How it Works - The Electrolysis Process
The electrolysis of salt to generate chlorine is a century-old practice. Traditionally, the chlorine disinfectant resulting from electrolysis is packaged in cylinders (chlorine gas) or drums (sodium hypochlorite) and transported to the end user. In the 1970s, several companies began to explore the idea of making smaller electrolytic equipment that uses common salt to move the process on-site, thus eliminating the need for transportation and storage of hazardous chemicals. Over the last several decades, both the on-site generation process and equipment availability have been refined and improved.
MIOX’s on-site generators are designed to produce either hypochlorite or mixed oxidants at free available chlorine (FAC) concentrations of less than 1 percent. Both systems utilize the same feedstocks of salt, water, and electrical energy (power x time, e.g. kilowatt-hours), and both produce a chlorine-based disinfectant that is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as safe for potable water applications.
The Basics of Electrolysis:
The MIOX system produces a chlorine-based disinfectant using only salt, water and electricity. By placing a high-quality, food-grade salt into a saturation tank, then adding water, a saturated brine solution is formed. Brine feed concentration is adjusted by adding softened clean water to dilute the brine solution and the on-site generator then feeds the diluted brine through an electrolytic cell. The cell applies a direct electrical current to the brine solution, converting the chloride ions present in the salt to chlorine, which then combines with water to form hypochlorite and hypochlorous acid. Because the pH of the solution is about 9.0, most of the dissolved chlorine is in the form of hypochlorite.
Creating advanced Mixed Oxidants:
MIOX offers a basic hypochlorite generator and an advanced mixed oxidant generator. While the two systems look virtually identical from the outside - with the same types of cabinets, controllers and basic components – the operation of the electrolytic cells creates a significant difference in the final product in terms of chemical and biocidal behavior when used in water treatment.
Although they look similar, MIOX’s hypochlorite generators have been optimized for operating efficiency, and the mixed oxidant generators have been optimized for efficacy. This improvement in efficacy means that mixed oxidant generators can provide performance benefits including improved biocidal properties, enhanced biofilm control, longer lasting residual, taste and odor improvements and others. These performance benefits can provide MIOX customers with meaningful improvements to their process or process control.
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