Hydrogen Chloride Production via pH-Controlled Electrolysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing high purity hydrogen chloride are complex and inefficient, particularly in removing impurities like hydrogen bromide and carbon dioxide due to their close boiling points with hydrogen chloride, leading to facility complications and reduced production efficiency.

Innovation Solution

Adjusting the pH of an inorganic chloride aqueous solution during electrolysis and controlling the molar ratio and temperature of chlorine and hydrogen reaction to minimize impurity concentrations, followed by dehydration and distillation steps, simplifies the facility and enhances purity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If distillation is used to remove impurities from hydrogen chloride, then the hydrogen chloride purity is improved, but impurities like hydrogen bromide and carbon dioxide cannot be effectively removed due to close boiling points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehydrogen chloride purityVSAvoidimpurity removal effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by adjusting the pH of the inorganic chloride aqueous solution to 3.1-4.5 before electrolysis. This pre-adjustment ensures that impurities like hydrogen bromide and carbon dioxide are minimized at the source, preventing them from being generated in the first place rather than attempting to remove them later through distillation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the pH parameter of the electrolyte solution to a specific range (3.1-4.5) and controls the molar ratio of hydrogen to chlorine (1.05-1.20) to optimize the electrolysis process. These parameter changes ensure that the generated hydrogen chloride contains minimal impurities, making subsequent purification easier and more effective.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If distillation towers or adsorption towers are mounted to purify chlorine and hydrogen in advance, then the hydrogen chloride purity is improved, but the facility complexity increases and production efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehydrogen chloride purityVSAvoidfacility complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the impurity removal function from the post-electrolysis purification stage and moves it to the pre-electrolysis stage by controlling the pH and composition of the inorganic chloride aqueous solution. This eliminates the need for separate distillation towers or adsorption towers for chlorine and hydrogen purification, simplifying the overall facility while maintaining high purity output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The electrolysis system becomes self-service regarding impurity removal by using the pH-adjusted inorganic chloride aqueous solution as both the electrolyte and the purification mechanism. The controlled electrolysis process inherently produces high-purity hydrogen chloride without requiring external complex purification facilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If distillation towers or adsorption towers are mounted to purify chlorine and hydrogen in advance, then the hydrogen chloride purity is improved, but the production efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehydrogen chloride purityVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By performing pH adjustment and impurity minimization before electrolysis, the patent eliminates the need for time-consuming post-electrolysis distillation or adsorption processes. This preliminary action streamlines the production flow and increases overall production efficiency while maintaining high purity standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The optimized electrolysis process with controlled pH and molar ratios enables continuous production of high-purity hydrogen chloride without interruption for complex purification cycles. The process maintains continuous useful action throughout, improving productivity while ensuring purity requirements are met.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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 efficiently produces hydrogen chloride with impurity concentrations below 0.5 ppm, achieving a purity of 99.999 mass% or more with a simplified facility, suitable for semiconductor and thin film transistor processes.

Implementation Method 1

an electrolysis step of obtaining the chlorine and the hydrogen by electrolyzing an inorganic chloride aqueous solution

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrolysis: Electrolysis

Implementation Method 2

a dehydration step of dehydrating the crude hydrogen chloride obtained in the reaction step

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDehydration:

Implementation Method 3

a distillation step of compressing and liquefying the dehydrated crude hydrogen chloride obtained in the dehydration step

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression and Liquefaction: Compression

Implementation Method 4

purifying the liquid crude hydrogen chloride by distillation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDistillation: Distillation

Data Source

PatentEP3336056B1Method for producing hydrogen chloride
Publication Date: 2022.05.11 RESONAC HOLDINGS CORP
  • EP3336056B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

Provided is a method for producing a hydrogen chloride that is capable of efficiently producing a hydrogen chloride with a simple facility. The hydrogen chloride is produced by a method including obtaining chlorine and hydrogen by electrolyzing an inorganic chloride aqueous solution of which a pH is 3 to 5, obtaining a crude hydrogen chloride by reacting the chlorine and the hydrogen obtained in the electrolyzing at 1000°C to 1500°C with a use of an excess quantity of the hydrogen with respect to the chlorine in a molar ratio, dehydrating the crude hydrogen chloride obtained in the reacting, and compressing and liquefying the dehydrated crude hydrogen chloride obtained in the dehydrating, and purifying the liquid crude hydrogen chloride by distillation.