Electrolytic recovery of chlorine from hydrogen chloride gas with fused molten salt electrolyte LiCl/KCl

A method of electrolytic recovery of chlorine from hydrogen chloride gas based on the fused molten salt LiCl/KCl is under development*. For the feasibility study, described here, a reticulated vitreous carbon (or porous carbon) cathode was immersed in a low-melting eutectic of LiCl/KCl. A graphite rod was used as the anode. Gaseous dilute hydrogen chloride, in a mixture with nitrogen, was reduced to elemental hydrogen and chloride at the cathode, and chlorine was produced at the anode. At stoichiometric current, current efficiency is greater than 90%. The removal efficiency is as high as 97%.