CO2 UTILIZATION IN ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS

• US 20100230293A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arelac, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Knott, Nigel Antony, Farsad, Kasra, Albrecht, Thomas A., Kostowskyj, Michael, Gorer, Alexander, Decker, Valentin, Jalani, Nikhil, Boggs, Bryan, GILLIAM, Ryan J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,357,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/349
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/08 Flow guidance means within the module or the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/16 Specific vents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/26 Specific gas distributors or gas intakes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/326 in electrochemical cells
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/422 Electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/44 Ion-selective electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/46 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/463 comprising the membrane sequence AC or CA, where C is a cation exchange membrane
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 7/01 Chlorine; Hydrogen chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C01D 1/40 by electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C01D 7/07 Preparation from the hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 11/18 Carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 5/24 Magnesium carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/46109 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/68 by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water medicinal water A61K
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46166 Gas diffusion electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46115 Electrolytic cell with membranes or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/4613 Inversing polarity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46135 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/46185 : Recycling the cathodic or anodic feed
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 : pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/046 : Recirculation with an external loop
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/00 : Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/02 : Hydrogen or oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 : by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/14 : Alkali metal compounds
• 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: C25B 15/08 : Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
• 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

A low-voltage, low-energy electrochemical system and method of removing protons and/or producing a base solution comprising hydroxide and carbonate/bicarbonate ions, utilizing carbon dioxide in a cathode compartment that is partitioned into a first cathode electrolyte compartment and a second cathode electrolyte compartment such that liquid flow between the cathode electrolyte compartments is possible, but wherein gaseous communication between the cathode electrolyte compartments is restricted. Carbon dioxide gas in one cathode electrolyte compartment is utilized with the cathode electrolyte in both compartments to produce the base solution with less that 3V applied across the electrodes.

Claims

1. An electrochemical system comprising:

(a) a cathode compartment partitioned into a first cathode electrolyte compartment and a second cathode electrolyte compartment by a partition such that on placing electrolyte in the cathode compartment, liquid flow between the cathode electrolyte in the first cathode electrolyte compartment and cathode electrolyte in the second cathode electrolyte compartment is possible, wherein,

the cathode electrolyte in the second cathode electrolyte compartment is in contact with a cathode; and

wherein the first cathode electrolyte compartment is operatively connected to an industrial waste gas system that comprises carbon dioxide that is derived from combusting fossil fuels; and

wherein the cathode electrolyte in the first cathode electrolyte compartment comprises carbon dioxide provided by the industrial waste gas system; and

(b) an anode electrolyte in an anode compartment that is in contact with an anode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas is absorbed into the cathode electrolyte, further wherein the cathode electrolyte in the first cathode electrolyte compartment comprises hydroxide ions, carbonic acid, carbonate ions, bicarbonate ions, or any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide gas is isolated from cathode electrolyte in the second cathode electrolyte compartment such that the carbon dioxide gas is prevented from contacting the cathode.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to produce hydroxide ions in the second cathode electrolyte compartment with less than 2V across the anode and cathode, and further wherein the system is configured to produce a pH differential between the anode and cathode electrolytes.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is configured to produce hydrogen gas at the cathode.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a hydrogen gas delivery system configured to direct hydrogen gas produced at the cathode to the anode, and wherein the system does not produce a gas at the anode.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is configured to migrate hydroxide ions from the second cathode electrolyte compartment to the first cathode electrolyte compartment.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the cathode compartment is operatively connected to a hydroxide, carbonate and/or bicarbonate precipitation system, wherein the precipitation system is configured to utilize the cathode electrolyte to produce hydroxide, carbonates and/or divalent cation bicarbonate.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one ion exchange membrane between the anode compartment and the cathode compartment.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one ion exchange membrane comprises a cation exchange membrane separating the cathode electrolyte in the second cathode electrolyte compartment from a third electrolyte, an anion exchange membrane separating the anode electrolyte from a third electrolyte, or both a cation exchange membrane separating the cathode electrolyte in the second electrolyte compartment from a third electrolyte and an anion exchange membrane separating the anode electrolyte from the third electrolyte.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the third electrolyte comprises sodium ions and chloride ions and wherein the system is configured to migrate sodium ions from the third electrolyte to cathode electrolyte through the cation exchange membrane, and migrate chloride ions from the third electrolyte to the anode electrolyte through the anion exchange membrane, and further wherein the system is configured to produce hydrochloric acid in the anode electrolyte.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the system is configured to produce sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and/or sodium bicarbonate in the cathode electrolyte and partially desalinated water in the third electrolyte.

2-4. -4. (canceled)

7-9. -9. (canceled)

14-19. -19. (canceled)

21-22. -22. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

27-28. -28. (canceled)

30-34. -34. (canceled)

35. An electrochemical method comprising:

directing an industrial waste gas comprising carbon dioxide into cathode electrolyte in a first cathode electrolyte compartment; and

applying a voltage across a cathode in contact with cathode electrolyte in a second cathode electrolyte compartment that is partitioned from the first cathode electrolyte compartment, and an anode in contact with an anode electrolyte, wherein the voltage applied across the anode and the cathode is less than 2V.

37. The method of claim 35, comprising producing hydroxide ions, carbonic acid, carbonate ions, and/or bicarbonate ions in the first cathode electrolyte compartment.

38. The method of claim 35, comprising producing carbonate ions and/or bicarbonate ions in the second cathode electrolyte compartment.

39. The method of claim 37, comprising producing hydrogen gas at the cathode, producing hydrogen ions at the anode, directing hydrogen gas produced at the cathode to the anode and wherein a gas is not produced at the anode.

44. The method of claim 39, further comprising separating the cathode electrolyte from a third electrolyte by a cation exchange membrane, separating the anode electrolyte from the third electrolyte by an anion exchange membrane, or both.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the third electrolyte comprises sodium and chloride ions.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising migrating sodium ions from the third electrolyte to the cathode electrolyte across the cation exchange membrane, and migrating chloride ions from the third electrolyte to the anode electrolyte across the anion exchange membrane, to produce an acid in the anode electrolyte, and wherein the cathode electrolyte comprises sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydroxide, and the anode electrolyte comprises hydrochloric acid.

52. The method of claim 47, further comprising contacting the cathode electrolyte with a divalent cation solution to produce divalent cation hydroxide, carbonate and/or bicarbonate compounds, wherein the divalent carbonate and/or bicarbonate compounds comprise calcium, magnesium, or both calcium and magnesium.

36. (canceled)

40-43. -43. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

48-51. -51. (canceled)

53-56. -56. (canceled)