Chlorine Dioxide Production via Oxygen Ion Oxidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing chlorine dioxide solutions often rely on chlorates or chlorites, which are not safe for use in certain applications and can form carcinogenic compounds, and they require complex processes or handling of explosive gases.
Innovation Solution
A process that uses only chlorine as the chlorine source, combining it with oxygen ions in the presence of water to produce chlorine dioxide, avoiding the use of chlorates and chlorites, and utilizing electrolysis to generate chlorine safely and continuously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods using chlorates or chlorites are employed to produce chlorine dioxide, then chlorine dioxide can be generated effectively, but carcinogenic compounds are formed and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the harmful intermediaries (chlorates and chlorites) from the traditional chlorine dioxide production pathway. By using a direct oxidation process where chlorine is oxidized by ozone or hydrogen peroxide in acidic medium, the method bypasses the formation of carcinogenic chlorite and chlorate compounds entirely, achieving effective chlorine dioxide generation without these harmful substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental reaction parameters and pathway: instead of reducing chlorates/chlorites in strongly acidic solution, it oxidizes chlorine in a controlled acidic medium (pH 2-4) using ozone or hydrogen peroxide as oxidizing agents. This parameter change transforms the process from a reduction reaction that forms harmful byproducts to an oxidation reaction that directly produces chlorine dioxide with minimal harmful intermediates.
2Productivity
If chlorates are reduced in strongly acidic solution to produce chlorine dioxide, then chlorine dioxide is generated, but the process complexity and handling requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the pH parameter from strongly acidic (traditional chlorate reduction) to moderately acidic (pH 2-4), and changes the reaction type from reduction to oxidation. This simplifies the process by using readily available reagents (chlorine, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide) instead of requiring specialized chlorate reduction setups, while maintaining high chlorine dioxide production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces ozone or hydrogen peroxide as intermediary oxidizing agents that facilitate the direct conversion of chlorine to chlorine dioxide. These intermediaries enable a simpler, more direct reaction pathway compared to traditional chlorate reduction, reducing process complexity while maintaining productivity.
3Reliability
If chlorine is combined with oxygen ions in aqueous environment to produce chlorine dioxide, then safety and purity are improved, but the process requires continuous operation and specific reaction conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention is designed for continuous operation where chlorine is continuously oxidized by ozone or hydrogen peroxide in the acidic aqueous medium. The reaction system maintains steady-state conditions with continuous reagent feed and product removal, ensuring both high safety/purity standards and sustained productivity without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention establishes specific reaction parameters (pH 2-4, use of ozone or hydrogen peroxide as oxidant, controlled chlorine dosage) that optimize both the safety/purity of the produced chlorine dioxide solution and the continuous operation capability. These parameter optimizations ensure the reaction proceeds efficiently while meeting quality requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method produces safe, aqueous chlorine dioxide solutions that are free from chlorite and chlorate, using easily accessible starting materials and ensuring continuous operation, thus addressing safety and efficiency concerns.
Implementation Method 1
The core of the invention is to combine elemental chlorine with oxygen ions to produce chlorine dioxide
Implementation Method 2
utilizing electrolysis to generate chlorine safely and continuously
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method and to a device for producing aqueous chlorine dioxide solutions, which method and device avoid the use of chlorates and chlorites as starting materials and make it possible to obtain a chlorine dioxide solution in aqueous solution, which chlorine dioxide solution can be used, for example, as a disinfectant, from chlorine and ionized air containing oxygen ions by using potable water and possibly sols. The required chlorine can be provided electrolytically within the same plant. The associated device comprises a reactor (10), in which water, chlorine, and oxygen ions result in chlorine dioxide, and a unit (20) connected upstream for producing oxygen ions. Furthermore, it is preferred that a chlorine electrolytic cell and an apparatus for applying gas containing oxygen ions to sols are integrated in the plant.