PRODUCTION OF CARBONATE-CONTAINING COMPOSITIONS FROM MATERIAL COMPRISING METAL SILICATES

• US 20100313794A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Monteiro, Paulo, Tuet, Philip, Brown, Gordon E. JR., Omelon, Sidney, Farsad, Kasra, Ryan, Cecily, Fernandez, Miguel, Clodic, Laurence, Geramita, Katharine, Constantz, Brent R.
• Application Number:
  US12/788,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313794A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 106/706
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/404 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/04 Silica-rich materials; Silicates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/28 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/023 Chemical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0088 Compounds chosen for their latent hydraulic characteristics, e.g. pozzuolanes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/04 Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/22 Inorganic acids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines

Abstract

Provided are methods for producing carbonate-containing compositions comprising silicon-based material (e.g., pozzolanic material) from a source of carbon dioxide, a divalent cation-containing solution, and a source of proton-removing agents. In such methods, divalent cations of the divalent cation-containing solution are provided by digestion of material comprising metal silicates. Also provided are methods for producing carbonate-containing compositions comprising little or no silicon-based material. In such methods, silicon-based material (e.g., silica, unreacted or undigested silicates, aluminosilicates, etc.) may be separated and processed separately from carbonate-containing compositions. Silicon-based material and carbonate-containing material may be blended at a later stage to produce a pozzolanic material, which may be further processed and blended with, for example, Portland cement.

Claims

1-93. -93. (canceled)

94. A method comprising:

a) digesting a calcium-containing rock or mineral with an aqueous solution to produce calcium cations and a material comprising SiO₂;

b) reacting the calcium cations with dissolved carbon dioxide to produce a precipitation material in a precipitation reaction mixture; and

c) separating the precipitation material from the precipitation reaction mixture to produce a separated precipitation material and a supernatant.

108. The method of claim 94, wherein digesting the calcium-containing rock or mineral provides the sole source of calcium cations for the method.

109. The method of claim 94, wherein digesting the calcium-containing rock or mineral further provides magnesium cations.

110. The method of claim 94, wherein digesting the calcium-containing rock or mineral further provides a material comprising SiO₂.

111. The method of claim 94, wherein the precipitation material is separated from the reaction mixture using a liquid-solid separation apparatus.

112. The method of claim 94, further comprising drying the separated precipitation material.

113. The method of claim 112, wherein the separated precipitation material is dried with a spray dryer.

114. The method of claim 110, wherein the separated precipitation material comprises a pozzolanic material.

115. A system comprising:

a) a processor for processing a material comprising a metal silicate;

b) a precipitation reactor for precipitating a precipitation material, wherein the precipitation reactor is configured to receive carbon dioxide from an industrial source of carbon dioxide; and

c) a liquid-solid separator for separating a supernatant and the precipitation material from a precipitation reaction mixture, wherein the liquid-solid separator is configured with a baffle or a spiral channel,

wherein the precipitation reactor is operably connected to both the processor and the liquid-solid separator.

116. The system of claim 115, wherein the liquid-solid separator comprises a baffle, and wherein the liquid-solid separator is adapted to separate precipitation material from the precipitation reaction mixture by flowing the reaction mixture against the baffle, against which the reaction mixture deflects, separating the supernatant from the precipitation material.

117. The system of claim 115, wherein the liquid-solid separator comprises a spiral channel, and wherein the liquid-solid separator is adapted to separate precipitation material from the precipitation reaction mixture by flowing the reaction mixture through the spiral channel, separating the supernatant from the precipitation material.

118. The system of claim 115, further comprising a dryer configured to receive concentrated precipitation material from the liquid-solid separator.

119. The system of claim 118, wherein the dryer is further configured to utilize waste heat from the industrial source of carbon dioxide.

120. The system of claim 115, further comprising an electrochemical system comprising a cathode configured to generate hydrogen gas and an anode configured to generate protons from the hydrogen gas, wherein the electrochemical system is configured to transport hydrogen from the cathode to the anode, and wherein the electrochemical system is operably connected to the processor, the precipitation reactor, or both the processor and the precipitation reactor.