Separator membrane-gasket-protecting member assembly, electrolysis element, and electrolysis vessel

Abstract

A separating membrane-gasket-protecting member assembly including: an ion-permeable separating membrane; a gasket holding a periphery of the membrane; and a frame-shaped protecting member holding the gasket; the protecting member including: a frame-shaped base body; and a frame-shaped lid member; the base body including: a receiving part being arranged in an inner periphery of the base body and receiving the gasket and the lid member; and a supporting part extending toward an inner periphery side of the base body and supporting the gasket received in the receiving part in a direction crossing a main face of the membrane; and the lid member having dimensions such that the lid member can be received in the receiving part, wherein the gasket and the lid member are received in the receiving part such that the gasket is sandwiched between the supporting part and the lid member.

1 . A separating membrane-gasket-protecting member assembly comprising:
 an ion-permeable separating membrane;   a gasket holding a periphery of the separating membrane; and   a frame-shaped and electrically insulating protecting member holding the gasket;   the protecting member comprising:
 a frame-shaped base body; and 
 a frame-shaped lid member; 
   the base body comprising:
 a receiving part being arranged in an inner periphery of the base body and receiving the gasket and the lid member; 
 a supporting part protruding from the receiving part and extending toward an inner periphery side of the base body, and supporting the gasket received in the receiving part in a direction crossing a main face of the separating membrane; and 
   the lid member having dimensions such that the lid member can be received in the receiving part of the base body,   wherein the gasket and the lid member are received in the receiving part of the base body, such that the gasket is sandwiched between the supporting part of the base body and the lid member.   
     
     
         2 . An electrolysis vessel comprising:
 a plurality of electroconductive separating wall each having a first face and a second face, wherein each adjacent pair of the electroconductive separating walls comprising a first electroconductive separating wall and a second electroconductive separating wall is arranged such that the first face of the first electroconductive separating wall faces the second face of the second electroconductive separating wall;   a plurality of the separating membrane-gasket-protecting member assembly as defined in  claim 1  each arranged between each adjacent pair of the electroconductive separating walls; and   sealing members each arranged between each adjacent pair of the electroconductive separating wall and the separating membrane-gasket-protecting member assembly;   each adjacent pair of the first face of the electroconductive separating wall and the separating membrane facing the first face of the electroconductive separating wall defining a first chamber therebetween, the first chamber comprising a first electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the electroconductive separating wall of the pair defining the first chamber; and   each adjacent pair of the second face of the electroconductive separating wall and the separating membrane facing the second face of the electroconductive separating wall defining a second chamber therebetween, the second chamber comprising a second electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the electroconductive separating wall of the pair defining the second chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the sealing members are O-rings; and   each of the protecting members comprising:
 a first groove provided in a first face of the frame-shaped base body, such that the O-ring can be fixed between the frame-shaped base body and the first face of the electroconductive separating wall, the first face of the frame-shaped base body facing the first face of the electroconductive separating wall; and 
 a second groove provided in a second face of the frame shaped base body, such that the O-ring can be fixed between the frame-shaped base body and the second face of the electroconductive separating wall, the second face of the frame-shaped base body facing the second face of the electroconductive separating wall. 
   
     
     
         4 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the sealing members are O-rings; and   each of the electroconductive separating walls comprising:
 a first groove provided in the first face of the electroconductive separating wall, such that the O-ring can be fixed between the first face of the electroconductive separating wall and the frame-shaped base body; and 
 a second groove provided in the second face of the electroconductive separating wall, such that the O-ring can be fixed between the second face of the electroconductive separating wall and the frame-shaped base body. 
   
     
     
         5 . An electrolysis element comprising:
 an ion-permeable separating membrane;   a gasket holding a periphery of the separating membrane;   a frame-shaped protecting member holding the gasket; and   an electroconductive separating wall having a first face and a second face;   the protecting member comprising:
 a frame-shaped base body; and 
 a frame-shaped lid member; 
   the base body comprising:
 a receiving part arranged in an inner periphery of the base body and receiving the gasket and the lid member; and 
 a supporting part protruding from the receiving part and extending toward an inner periphery side of the base body, and supporting the gasket received in the receiving part in a direction crossing a main face of the separating membrane; 
   the lid member having dimensions such that the lid member can be received in the receiving part of the base body,   wherein the gasket and the lid member are received in the receiving part of the base body, such that the gasket is sandwiched between the supporting part of the base body and the lid member;   the electroconductive separating wall is arranged such that the first face of the electroconductive separating wall faces the separating membrane;   an outer periphery of the electroconductive separating wall is joined with an inner periphery of the supporting part of the base body, or is united with the inner periphery of the supporting part of the base body into one body;   the frame-shaped base body comprises a protruding flange part being continuous with the supporting part and protruding from the outer periphery of the electroconductive separating wall toward a side of the second face of the electroconductive separating wall; and   an outer periphery of the protruding flange part has dimensions smaller than or equal to dimensions of an inner periphery of the receiving part.   
     
     
         6 . An electrolysis vessel comprising:
 a stacked structure comprising a plurality of the electrolysis element as defined in  claim 5  being stacked, wherein for each adjacent pair of the electrolysis elements comprising a first electrolysis element and a second electrolysis element, at least part of the protruding flange part of the first electrolysis element is further received in the receiving part of the second electrolysis element, such that the protruding flange part of the first electrolysis element and the supporting part of the second electrolysis element sandwich the gasket and the lid member of the second electrolysis element, to hold the gasket and the lid member of the second electrolysis element therebetween;   each adjacent pair of the first face of the electroconductive separating wall and the separating membrane facing the first face of the electroconductive separating wall defining a first chamber therebetween, the first chamber comprising a first electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the electroconductive separating wall of the pair defining the first chamber; and   each adjacent pair of the second face of the electroconductive separating wall and the separating membrane facing the second face of the electroconductive separating wall defining a second chamber therebetween, the second chamber comprising a second electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the electroconductive separating wall of the pair defining the second chamber.   
     
