Chlor-alkali process analysis.

The OMA-300-CL2 analyser, from Applied Analytics™ [AAI], showcases a seamless dynamic range of the OMA Series from low ppm up to high % concentrations of chlorine and chlorine-based compounds.

Chlor-alkali refers to the chemicals simultaneously being produced as a result of electrolysis of a saltwater or brine solution. Typically, the chlor-alkali process produces two chemicals, chlorine and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda, NaOH). Over 95% of the world’s chlorine is produced in the chlor-alkali process.

In the chlor-alkali process, using an electrolytic cell, chlorine is gathered by running an electric current across a brine solution. The wet chlorine from the electrolytic cell is then purified further by removing moisture via a cooling tower, filtration and sulfuric acid drying towers. The gaseous chlorine is put through a liquefaction process where liquid chlorine is produced along with the byproduct tail gas/sniff gas stream, made up of the gas not liquified during liquefaction process. The tail gas/sniff gas stream is sent to a caustic scrubber for further gas processing.

The final chlorine product from the chlor-alkali process often feeds directly into EDC/VCM plants which is a precursor to PVC. Monitoring the Cl2 and NCl3 impurity throughout the chlor-alkali process is vital for safety concerns, environmental regulations, and process efficiency purposes.

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