Novel process concept for the production of H2 and H 2SO 4 by SO 2-depolarized electrolysis
2012
Lokkiluoto, Anu | Taskinen, Pekka A. | Gasik, Michael | Kojo, Ilkka V. | Peltola, Heljä | Barker, Michael H. | Kleifges, Karl-Heinz
Outotec open cycle (OOC) is a new low-energy process linking together production of hydrogen and sulfuric acid. While sulfuric acid is the world’s most widely produced chemical by mass at approximately 200 Mt/a, the OOC gives the potential for making 4 Mt/a of hydrogen gas as a by-product. H2SO4 manufacture requires a source of sulfur dioxide. 30% of world production of H2SO4 is from the SO2 by-product of pyrometallurgical processing of sulfur containing concentrates of metals such as copper, nickel and zinc. SO2 can also be made by direct combustion of sulfur. In OOC, a divided electrochemical cell is used for SO2-depolarized electrolysis of water. SO2 is fed to the anolyte and converted to H2SO4, while hydrogen gas is produced at the cathode. On the industrial scale, the equipment will be in the form of a membrane electrolyzer assembly or stack. A case is described where the OOC would be connected to a pyrometallurgical plant smelting 1 Mt/a of nickel and copper concentrate, producing 1 Mt/a of H2SO4 and 20 kt/a of hydrogen.
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