Bayer Material Science advanced to the final round of the German Industry Innovation Prize competition for a chlorine production process that uses 30 percent less energy than traditional methods, the company said March 17.
The technology, called oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC), also may reduce C02 emissions by up to 30 percent, according to the company.
ODC, which Bayer developed collaboratively with ThyssenKrupp, is based on the membrane process used in chlorine alkali electrolysis, the current standard for chlorine production.
In this process, chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen are normally produced from table salt and water. ODC technology suppresses the formation of hydrogen, which reduces energy consumption. If all chlorine producers in Germany adopt the technology, the country’s energy usage would drop by approximately 1 percent, according to Bayer.
For more information, visit materialscience.bayer.com.