The invention relates to a device for building a closed current circuit A, in which electric charge carriers move at least through a metal conductor, a flowable medium and a resonantly mechanically vibrating metal conductor C, which is mechanically connected to elements which generate mechanical vibrations. The device is characterized in that the current circuit B generating the previously mentioned resonant mechanical vibrations is decoupled from the previously mentioned current circuit A and from the components transmitting mechanical vibrations between the elements generating vibrations and the resonantly mechanically vibrating metal conductor C, which is in contact with the flowable medium, by means of electrically non-conductive coupling elements on two sides of the vibration-generating elements.

Optimizing device for the electrodeposition of metals which covers the entire range of electrodeposition of metals from the lowest current densities to the highest, which has multiple openings on its entire surface which maximize the free passage of the electrolyte flow without altering the electrodeposition processes and straightening the electrodes causing an equidistribution of current in the electrodes installed in the cells which leads to the production of cathodes with high quality uniform deposits avoiding the loss of current due to short circuits that occur between anodes and cathodes, thereby increasing the current efficiency of the system. The device comprises a single body with a firm skeletal structure formed by different body sections, at least one body section comprising inclined side walls.

The invention is related to an electrode assembly for an electrochemical process comprising a current supply device, an elongated current distribution bar comprising first and second ends, and a sheet-shaped electrode substrate attached to the current distribution bar and having a longitudinal extension and a lateral extension. The current distribution bar comprises a first portion attached to the current supply device, a second portion extending along the electrode substrate, and a third portion extending between the first and second portions. The current distribution bar is bent between its first and second ends, and the current supply device is laterally and longitudinally positioned beyond the electrode substrate. The second portion at least partly extends longitudinally along the electrode substrate.

The invention is related to an electrode assembly for an electrochemical process comprising a current supply device, an elongated current distribution bar comprising first and second ends, and a sheet-shaped electrode substrate attached to the current distribution bar and having a longitudinal extension and a lateral extension. The current distribution bar comprises a first portion attached to the current supply device, a second portion extending along the electrode substrate, and a third portion extending between the first and second portions. The current distribution bar is bent between its first and second ends, and the current supply device is laterally and longitudinally positioned beyond the electrode substrate. The second portion at least partly extends longitudinally along the electrode substrate.

Provided herein is an electrodialysis metathesis system that has at least one stack or quad of compartments arranged so each compartment is in fluid communication with its adjacent compartment via alternating cation- and anion-exchange membranes. The compartments in a stack are a feed compartment, a substitution salt solution compartment, a first concentrated compartment and a second concentrated compartment. Also provided are processes and methods for separating or recovering a metal, for example, a rare earth element, or a salt or a combination thereof from a salt-containing water. Simultaneous metathesis reactions and electrodialysis across the stack recovers one or more metal or salts from the salt-containing water which desalinates the salt-containing water.

Multipurpose electrolytic device (EMPD) for forced or spontaneous electrolytic processes, which incorporates selective and unidirectional ion exchange membranes in order to separate between two or more compartments and allow electrical conductivity therebetween, with independent electrolytes for controlled electrolytic ion transformation, regardless of the chemical composition of the electrolyte containing the element of interest, with high faradaic efficiency and high energy performance. The invention also relates to a method. The device can be used for processes such as metal electrowinning (EW), metal electrorefining, electrooxidation (EOXI) and electroreduction (ERED) of ionic species. The device uses two independent, energetically suitable electrolytes, which allow controlled electrolytic ion transformation, with high faradaic efficiency and high energy performance, unlike current forced electrolysis methods, which operate with a common electrolyte. The device can be used in any aqueous medium, for example an acid environment, such as sulphuric, hydrochloric or other acid, a caustic-soda-based alkaline, or ammonium, thiocyanate or thiosulfate salts, with or without the presence of organic reactants.

Multipurpose electrolytic device (EMPD) for forced or spontaneous electrolytic processes, which incorporates selective and unidirectional ion exchange membranes in order to separate between two or more compartments and allow electrical conductivity therebetween, with independent electrolytes for controlled electrolytic ion transformation, regardless of the chemical composition of the electrolyte containing the element of interest, with high faradaic efficiency and high energy performance. The invention also relates to a method. The device can be used for processes such as metal electrowinning (EW), metal electrorefining, electrooxidation (EOXI) and electroreduction (ERED) of ionic species. The device uses two independent, energetically suitable electrolytes, which allow controlled electrolytic ion transformation, with high faradaic efficiency and high energy performance, unlike current forced electrolysis methods, which operate with a common electrolyte. The device can be used in any aqueous medium, for example an acid environment, such as sulphuric, hydrochloric or other acid, a caustic-soda-based alkaline, or ammonium, thiocyanate or thiosulfate salts, with or without the presence of organic reactants.

Provided is a method of preventing reverse current flow through an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer, which method is capable of preventing a reverse current from being generated after stopping operation of the ion exchange membrane electrolyzer. A method of preventing reverse current flow through an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer 100, the ion exchange membrane electrolyzer 100 having an anode chamber 107 housing an anode, a cathode chamber 110 housing a cathode, an anode solution-supplying manifold 121 to feed anode solution to the anode chamber 107, and a cathode solution-supplying manifold 124 to feed cathode solution to the cathode chamber 110. After stopping operation of the ion exchange membrane electrolyzer 100, injected is a low electrical conductivity material with an electrical conductivity lower than that of the anode solution or the cathode solution to at least one of an anode solution-supplying pipe 127 which supplies the anode solution to the anode solution-supplying manifold 121 from an anode solution tank 123 and a cathode solution-supplying pipe 128 which supplies the cathode solution to the cathode solution-supplying manifold 124 from a cathode solution tank 123.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing titanium by using electrowinning and, more specifically, to a method for preparing titanium by using electrowinning, comprising the steps of: preparing a mixture by mixing a solid electrolyte, which contains an oxide of a Group 1 element and boron oxide, with titanium dioxide; and forming a molten oxide from the mixture by putting the mixture in an electrowinning apparatus comprising an anode and an insoluble cathode and heating the same, and then forming titanium on the cathode by applying voltage to the anode and the cathode.

The current invention pertains to methods for chemical modification of constituents of liquid stream containing organic or inorganic constituents. The methods include steps of: providing at least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers that include at least one first boundary substance and containing liquid streams; generating at least one second boundary substance from the at least one first boundary substance and the at least one organic or inorganic constituent of the at least one liquid stream; dissolving the at least one second boundary substance in at least one another liquid stream and generating a solution of greater dissolved second boundary substance concentration than the respective constituent initial occurrence in the at least one liquid stream; regenerating the at least one first boundary substance for subsequent generation of the at least one second boundary substance.