SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF STORING COMBUSTION WASTE PRODUCTS

• US 20150246852A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: China University of Mining and Technology, University of North Carolina At Charlotte (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: China University of Mining and Technology
• Inventors: Chen, Shen-En, Wang, Peng, Miao, Xiexing, Feng, Qiyan, Zhu, Qianlin
• Granted Patent: US 9,309,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/25 Coated, impregnated or composite adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/308 Pore size
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/041 Oxides or hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/10 comprising silica or silicate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28078 Pore diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2220/4887 Residues, wastes, e.g. garbage, municipal or industrial sludges, compost, animal manure; fly-ashes
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 2101/30 Incineration ashes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00017 Aspects relating to the protection of the environment
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00724 in mining operations, e.g. for backfilling; in making tunnels or galleries
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/10 Lime cements or magnesium oxide cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0064 Multimodal pore size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/02 by adding chemical blowing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0231 Carbon dioxide hardening
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0236 Carbon dioxide post-treatment of already hardened material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/18 : Carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

In one aspect, methods of storing one or more combustion waste products are described herein. Combustion waste products stored by a method described herein can include solid combustion waste products such as coal ash and/or gaseous combustion products such as carbon dioxide. In some embodiments, a method of storing carbon dioxide comprises providing a carbon dioxide storage medium comprising porous concrete having a macroporous and microporous pore structure and flowing carbon dioxide captured from a combustion flue gas source into the pore structure of the porous concrete.

Claims

1. A method of storing carbon comprising:

providing a carbon dioxide storage medium comprising porous concrete having a macroporous and microporous pore structure; and

flowing carbon dioxide captured from a combustion flue gas source into the pore structure of the porous concrete.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous concrete comprises a mixture of coal ash and cement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide is sorbed by the porous concrete at a rate of at least 0.01 grams of carbon dioxide per gram of porous concrete per minute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide is chemisorbed and physisorbed by the porous concrete.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of carbon dioxide flowed into the pore structure of the porous concrete is greater than the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing carbon dioxide into the pore structure of the porous concrete comprises disposing the carbon dioxide in the porous concrete in an amount up to 50 weight percent, based on the total weight of the porous concrete.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous concrete is at least partially uncured.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous concrete is substantially cured.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing carbon dioxide into the pore structure of the porous concrete comprises:

providing an uncured porous concrete composition; and

curing the uncured porous concrete composition in the presence of the carbon dioxide.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the uncured porous concrete composition comprises coal ash, cement, water, and a blowing or foaming agent.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the uncured porous concrete composition has an acidic pH.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein curing is carried out at a pressure of 30 psi to 500 psi.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein curing is carried out at a constant temperature.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein curing is carried out at ambient temperature.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide is present in the carbon dioxide storage medium at a depth of more than 5 cm from the surface of the porous concrete.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing carbon dioxide into the pore structure of the porous concrete comprises flowing compressed carbon dioxide into the porous concrete.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the coal ash is present in the porous concrete in an amount between 5 weight percent and 90 weight percent, based on the total weight of the porous concrete.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous concrete has a porosity of about 10 percent to about 70 percent and comprises macropores having a diameter between about 200 μ

m and about 800 μ

m and micropores having a diameter between about 100 nm and about 20 μ

m.

15-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method of backfilling comprising disposing a backfill material in a void to at least partially fill the void, the backfill material comprising:

porous concrete having a macroporous and microporous pore structure and carbon dioxide residing within the porous concrete in an amount greater than 1 weight percent of the porous concrete.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the porous concrete comprises a mixture of coal ash and cement.

29-31. -31. (canceled)