Chlor-syngas: Coupling of Electrochemical Technologies for Production of Commodity Chemicals

This paper describes a novel electrolysis process called chlor-syngas, where synthesis gas is produced at the cathode and chlorine gas is produced at the anode. The work presented is an extension of previous electrolysis system development, where syngas was cathodically generated from water, CO2, and electricity. The process described here uses chloride-based electrolytes. Using HCl as the anolyte provides a low-cost source of Cl-, and leakage of excess protons lowers the catholyte pH, preventing carbonate buildup in the catholyte. Initial electrolysis data are presented here to demonstrate the feasibility of the process in KCl/KCl and KCl/HCl electrolytes. Using the electrolysis data, an estimation of the energetic and environmental benefits is presented. The process could be a path to a more sustainable chemical industry, where the starting materials are low-value or wastes from other related processes.