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(8.2)
On the other hand, the Asahi Chemical
Company (now the Asahi Kasei Corporation) in
Japan developed emulsion cathodic
hydrocoupling of acrylonitrile using the
thermomorphicity of acrylonitrile and water
containing 10% quaternary ammonium salt,
and started operation of the process in 1971 [4].
Both processes were operated in a divided cell
equipped with a separator-like cation exchange
membrane at the early stage of the processes.
Later on, both companies improved their
processes, and in the mid-1980s they
established processes with undivided cells in
order to reduce the higher cell voltage caused
by separator resistance. To develop the
undivided cell process, they focused on (i) high
selectivity as well as less corrosion, (ii)
establishment of electrolytic conditions with
stable long-term operation and systems for
recovery of quaternary ammonium salt/
purification of products, and (iii) development
of a facility in which the explosive gas mixture
of acrylonitrile and oxygen can be treated
safely.
The cathodes used in this process are Hg, Pb or
Cd, which have higher hydrogen overpotential
because hydrogen generation as a side reaction
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