Patents

The invention comprises the preparation of solid potassium iodate by electrochemical method in a two compartmental membrane flow cell without the use of catalytic potassium dichromate for edible and other industrial applications. The procedure involves the use of iodine and potassium hydroxide. The method avoids the use of carcinogenic catalysts and several other cost implicated process steps. This method works at temperatures between 45 and 60°C. A fabric supported heterogeneous anion exchange membrane was used in the construction of two-compartmental membrane cell to support the formation of potassium iodate in the absence of dichromate catalyst at high coulombic efficiency and purity. The method gives potassium iodate 55% and above in the first batch and average 100% yield in all repetitive cycles with an estimated purity of greater than 99.8%. A solution of potassium hydroxide was used as reproducible catholyte.