United States Patent 9 ul 4,312,722 Yoshida (45) Jan. 26, 1982 [54] PROCESS FOR PREPARING NITRITES Primary Examiner—Andrew Metz , Assistant Exeminer—Dooaid R. Valentine {75} Inventor: Mitsuo Yoshida, Nobecka, Japan Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Birch, Stewart, Kolasch and [73] Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Birch Osaka, Je an a 67] ABSTRACT 21] Appl. Nox 81,897 Nitrates, such as alkali metal nitrates and ammonium 22] Filed: Oot 6 1979 nittate, ae electrolytically reduced to the correspond: Sai eee eer a ing mites by a process wherein an aqueous solution hase 1 Pate same coming «nate i suplid into a cathode chamber % an of an electrolytic cell including cathode and anode Oct. 6, 1978 [FP] Japan 53122737 chambers separated by a cation exchange membrane [51] Int. Che ... C2SB 1/00; C25B 11/04 —_and an electric current is applied to the electrolytic cell, 3] USC. = 204/S; 204/290 R; while maintaining the pH of the aqueous solution at 2 204/292; 204/252 value of at least about 4. This process can be advanta- [58] Field of Search .. 204/91, 102, 296, 290 R, —_geously applied not only to the manufacture of nitrites 204/292, 252 ut, also, to the treatment of waste nitrates. In the treat- 9 pee coe me of wate amnion tte anon ie so formed is conveniently farther treated by subjecting US. PATENT Loar) the electrolytically reduced catholyte to thermal de- 2273739 2/942. Tene tah. 204/91 composition outside the electrolytic cell, and removing 3103473, 9/1963 Suda, ~~ 204/91 the so formed nitrogen and water from the reaction S296403 1071966 Gerais ca paver the 3,413,203 11/1968 Maclean 204/91 X staeaas Listors Ukinait ea 200/90 X Siaeey ‘3/980 Speck 204/236 13 Claims, 3 Drawing FiguresU.S. Patent — Jan. 26, 1982 Sheet 1 of 2 4,312,722 Fig. ! \ ry a 8 In 3IU.S. Patent Jan. 26, 1982 Sheet 2 of 2 4,312,722