Electrochemical production of metal hydroxide using metal silicates

• US 10,113,407 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Rau, Gregory Hudson
• Primary Examiner(s): Van, Luan V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jain, Salil
• Application Number:
  US13/008,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,842 Days
• Field of Search: 205508-510, 205549
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/304 of sodium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/306 of potassium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/402 of magnesium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/404 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/604 Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/103 Water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2255/2092 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/302 Sulfur oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/304 Hydrogen sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/402 Dinitrogen oxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/40 Acidic components B01D53/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/00 Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/16 Hydroxides by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/20 Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/26 Chlorine; Compounds thereof by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/28 Dissolving minerals other than hydrocarbons, e.g. by an alkaline or acid leaching agent E21B43/241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/10 of nitrous oxide (N2O)
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 : Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 : Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2

Abstract

Systems are described for dissolving metal silicates to: produce metal hydroxide; remove carbon dioxide or other acid gases from the atmosphere or other gas mixture by reacting such gases with the metal hydroxide; penetrate or excavate metal silicates; extract metals or silicon-containing compounds from metal silicates; and produce hydrogen and oxygen or other gases.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming metal hydroxide, comprising:

a first container that has a top, said first container containing insoluble particles;

a second container that is larger than said first container wherein said first container is located inside of said second container, wherein said first container is a porous container that includes porous container walls that extend entirely around said first container except for said top and wherein said porous container walls are made of a grate having a porosity such that water molecules and ions can pass through said grate but insoluble particles can not pass through said grate and said insoluble particles will be retained within said first container;

a hydroxyl-producing cathode located inside said second container outside of said first container;

hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode;

an acid-producing anode located inside said first container;

acid produced by said acid-producing anode;

a direct current electricity source connected to said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode;

direct current electricity produced by said direct current electricity source in a direct current electricity path between said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode;

a metal silicate mass located inside said first container, wherein said metal silicate mass is a metal silicate mass that has been ground, powdered, fractured, or drilled;

metal silicate contained in said metal silicate mass that is contacted by said acid produced by said acid-producing anode, or by said hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or by both said acid produced by said acid-producing anode and by said hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode, wherein said metal silicate constitutes pieces or particles composed partly or entirely of metal silicate;

a water solution located inside said first container and said second container, said water solution having an ion concentration, wherein said ion concentration is sufficient to allow said direct current electricity to pass in said direct current electricity path between said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode; and

wherein said first container that is a porous container with porous container walls is located inside of said second container with said porous container walls inside of said second container, said porous container containing said water solution and containing said acid-producing anode, said metal silicate mass, and said metal silicate wherein said porous container walls are immersed in said water solution inside said first container and said second container, wherein said hydroxyl-producing cathode is located in said second container outside of said first container that is a porous container;

wherein said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode are at least partially submerged in said water solution;

wherein said direct current electricity is applied across said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode, said direct current electricity being of sufficient current and voltage to generate said hydroxyl ions at said hydroxyl-producing cathode and generate said acid at said acid-producing anode, said acid or said hydroxyl ions being of sufficient concentration to convert at least some of said metal silicate into metal ions and silicate ions;

wherein said silicate ions react with said acid produced by said acid-producing anode and form silica or silicic acid; and

wherein said metal ions react with said hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode to form the metal hydroxide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising metal hydroxide storage operatively connected to said water solution located inside said second container wherein said metal hydroxide is stored in said metal hydroxide storage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said metal silicate is calcium silicate, and wherein said metal ions are calcium ions that react with said hydroxyl ions to form calcium hydroxide.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said water solution is a water solution derived from the ocean and wherein said water solution derived from the ocean has an ion concentration sufficient to allow said direct current electricity to produce acid at said acid-producing anode and produce hydroxyl ions at said hydroxyl-producing cathode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said direct current electricity source is a direct current electricity source that produces direct current electricity which is derived from coal, natural gas, oil, wind, solar, hydro, wave, tidal, ocean thermal, geothermal, geochemical, biochemical, biomass, or nuclear.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising acid gases in said first container produced by said acid produced by said acid-producing anode wherein said acid gases are reacted with said metal hydroxide to form metal salts.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising storage operatively connected to said metal salts and wherein said metal salts are stored in said storage.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a processing system and wherein said metal salts are processed by said processing system to concentrate said metal salts.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said acid-producing anode is placed in contact with said metal silicate mass.

10. An apparatus for forming metal hydroxide, comprising:

a first container;

a second container that is larger than said first container wherein said first container is located inside of said second container, wherein said first container is a porous container that is a plastic container with plastic sides that have holes that provide a porosity such that water molecules and ions can pass through said holes but insoluble particles can not pass through said holes and said insoluble particles will be retained within said first container;

a hydroxyl-producing cathode located inside said second container outside of said first container;

hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode;

an acid-producing anode located inside said first container;

acid produced by said acid-producing anode;

a direct current electricity source connected to said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode;

direct current electricity produced by said direct current electricity source in a direct current electricity path between said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode;

a metal silicate mass located inside said first container, wherein said metal silicate mass is a metal silicate mass that has been ground, powdered, fractured, or drilled and wherein said acid-producing anode is placed in contact with said metal silicate mass;

metal silicate contained in said metal silicate mass that is contacted by said acid produced by said acid-producing anode, or by said hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or by both said acid produced by said acid-producing anode and by said hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode, wherein said metal silicate constitutes pieces or particles composed partly or entirely of metal silicate;

a water solution located inside said first container and said second container, said water solution having an ion concentration, wherein said ion concentration is sufficient to allow said direct current electricity to pass in said direct current electricity path between said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode; and

wherein said first container that is a porous container and is a plastic container with plastic sides that have holes is positioned inside of said second container with said plastic sides entirely within said second container, wherein said plastic sides are immersed in said water solution located inside said first container and said second container, said first container is a porous container containing said water solution and containing said acid-producing anode, said metal silicate mass, and said metal silicate, wherein said hydroxyl-producing cathode is located in said second container outside of said first container that is a porous container;

wherein said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode are at least partially submerged in said water solution;

wherein said direct current electricity is applied across said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode, said direct current electricity being of sufficient current and voltage to generate said hydroxyl ions at said hydroxyl-producing cathode and generate said acid at said acid-producing anode, said acid or said hydroxyl ions being of sufficient concentration to convert at least some of said metal silicate into metal ions and silicate ions;

wherein said silicate ions react with said acid produced by said acid-producing anode and form silica or silicic acid; and

wherein said metal ions react with said hydroxyl ions produced by said hydroxyl-producing cathode to form the metal hydroxide.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said metal silicate mass is a metal silicate mass that is a naturally or artificially amassed metal silicate mass.