LOW-VOLTAGE ALKALINE PRODUCTION USING HYDROGEN AND ELECTROCATALYTIC ELECTRODES

• US 20110083968A1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eleryc Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Matt, Albrecht, Thomas A., Decker, Valentin, Gilliam, Ryan J., Jalani, Nikhil, Boggs, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,834,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/555
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/326 in electrochemical cells
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4618 for producing "ionised" acidic or basic water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/14 Alkali metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/18 Alkaline earth metal compounds or magnesium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/08 Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/00 Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features
• 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

An alkaline production system comprising an electrochemical unit comprising a hydrogen-oxidizing anode, a cathode compartment comprising a cathode and a hydrogen delivery system configured to deliver hydrogen gas to the anode, wherein the system configured to sequester carbon dioxide with the cathode electrolyte; and methods thereof. In another embodiment, a system comprising a hydrogen-oxidizing anode in communication with a cathode electrolyte comprising bicarbonate ion; and an hydrogen delivery system configured to deliver hydrogen gas to the anode; and methods thereof.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a hydrogen-oxidizing anode in communication with a cathode electrolyte comprising bicarbonate ions; and

a hydrogen delivery system configured to deliver hydrogen gas at the anode, wherein the hydrogen gas to the anode is provided from hydrogen gas generated at a cathode in contact with the cathode electrolyte.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cathode electrolyte further comprises hydroxide ions and/or carbonate ions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the cathode electrolyte comprises added carbon dioxide.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the hydroxide ions and hydrogen gas at the cathode are produced by a voltage applied across the anode and cathode, without producing a gas at the anode.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the anode and/or cathode comprises an electrocatalyst selected from platinum, a single-crystal nickel, Raney nickel, platinized nickel, a metal carbide (W₂C, Pt—

W₂C), a platinum group metal alloy (Pt-M, where M=Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Au), a transition metal, a nickel alloy, sintered nickel, a platinum group metals (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh), gold, silver, a precious or non-precious chalcogenides, a discrete macrocyclic complexe of transition metals and biological complexes, and wherein the electrocatalyst is configured to catalyzed oxidation of hydrogen gas to protons at the anode, and catalyze production of hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions at the cathode.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a carbon sequestration system configured to receive the cathode electrolyte and sequester carbon dioxide with the cathode electrolyte.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein carbon dioxide is contained in an industrial waste gas.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the carbon dioxide is sequestered as carbonates and/or bicarbonates comprising calcium ions and/or magnesium ions.

14. The system of claim 11, comprising an acid in the anode electrolyte.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising and acid dissolution system configured to receive anode electrolyte and wherein the anode electrolyte is configured to dissolve a mineral and to produce divalent cations comprising calcium ions or magnesium ions

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the acid dissolution system is configured to provide divalent cations to the carbon sequestration system.

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26. A method comprising:

oxidizing hydrogen gas to protons at an anode without producing a gas at the anode; and

and producing bicarbonate ions in a cathode electrolyte in communication with the anode.

29. The method of claim 26, comprising producing the hydrogen gas at the cathode and configuring a hydrogen delivery system to provide the hydrogen gas to the anode from hydrogen gas produced at the cathode.

31. The method of claim 29, comprising adding carbon dioxide to the cathode electrolyte and producing hydroxide ions and/or carbonate ions in the cathode electrolyte.

33. The method of claim 31, comprising using an wherein the anode and/or cathode comprising an electrocatalyst selected from platinum, a single-crystal nickel, Raney nickel, platinized nickel, a metal carbide (W₂C, Pt—

W₂C), a platinum group metal alloy (Pt-M, where M=Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Au), a transition metal, a nickel alloy, sintered nickel, a platinum group metals (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh), gold, silver, a precious or non-precious chalcogenides, a discrete macrocyclic complex of transition metals and biological complexes, to catalyze the oxidation of hydrogen gas to protons at the anode, and catalyze production of hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions at the cathode.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising sequestering carbon dioxide with the cathode electrolyte, wherein the carbon dioxide is contained in an industrial waste gas.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the carbon dioxide is sequestered as calcium and/or magnesium carbonates and/or bicarbonates.

40. The method of claim 37, comprising producing an acid in the anode electrolyte and using the acid in an acid dissolution system to produce divalent cations comprising calcium ions and/or magnesium ions.

43. The method of claim 40, comprising producing divalent cations by dissolving a mineral with the acid and configuring the acid dissolution system to provide divalent cations to the carbon sequestration system.

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51. A system comprising:

an electrochemical unit comprising an anode compartment comprising a hydrogen-oxidizing anode, a cathode compartment comprising a cathode, and a hydrogen delivery system configured to deliver hydrogen gas to the anode; and

, a carbon sequestration system operably connected to the electrochemical unit and configured to sequester carbon dioxide with the cathode electrolyte.

53. The system of claim 51, wherein the hydrogen delivery system is configured to provide hydrogen from hydrogen gas generated at a cathode in contact with the cathode electrolyte.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the cathode electrolyte comprises hydroxide ions and/or bicarbonate ions and/or carbonate ions.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the cathode electrolyte further comprises added carbon dioxide.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the electrochemical unit is configured to produce bicarbonate ions and/or carbonate ions and/or hydroxide ions, hydrogen gas at the cathode, and the protons at the anode by a voltage applied across the anode and cathode, without producing a gas at the anode.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the anode and/or cathode comprises an electrocatalyst selected from platinum, a single-crystal nickel, Raney nickel, platinized nickel, a metal carbide (W₂C, Pt—

W₂C), a platinum group metal alloy (Pt-M, where M=Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Au), a transition metal, a nickel alloy, sintered nickel, a platinum group metals (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh), gold, silver, a precious or non-precious chalcogenides, a discrete macrocyclic complex of transition metals and biological complexes and wherein the electrocatalyst is configured to catalyzed oxidation of hydrogen gas to protons at the anode, and catalyze production of hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions at the cathode.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein the carbon dioxide is sequestered as magnesium and/or calcium carbonates and/or bicarbonates. (Amended based on claim 62, 63)

64. The system of claim 61, comprising an acid in the anode electrolyte and an acid dissolution system configured to produce divalent cations comprising calcium ions and/or magnesium ions with the acid.

67. The system of claim 64, wherein the divalent cations are produced by dissolving a mineral with the acid and wherein the acid dissolution system is configured to provide divalent cations to the carbon sequestration system.

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