An electrolytic cells for refining metals, and more particularly components, assemblies and methods making use of conductive elements configured to enhance distribution of electrical current.

An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.

Disclosed is an electrochemical cell or a stack of at least two electrochemical cells, wherein at least two components of the electrochemical cell or of the stack of electrochemical cells are bonded together by means of a strip of adhesive which can be removed again, in particular without residue or destruction, by stretching substantially in the bonding plane, wherein the strip of adhesive comprises one or more adhesive material layers and optionally one or more carrier layers, and wherein the outer upper surface and the outer lower surface of the strip of adhesive are formed by the one or more adhesive material layers. Also disclosed is the use of a strip of adhesive of this kind for bonding together components in an electrochemical cell or in a stack of at least two electrochemical cells.

A system to remove sodium and Sulfur from a feed stream containing alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides in addition to heavy metals. The system includes an electrolytic cell having an anolyte compartment housing an anode in contact with an anolyte. The anolyte includes alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides dissolved in a polar organic solvent. The anolyte includes heavy metal ions. A separator includes an ion conducting membrane and separates the anolyte compartment from a catholyte compartment that includes a cathode in contact with a catholyte. The catholyte includes an alkali ion-conductive liquid. A power source applies a voltage to the electrolytic cell high enough to reduce the alkali metal and oxidize Sulfur ions to allow recovery of the alkali metal and elemental sulfur. The ratio of sodium to Sulfur is such that the open circuit potential of the electrolytic cell is greater than about 2.3V.

An electrochemical cell including a solid electrolyte layer containing ZrO.sub.2 containing a first rare earth element; a cathode disposed on one side of the solid electrolyte layer; and an anode disposed on the other side of the solid electrolyte layer. The anode contains CeO.sub.2 containing a second rare earth element and Ni or an Ni-containing alloy. The electrochemical cell further includes an intermediate layer disposed between the solid electrolyte layer and the anode. The intermediate layer contains a solid solution containing Zr, Ce, the first rare earth element, and the second rare earth element. Also disclosed is an electrochemical stack including a plurality of the electrochemical cells, where the electrochemical stack is a solid oxide fuel cell stack or a solid oxide electrolysis cell stack.

A method for operating a wastewater treatment system is disclosed wherein the wastewater treatment system comprises at least one electrochemical cell comprising dimensionally stable electrodes having the same catalyst composition, the electrodes being immersed in wastewater and being connected to a power supply and wherein the voltage at the power supply is monitored and the polarity of the electrochemical cell(s) is reversed when the recorded voltage increases by a predetermined voltage difference. The wastewater treatment system can comprise at least one electrochemical cell which is kept inactive while the active electrochemical cells are operating. The inactive cell(s) can be activated when all the electrodes of the active cells are consumed as indicated by another increase in voltage at the power supply after the polarity of the active cells has been once reversed.

A system for providing hydrogen includes a first electrochemical cell or stack including a first cathode and a first anode separated by a first proton exchange membrane. A first inlet is in communication with the anode side of the first electrochemical cell or stack. The first inlet receives a first gas including hydrogen. A liquid composition on a liquid flow path is in communication with the cathode side of the first electrochemical cell or stack. The liquid composition includes water and a water-compatible redox compound. A second electrochemical cell stack including a second cathode and a second anode separated by a second proton exchange membrane is disposed with the anode side of the second electrochemical cell or stack in communication with the liquid flow path. A hydrogen outlet in communication with the cathode side of the second electrochemical cell or stack dispenses hydrogen from the system.

Disclosed is a stack module for a fuel cell and high temperature electrolysis including an individually changeable cell battery module during operation, the stack module being designed to be able to individually separate, couple, or replace a plurality of cell battery modules by a one-touch manner during operation so that maintenance costs are low, and, even when one or more cell battery modules are separated from a fuel transfer panel, other cell battery modules can operate normally such that superior power generation efficiency can be achieved.

The invention relates to an electrolysis system to conduct oxidation and reduction reactions, comprising one or more electrolytic cells, with each one of them being formed by at least a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte provided between said electrodes, wherein the assembly of said one or more electrolytic cells defines an electrolyzer; and an energy source that supplies an electrical signal to the electrolyzer; wherein said electrolytic cell is built in the form of a capacitor of cylindrical plates, wherein said cylindrical plates are defined by the electrodes of the electrolytic cell formed by tubes arranged in a substantially concentric way within each other, thus defining a central electrode, an outer electrode and a space between electrodes, wherein the central electrode corresponds to the anode of the capacitor, the outer electrode to the cathode of the capacitor and the electrolyte to the dielectric means of the capacitor; wherein the electrical signal received by the electrolytic cell or cells that form the electrolyzer correspond to a direct current pulse, wherein said pulse is configured for each electrolyzer's electrolytic cell to operate: In a charge transient regime of each cell during the current pulse; and In a discharge transient regime of each cell during the time between current pulses; wherein said charge and discharge transient regimes are defined by the construction of each electrolytic cell in the form of a cylindrical plates capacitor. In addition, the invention also relates to associated method and uses.

A multi-tank hydrogen-oxygen separation reactor is provided, including at least two hydrogen-oxygen separation reactors, and each of the hydrogen-oxygen separation reactors including an outer tank, an inner tank, a plurality of connection holes, an electrolytic solution, a first support portion, a first electrode, a first vent pipe, a second support portion, a second electrode, and a second vent pipe. The multi-tank hydrogen-oxygen separation reactor is able to enhance the efficiency of electrolyzing hydrogen and oxygen effectively and avoid explosion when hydrogen and oxygen coexist.