Where is chlorine found and how is it extracted?
Chlorine isn’t found in it’s raw form. Basic Industrial description…. It’s extracted from Brine (salt water) by Electrolysis. The brine is pumped through an Electrolysis Cell having a Cathode (negative electrode) which consists of a flowing Mercury bed in counter-current to the flow of brine. At the top of the Cell is the Positive Anode immersed in the brine. The electrolysis takes place across the cell at 50 volts and 30,000 amps. This separates the Sodium Ions (Na+) and the Chlorine Ions (Cl-) from the salt in the brine. The Cl- ions pass to the Anode (+) and are collected as Cl2 gas which is drawn off and passes to a chlorine dehydration unit for water removal. It is then compressed and liquefied by refrigeration. The Sodium ions (+) pass into the flowing mercury bed and form an ‘Amalgam’ with the mercury. This flows out of the cell into a ‘Decomposer’ consisting of carbon blocks where it is met by a counter-flow of demineralised water which forms a solution of Caustic soda (sodiu
