Aqueous HCl electrolysis utilizing an oxygen reducing cathode

The effects of various process parameters on the cell voltage and chlorine current efficiency (CCE) in a Half-MEA (Nafion® 115 membrane-Loading: 0.4 mg Pt/cm2) oxygen reducing membrane electrolysis cell employing a dimensionally stable anode (DSA®) were studied. Process parameters under investigation included anolyte concentration, anolyte flow rate, anolyte temperature, oxygen flow rate and applied current density. The effect of the latter parameters on the cell voltage and CCE was determined quantitatively. Taguchi and ANOVA techniques were employed for experimental design and data analysis, respectively.It was observed that increasing either of anolyte flow rate, anolyte concentration, oxygen flow rate and anolyte temperature caused a decrease in cell voltage and an increase in CCE. At the same time, increasing current density linearly increased cell voltage. Current density and the anolyte flow rate had the highest contributions, of 49.7% and 30.62%, to the cell voltage, respectively. On the other hand, the oxygen flow rate and the anolyte flow rate had the highest contributions, of 57.19% and 23.66%, on the CCE, respectively.