Membrane Electrolysis in Beryllium Hydroxide Production Technology

Abstract

Experimental studies of the electrochemical neutralization of an alkaline solution for the production of beryllium hydroxide with simultaneous regeneration of NaOH are expounded. The kinetics is studied and the basic technological parameters are determined – current density, voltage, duration, and specific electricity consumption. The use of MF-4SK instead of MK-40 membranes in the neutralization of alkali in two stages approximately halves the process time. The concentration of the regenerated solution reaches 450 g/dm³, as required for autoclave opening. It is shown that in principle membrane electrolysis can be used for neutralization and parallel regeneration of alkali in reprocessing solutions after autoclave opening of raw material. A technological scheme is proposed for obtaining beryllium hydroxide by membrane electrolysis.