Experiences With A Bench-Scale Electrochemical Plant

Electrochemical processing methods offer potential advantages in organic synthesis; however, only rarely do such processes reach commercial realization. One reason is the discomfort that traditional chemical engineers feel for this “non-traditional” technology. Having to deal with the special problems of power supply and distribution, membranes and electrodes while developing a process which also includes the normal problems of homo- and heterogeneous reactions, mass transfer and phase separation is often seen as an overwhelming burden. It is important, therefore, that research in organic electrochemical synthesis includes demonstration at a scale which is credible to the chemical engineers who will ultimately be responsible for developing the process to full scale. An important, yet often overlooked aspect of electrochemical process research is the interactions of the electrolysis with other unit operations. The unit operations relevant to this paper are diagrammed in Figure 1. Only with continuous operation of the entire process can problems arising from these interactions be identified and addressed. This paper describes our experiences in taking a new electrochemical reaction through various stages of development ta a bench-scale demonstration which include continuous feed of starting and continuous separation of product.