PURIFICATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM A MIXTURE OF GASES

• US 20110114501A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avantium Knowledge Centre B.V. (Avantium NV)
• Original Assignee: Liquid Light, Inc. (Avantium NV)
• Inventors: Sivasankar, Narayanappa, Bocarsly, Andrew, Cole, Emily Barton, Teamey, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 8,500,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/351
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/22 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/326 in electrochemical cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/22 Inorganic acids

Abstract

A method for purification of carbon dioxide from a mixture of gases is disclosed. The method generally includes steps (A) and (B). Step (A) may bubble the gases into a solution of an electrolyte and a catalyst in an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell may include an anode in a first cell compartment and a cathode in a second cell compartment. The cathode generally reduces the carbon dioxide into one or more compounds. The anode may oxidize at least one of the compounds into the carbon dioxide. Step (B) may separate the carbon dioxide from the solution.

Claims

1. A method for purification of carbon dioxide from a mixture of gases, comprising the steps of:

(A) bubbling said gases into a solution of an electrolyte and a catalyst in an electrochemical cell, wherein (i) said electrochemical cell comprises an anode in a first cell compartment and a cathode in a second cell compartment, (ii) said cathode reducing said carbon dioxide into one or more compounds and (iii) said anode oxidizing at least one of said compounds into said carbon dioxide; and

(B) separating said carbon dioxide from said solution.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cathode material is at least one of Al, Au, Ag, C, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Cu alloys, Ga, Hg, In, Mo, Nb, Ni, Ni alloys, Ni—

Fe alloys, Sn, Sn alloys, Ti, V, W, Zn, elgiloy, Nichrome, austenitic steel, duplex steel, ferritic steel, martensitic steel, stainless steel, degenerately doped p-Si, degenerately doped p-Si;

As and degenerately doped p-Si;

B.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electrolyte is at least one of Na₂SO₄, KCl, NaNO₃, NaCl, NaF, NaClO₄, KClO₄, K₂SiO₃, CaCl₂, a H cation, a L1 cation, a Na cation, a K cation, a Rb cation, a Cs cation, a Ca cation, an ammonium cation, an alkylammonium cation, a F anion, a Cl anion, a Br anion, an I anion, an At anion, an alkyl amine, borates, carbonates, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, polyphosphates, perchlorates, silicates, sulfates, and a tetraalkyl ammonium salt.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said catalyst is one or more of amino-thiazole, aromatic heterocyclic amines with an aromatic 5-member heterocyclic ring, aromatic heterocyclic amines with 6-member heterocyclic ring, azoles, benzimidazole, bipyridines, furan, imidazoles, imidazole related species with at least one five-member ring, indoles, pyridines, pyridine related species with at least one six-member ring, pyrrole, thiophene and thiazoles.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein an energy consumed by said purifying of said carbon dioxide is less than 500,000 watt hours per ton of carbon dioxide.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said purification consumes approximately no additional water after said solution has been established in said electrochemical cell.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said compounds comprise one or more of oxalate, oxalate salts, organic acids, oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid and glyoxal.

8. A method for purification of carbon dioxide from a mixture of gases, comprising the steps of:

(A) bubbling said gases into a solution of an electrolyte in an electrochemical cell, wherein said electrochemical cell comprises an anode in a first cell compartment and a cathode in a second cell compartment;

(B) reducing said carbon dioxide into oxalate at said cathode; and

(C) oxidizing said oxalate into said carbon dioxide at said anode.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

separating said carbon dioxide from said solution.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein an energy consumed by said purifying of said carbon dioxide is less than 200,000 watt hours per ton of carbon dioxide.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said purification consumes approximately no additional water after said solution has been established in said electrochemical cell.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein an electrical potential of said cathode is between zero volts and −

1 volt.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein said reducing uses a single electron per carbon atom.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

pressurizing said electrochemical cell during said purification.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein said electrochemical cell comprises a divided electrochemical cell.

16. A method for purification of carbon dioxide from a mixture of gases, comprising the steps of:

(A) bubbling said gases into a solution of an electrolyte in a divided electrochemical cell, wherein (i) said divided electrochemical cell comprises an anode in a first cell compartment and a cathode in a second cell compartment, (ii) said cathode reducing said carbon dioxide into one or more of oxalate, organic acids and oxalate salts and (iii) said anode oxidizing at least one of said one or more of oxalate, organic acids and oxalate salts into said carbon dioxide; and

(B) separating said carbon dioxide from said solution.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said oxidizing uses at most two electrons per carbon atom.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said purification consumes approximately no additional water after said solution has been established in said divided electrochemical cell.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein an energy consumed by said purifying of said carbon dioxide is less than 500,000 watt hours per ton of carbon dioxide.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

adding to said solution one or more of (i) a hydrogen inhibitor, (ii) a heterocyclic compound and (iii) an alcohol.