Electrochemical Cell Design and Optimization Procedures

Electrochemical processes represent a substantial part of chemical industry and consume about 7 per cent of the industrial electricity use.

They are of increasing importance with respect to environmental protection, safety and energy technology.

A part from conventional units for the purification of raw materials and the separation of products, the electrochemical reactor itself is the most important part.

Some of the general requirements of cell design are: simple modular design applicable to high current densities, large specific electrode area, low ohmic losses, applicable to multiphase systems, reliable operation with low maintenance, and easy to scale-up.

The optimization of cell design in order to save nervy while guaranteeing a high product quality is a continuous task.