Electrochemical salt splitting

Explore the application.

Electrochemical salt splitting uses electricity and ion-selective membranes to separate salt solutions into their constituent acid and base within an electrochemical cell.
By applying an electric current, ions (cations and anions) in the solution migrate through dedicated membranes into separate compartments, where water splitting reactions occur, allowing the formation of equivalent acids and bases.

This controlled process enables the recovery of valuable materials such as lithium sulfate (Li2SO4), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), converted in lithium hydroxide (LiOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and tetramethyl ammonium chloride (TMA-Cl), converted into tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMA-OH).

These products are essential in industries like lithium-ion battery manufacturing, pulp and paper production, and semiconductor fabrication.

What is electrochemical salt splitting?

Electrochemical salt splitting uses electricity and ion-selective membranes to separate salt solutions into their constituent acid and base within an electrochemical cell.
By applying an electric current, ions (cations and anions) in the solution migrate through dedicated membranes into separate compartments, where water splitting reactions occur, allowing the formation of equivalent acids and bases.

This controlled process enables the recovery of valuable materials such as lithium sulfate (Li2SO4), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), converted in lithium hydroxide (LiOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and tetramethyl ammonium chloride (TMA-Cl), converted into tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMA-OH).

These products are essential in industries like lithium-ion battery manufacturing, pulp and paper production, and semiconductor fabrication.

The De Nora advantage

Backed by decades of electrochemical expertise, De Nora turns its proven know-how into industrial results, making salt splitting practical, reliable, and efficient. Our proprietary systems delivers tangible benefits:

HIGH PERFORMANCE

CECHLO™ for salt splitting allows the lowest energy consumption and the production of chemicals at a competitive cost.

COST-EFFECTIVE & FLEXIBLE

Reduced maintenance, high-purity output, and adaptable to a variety of salts.

WASTE REDUCTION

Lower environmental impact through smarter resource use.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

CECHLO™ for salt splitting allows the lowest energy consumption and the production of chemicals at a competitive cost.

COST-EFFECTIVE & FLEXIBLE

Reduced maintenance, high-purity output, and adaptable to a variety of salts.

WASTE REDUCTION

Lower environmental impact through smarter resource use.

Key operating variables & optimization.

Salt splitting performance depends on several interdependent factors

Current density: how much electric current per unit area. A high current density can impact the cell energy consumption (OPEX) while a low current density drives to high CAPEX.
Salt and base concentrations: the starting concentrations of salt in the feeding brine and the contemporary base or acid concentration influence the electrochemical cell efficiency. High acid concentration, furthermore, can impact the anode life.

De Nora optimizes these variables in each installation to balance yield, energy use, and membrane lifetime.

The importance of circularity.

Electrochemical salt splitting offers a sustainable alternative to existing processes.

It allows:

Recovery and reuse of acid/base streams instead of discarding them.
Treatment of heavily loaded salt streams to recover water, acids, or bases rather than wasting them.
Contribution to resource efficiency and lower waste generation in industries (pulp & paper, battery materials, specialty chemicals).

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