Environmentally Sound Chlor-Alkali Production
Chlorine (Cl2) and caustic sodium hydroxide (NaOH) are among the most produced commodity chemicals in the world. But for years, industries used inefficient processes to produce them, with methods that were dangerous for workers and damaging to the environment. Those methods used mercury or asbestos diaphragm cells to transfer sodium ions between half cells.
Modern methods produce Cl2 and NaOH from the electrolysis of brine using a cation exchange membrane between half-cells, which helps chlorine and sodium hydroxide production address the safety concerns of older technologies.
Nafion™ membranes are well-suited for industrial use because they tolerate the high temperatures, high electrical currents, and corrosive environment of the electrochemical cells used in this process. These membranes can also be used in the potassium hydroxide process.
Additionally, Nafion™ membranes properties:
- Allow cation transfer with minimal electrical resistance
- Prevent product gases from mixing
- Minimize back transfer of Cl− and OH− ions
- Produce high-quality products
