procédé à cathode de mercure

CONT: Chlore. Fabrication industrielle. (...) on a recours à deux procédés : le procédé au diaphragme (...) et le procédé à cathode de mercure.
OBS: Cellules à cathode de mercure. On utilise une cathode circulante en mercure au contact de laquelle le sodium formé s'amalgame tandis que le chlore se dégage; le mercure contenant environ 0,2 p. 100 de sodium s'écoule de la cellule et passe dans un décomposeur dans lequel il fournit, en présence d'eau, de l'hydrogène et de la soude.

CONT: Most of the chlorine produced in the world is manufactured by electrolysis of sodium chloride brine. Two processes are in common use: the mercury cell process and the diaphragm cell process.
CONT: Mercury cathode process. In this process there is no need for a diaphragm or for any ""counterflow"" device, since the alkali metal (sodium or potassium) is discharged on a cathode consisting of a flowing mercury layer and becomes dissolved in it, thus forming an amalgam that is continuously drained out of the electrolytic cell. ... The amalgam is flowed into a reaction vessel, called 'decomposer' or 'denuder', where it is reacted with water so as to liberate its alkali metal content, with production of caustic and hydrogen.