     
         7 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein for each adjacent pair of the electrolysis elements comprising the first electrolysis element and the second electrolysis element, the protruding flange part of the first electrolysis element and the lid member of the second electrolysis element sandwich an O-ring as a sealing member, to hold the O-ring therebetween.   
     
     
         8 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 6 ,
 the stacked structure comprising a third electrolysis element arranged at a first end of the stacked structure and a fourth electrolysis element arranged at a second end of the stacked structure;   the electrolysis vessel further comprising:
 a first terminal element arranged such that the first terminal element faces the second face of the electroconductive separating wall of the third electrolysis element; and 
 a second terminal element arranged such that the second terminal element faces the separating membrane of the fourth electrolysis element; 
   the first terminal element comprising:
 an ion-permeable first separating membrane; 
 a first gasket holding a periphery of the first separating membrane; 
 a frame-shaped first protecting member holding the first gasket; and 
 a third electroconductive separating wall having a first face and a second face; 
   the first protecting member comprising:
 a frame-shaped first base body; and 
 a frame-shaped first lid member; 
   the first base body comprising:
 a first receiving part arranged in an inner periphery of the first base body and receiving the first gasket and the first lid member; and 
 a first supporting part protruding from the first receiving part and extending toward an inner periphery side of the first base body, and supporting the first gasket received in the first receiving part in a direction crossing a main face of the first separating membrane; 
   the first lid member having dimensions such that the first lid member can be received in the first receiving part of the first base body;   the first gasket and the first lid member being received in the first receiving part of the first base body, such that the first gasket is sandwiched between the first supporting part and the first lid member;   the third electroconductive separating wall being arranged such that the first face of the third electroconductive separating wall faces the first separating membrane;   an outer periphery of the third electroconductive separating wall being joined with an inner periphery of the first supporting part of the first base body, or being united with the inner periphery of the first supporting part of the first base body into one body;   at least part of the protruding flange part of the third electrolysis element being further received in the first receiving part of the first terminal element, such that the protruding flange part of the third electrolysis element and the first supporting part of the first terminal element sandwich the first gasket and the first lid member of the first terminal element, to hold the first gasket and the first lid member of the first terminal element therebetween;   the second terminal element comprising:
 a fourth electroconductive separating wall having a first face and a second face; and 
 a second protruding flange part being joined with an outer periphery of the fourth electroconductive separating wall or being united with the outer periphery of the fourth electroconductive separating wall into one body, wherein a first end of the second protruding flange part protrudes from the outer periphery of the fourth electroconductive separating wall and extends toward a side of the second face of the fourth electroconductive separating wall; 
   an outer periphery of the second protruding flange part having dimensions smaller than or equal to the dimensions of the inner periphery of the receiving part of the fourth electrolysis element, at least at the first end of the second protruding flange part;   at least part of the second protruding flange part of the second terminal element being further received in the receiving part of the fourth electrolysis element, such that the second protruding flange part of the second terminal element and the supporting part of the fourth electrolysis element sandwich the gasket and the lid member of the fourth electrolysis element, to hold the gasket and the lid member of the fourth electrolysis element therebetween;   the first face of the third electroconductive separating wall of the first terminal element and the first separating membrane further defining another first chamber therebetween, the another first chamber comprising another first electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the third electroconductive separating wall;   the second face of the electroconductive separating wall of the third electrolysis element and the first separating membrane of the first terminal element further defining another second chamber therebetween, the another second chamber comprising another second electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the electroconductive separating wall of the third electrolysis element; and   the second face of the fourth electroconductive separating wall of the second terminal element and the separating membrane of the fourth electrolysis element further defining yet another second chamber therebetween, the yet another second chamber comprising yet another second electrode arranged therein and electrically connected with the fourth electroconductive separating wall.   
     
     
         9 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 8 ,
 the protruding flange part of the third electrolysis element and the first lid member of the first terminal element sandwiching a first O-ring as a sealing member, to hold the first O-ring therebetween; and   the second protruding flange part of the second terminal element and the lid member of the fourth electrolysis element sandwiching a second O-ring as a sealing member, to hold the second O-ring therebetween.   
     
     
         10 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the frame-shaped first base body of the first terminal element, the second protruding flange part of the second terminal element, and each of the frame-shaped base bodies of the electrolysis elements are electrically insulating.   
     
     
         11 . The electrolysis vessel according to  claim 6 ,
 the frame-shaped first base body of the first terminal element, the second protruding flange part of the second terminal element, and each of the frame-shaped base bodies of the electrolysis elements each comprising an electroconductive material;   the electrolysis vessel further comprising:
 a first electrical insulating member arranged such that the first electrical insulating member prevents short-circuiting between the frame-shaped first base body of the first terminal element and the frame-shaped base body of the third electrolysis element; 
 a second electrical insulating member arranged such that the second electrical insulating member prevents short-circuiting between the second protruding flange part of the second terminal element and the frame-shaped base body of the fourth electrolysis element; and 
 a third electrical insulating member arranged such that the third electrical insulating member prevents short-circuiting between the frame-shaped base bodies of each adjacent pair of the electrolysis elements.