Chlorine Manufacture

Most chlorine is manufactured electrolytically by the diaphragm, membrane, or mercury cell process. In each process, a salt solution (sodium or potassium chloride) is electrolyzed by the action of direct electric current which converts chloride ions to elemental chlorine. Chlorine is also produced in a number of other ways, for example, by electrolysis of molten sodium or magnesium chloride to make elemental sodium or magnesium metal; by electrolysis of hydrochloric acid; and by non-electrolytic processes.

Chlorine production for 2006 in short tons/year is estimated to be as follows:

Diaphragm Cell Technology

Currently in North America, most chlorine production is from diaphragm cell technology. The products of this type of cell are chlorine gas, hydrogen gas, and cell liquor composed of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride solution.

A nearly saturated sodium chloride solution (brine) enters the diaphragm cell anolyte compartment and flows through the diaphragm to the cathode section. Chloride ions are oxidized at the anode to produce chlorine gas. Hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions are produced at the cathode. Sodium ions migrate across the diaphragm from the anode compartment to the cathode side to produce cell liquor containing 10% to 12% sodium hydroxide. Some chloride ions also migrate across the diaphragm resulting in the cell liquor containing about 16% sodium chloride. The cell liquor is typically concentrated to 50% sodium hydroxide by an evaporation process. The salt recovered in the evaporation process is returned to the brine system for reuse.

Membrane Cell Technology

Membrane cell technology uses sheets of perfluorinated polymer ion exchange membranes to separate the anodes and cathodes within the electrolyzer. Ultra-pure brine is fed to the anode compartments, where chloride ions are oxidized to form chlorine gas. The membranes are cation selective resulting in predominantly sodium ions and water migrating across the membranes to the cathode compartments. Water is reduced to form hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions at the cathodes. In the cathode compartment, hydroxide ions and sodium ions combine to form sodium hydroxide.

Membrane electrolyzers typically produce 30% to 35% sodium hydroxide, containing less than 100 ppm of sodium chloride. The sodium hydroxide can be concentrated further, typically to 50%, using evaporators.

Mercury Cell Technology

Mercury Cell technology uses a stream of mercury flowing along the bottom of the electrolyzer as the cathode. The anodes are suspended parallel to the base of the cell, a few millimeters above the flowing mercury. Brine is fed into one end of the cell box and flows by gravity between the anodes and the cathode. Chlorine gas is evolved and released at the anode.

The sodium ions are deposited along the surface of the flowing mercury cathode. The alkali metal dissolves in the mercury, forming a liquid amalgam. The amalgam flows by gravity from the electrolyzer to the carbon-filled decomposer, where deionized water is added. The water chemically strips the alkali metal from the mercury, producing hydrogen and 50% sodium hydroxide. The mercury is then pumped back to the cell inlet, where the electrolysis process is repeated.