Solid Chlorite and Ozone Reaction for High Purity Chlorine Dioxide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing chlorine dioxide are inefficient, hazardous, and costly due to the use of liquid reactants, strong acids, and hazardous gases like chlorine, leading to impurities and regulatory challenges, while existing solutions for on-site generation are complex and expensive.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the reaction of solid chlorite with gaseous ozone in the presence of carbon dioxide to produce high-purity gaseous chlorine dioxide, utilizing ozone as a safer alternative to chlorine gas, which eliminates the need for bulk liquid storage and reduces regulatory and safety concerns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If liquid reactant solutions are used to produce chlorine dioxide, then the production process can be implemented, but the product contains significant impurities (chloride, chlorate, sulfate) and the reaction efficiency is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of chlorine dioxideVSAvoidreaction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the physical state parameters of the reactants from liquid to gas phase. By using gaseous ozone instead of liquid reactant solutions and solid chlorite instead of dissolved chlorite, the reaction occurs in the gas phase, which eliminates solvent-related impurities (chloride, chlorate, sulfate) and improves both purity and reaction efficiency through better mass transfer and reaction kinetics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes phase transitions by employing gaseous ozone and solid chlorite reactants that react to produce gaseous chlorine dioxide. This gas-solid-gas phase transition approach replaces traditional liquid-phase reactions, enabling high-purity product formation without liquid solvent impurities and achieving efficient mass transfer at the gas-solid interface

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

2Productivity

If strong acids are used in the production process, then chlorine dioxide can be generated, but significant safety hazards and regulatory hurdles arise from on-site storage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveon-site generation capabilityVSAvoidsafety hazards from acid storage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates strong acids from the reaction system entirely. By using gaseous ozone as the oxidizing agent instead of strong acids, the process removes the need for on-site acid storage and handling, thereby eliminating the associated safety hazards and regulatory burdens while maintaining on-site generation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces gaseous ozone as an intermediary substance to replace strong acids in the reaction process. Ozone serves as a safer oxidizing agent that can be generated on-demand without storage requirements, acting as a mediator that enables chlorine dioxide production without the harmful storage and handling issues associated with strong acids

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If solid sodium chlorite reacts with chlorine gas to produce chlorine dioxide, then relatively pure product is obtained, but the process becomes expensive and burdensome due to regulatory and safety procedures for handling chlorine gas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of chlorine dioxideVSAvoidregulatory and safety procedures
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs gaseous ozone, which can be generated on-demand and decomposes naturally, replacing chlorine gas that requires extensive regulatory compliance and safety infrastructure. Ozone's short lifetime and on-site generation capability eliminate the need for complex storage and handling procedures while maintaining high product purity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses gaseous ozone, a strong oxidant, to react with solid chlorite and produce chlorine dioxide. This strong oxidizing capability replaces chlorine gas in the oxidation process, achieving the same chemical transformation with a substance that has fewer regulatory restrictions and safer handling requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #38Strong oxidants (Accelerated oxidation)

4Manufacturing precision

If gas stripping techniques are used to produce pure chlorine dioxide, then high purity product is achieved, but additional costs and facilities are required which overcomplicates the manufacturing process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepurity of chlorine dioxideVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention enables the reaction system to self-produce high-purity gaseous chlorine dioxide directly from gaseous ozone and solid chlorite without requiring external gas stripping equipment or additional purification facilities. The reaction inherently produces pure product that can be used directly, making the process self-sufficient and eliminating complex downstream processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 achieves high-purity chlorine dioxide production with minimal byproducts, is cost-effective, safe, and simple to implement, allowing for reliable operation across varying conditions without recalibration, and reduces equipment footprint.

Implementation Method 1

reacting gaseous phase ozone with solid phase chlorite material in the presence of carbon dioxide to form chlorine dioxide gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Implementation Method 2

ozone is reacted with the chlorite reactant to produce the gaseous chlorine dioxide

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3261984B1Methods and systems for producing high purity gaseous chlorine dioxide
Publication Date: 2022.03.09 CHEMTREAT INC
  • EP3261984B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3261984B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3261984B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and systems for producing high purity gaseous chlorine dioxide are provided. A solid chlorite reactant is contacted with an ozone-containing reactant gas, or a gas containing both ozone and a component that reacts with any hydroxide byproduct (such as carbon dioxide), to produce chlorine dioxide. The reaction can be monitored and controlled to ensure that excess chlorite reactant is provided and to prevent ozone from passing into the product gas.