 120 can also be configured as T-shaped or trapezoidal.

[0060] In one implementation, please refer to Figure 9 The skeleton 100 is configured with a mesh structure, and the two abutment layers 210 are embedded in the mesh of the skeleton 100 and connected as a whole. This allows the abutment layers 210 to be embedded in the skeleton 100. The mesh structure of the skeleton 100 has a large number of mesh openings, which helps to improve the bonding stability between the abutment layers 210 and the skeleton 100, thereby ensuring the structural stability of the sealing gasket 20. Furthermore, the mesh structure is lighter and has better material utilization than a solid skeleton, which helps to save material costs, reduce the overall weight of the sealing gasket 20, and improve assembly convenience while ensuring structural strength.

[0061] In one embodiment, the elastic portion 200 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or rubber. This allows the elastic portion 200 to possess sufficient deformation capacity and weather resistance, thereby ensuring the sealing reliability of the gasket 20. In other embodiments, the elastic portion 200 may also be made of silicone.

[0062] In one embodiment, the skeleton 100 is configured as a metallic material, specifically stainless steel, copper alloy, or aluminum alloy. This provides sufficient structural strength for stable support. In other embodiments, the skeleton 100 may be configured as a non-metallic material, such as fiberglass or a plastic material with sufficient hardness, including PI (Polyimide) and PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide).

[0063] In one embodiment, the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200 are integrally formed by molding and sintering. Specifically, a layer of raw material powder for the elastic part 200 is first laid in a mold, then the formed skeleton 100 is placed in, and another layer of raw material powder for the elastic part 200 is laid on top. Finally, the sealing gasket 20 is molded and sintered. This ensures the stability of the connection between the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200, and ensures that the elastic part 200 reliably covers the skeleton 100, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the sealing gasket 20. In other embodiments, the skeleton 100 and the elastic part 200 can also be connected by adhesive bonding or integrally formed by insert injection molding.

[0064] In one embodiment, the elastic portion 200 further covers the inner and outer peripheral sides of the skeleton 100. That is, the inner and outer peripheral sides of both abutment layers 210 are connected, thereby respectively covering the inner and outer peripheral sides of the skeleton 100 to further improve the bonding stability between the skeleton 100 and the elastic portion 200. In other embodiments, at least one of the inner and outer peripheral sides of the skeleton 100 may be exposed.

[0065] This application also proposes an electrolytic cell comprising a plurality of electrode plates 10 and at least one of the aforementioned sealing gaskets 20. Therefore, this electrolytic cell adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments and possesses at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated upon here. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Multiple electrode plates 10 are distributed along a first direction, and sealing gaskets 20 are sandwiched between the electrode frames 11 of adjacent electrode plates 10; please refer to [further details]. Figure 4 and Figure 5 When the frame 100 is provided with the interlocking protrusion 120, the interlocking protrusion 120 can be arranged opposite to or offset from the groove of the dense water line 101 on the pole frame 11.

[0066] The above are merely exemplary embodiments of this application and do not limit the scope of protection of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A sealing gasket, used in an electrolytic cell, characterized in that, The sealing gasket includes: A skeleton (100), the skeleton (100) being annular, the central axis of the skeleton (100) extending along a first direction; and An elastic part (200) is fixedly connected to the frame (100). The elastic part (200) includes two abutment layers (210), which are respectively covered on opposite sides of the frame (100) in the first direction. The skeleton (100) is embedded in the abutment layer (210), or the abutment layer (210) is embedded in the skeleton (100).

2. The sealing gasket as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The skeleton (100) includes a base plate portion (110) and a fitting protrusion (120). The base plate portion (110) has the fitting protrusion (120) protruding on both sides of the opposite side in the first direction. The fitting protrusion (120) is embedded in the abutment layer (210).

3. The sealing gasket as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The interlocking protrusion (120) is annular and is arranged around the central axis of the sealing gasket.

4. The sealing gasket as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The interlocking protrusions (120) are provided in multiples, and the multiple interlocking protrusions (120) are arranged at intervals.

5. The sealing gasket as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The distance L between any two adjacent interlocking protrusions (120) is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm; And / or, the number of the interlocking protrusions (120) is configured to be 20 to 30.

6. The sealing gasket as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The width D of the interlocking protrusion (120) at the position connecting to the base plate portion (110) is 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm; And / or, the protrusion height H of the interlocking protrusion (120) is 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm; And / or, the thickness T1 of the substrate plate portion (110) is 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm.

7. The sealing gasket as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The interlocking protrusion (120) is configured as an arc or a cone.

8. The sealing gasket as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The skeleton (100) is configured as a mesh structure, and the two abutment layers (210) are embedded in the mesh of the skeleton (100) and connected as one.

9. The sealing gasket according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The elastic part (200) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene or rubber. And / or, the skeleton (100) is configured to be made of metal; And / or, the skeleton (100) and the sealing gasket are integrally formed by molding and sintering; And / or, the elastic portion (200) also covers the inner and outer peripheral sides of the skeleton (100).

10. An electrolytic cell, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of electrode plates (10) and at least one sealing gasket (20) as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plurality of electrode plates (10) are distributed along the first direction and the sealing gasket (20) is sandwiched between two adjacent electrode plates (10).

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