Electrochemical Manufacturing in the Chemical Industry

There have been significant developments in electrochemical manufacturing in the chemical industry. The Chlor-Alkali industry is one of the largest chemical processes worldwide. The chlor-alkali process dates back over 100 years, originating from the electrolysis of brine using mercury (Hg) as electrode. Recent improvements in membrane cell design, along with the introduction of oxygen-depolarized cathodes, have led to marked improvements in cell efficiency, reducing the overall process power requirements by nearly 30%. The electrochemical production of aluminum is one of the most successful examples of how electrochemical reactors can reduce the cost of commodities. All of the primary aluminum production occurs through one industrial practice, which consists of three steps mining of bauxite, production of alumina known as the Bayer process, and reduction to Al metal known as the Hall-HeÁroult process. The synthesis of organic compounds has been accomplished via chemical routes. The ADP electrosynthesis process is a classical example of electrochemical manufacturing of organic compounds.