METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CAPTURING AND STORING CARBON DIOXIDE

• US 20170333840A1
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York (Columbia University)
• Original Assignee: Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York (Columbia University)
• Inventors: Park, Ah-Hyung Alissa, Swanson, Edward J., Zhao, Huangjing, Gadikota, Greeshma, Brady, Patrick V., Patel, Tushar, Banta, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,456,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/402 of magnesium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/404 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/90 Chelants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/902 EDTA
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2255/804 Enzymatic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/84 Biological processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/86 Catalytic processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 11/183 the additive being an organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 5/24 Magnesium carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2

Abstract

Methods and systems for capturing and storing carbon dioxide are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include the following: mixing materials including magnesium or calcium with one or more acids and chelating agents to form a magnesium or calcium-rich solvent; using the organic acids derived from biogenic wastes as acids or chelating agents; generating carbonate ions by reacting a gas including carbon dioxide with a carbonic anhydrase biocatalyst; reacting the solvent with the carbonate ions to form magnesium or calcium carbonates; recycling a solution containing the biocatalyst after forming magnesium or calcium carbonates for re-use in the generating step; using the magnesium and calcium carbonates as carbon neutral filler materials and using the silica product as green filler materials or inexpensive absorbents.

Claims

1. A method of capturing and storing carbon dioxide, said method comprising:

mixing materials including magnesium or calcium with at least one of one or more acids and chelating agents to form a magnesium or calcium-rich solvent;

generating carbonate ions by reacting a gas including carbon dioxide with a biocatalyst; and

reacting said solvent with said carbonate ions to form magnesium or calcium carbonates.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

recycling a solution containing said biocatalyst after forming said magnesium or calcium carbonates for re-use in said generating step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biocatalyst is a carbonic anhydrase.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said carbonic anhydrase is one of the enzymes Cam or Cab.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said carbonic anhydrase is a whole cell that expresses one of the enzymes Cam or Cab.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said magnesium or calcium materials include at least one of magnesium or calcium bearing minerals and industrial wastes.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said magnesium or calcium carbonates are formed so as to mimic a particular structure of calcium carbonate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said silica product is formed so as to mimic a particular structure of precipitated silica or fume silica.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more chelating agents in acidic form include at least one of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), acetic acid, ascorbic acid, (ortho) phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, valeric acid, glutamic acid, gluconic acid, IDA, and NTA for magnesium and calcium leaching, and one or more chelating agents including catechol, guanidine, imidazole, histidine, and arginine targeting silica layer, and a combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said one or more acids and chelating agents is produced from biogenic wastes.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a pH in said reactor is from about 7.5 to about 10.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a solid silica material having surface area greater than 200 m/g remains after magnesium is extracted from said minerals to form said solvent.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said gas is one of a syngas produced from the gasification of carboneous fuel, a flue gas produced from combusting a carbonaceous fuel, a gas stream from steel manufacturing process, and a combination thereof.

14. A system for capturing and storing carbon dioxide, said system comprising:

a dissolution reactor for mixing materials including magnesium or calcium with at least one of one or more acids and one or more catalysts to form a magnesium or calcium-rich solvent;

a first stream including magnesium or calcium in fluid communication with said dissolution reactor;

a second stream including at least one of one or more acids and one or more catalysts in fluid communication with said dissolution reactor;

a combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor in fluid communication with said dissolution reactor for reacting a gas including carbon dioxide with a biocatalyst to form carbonate ions and for reacting said carbonate ions with said magnesium or calcium-rich solvent to form magnesium or calcium carbonates;

a biocatalyst source stream in fluid communication with said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor;

a gas source stream, said gas source stream including carbon dioxide, in fluid communication with said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor;

a magnesium or calcium-rich solvent stream in fluid communication with said dissolution reactor and said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor;

a magnesium or calcium carbonate product stream exiting said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor;

a liquid-solid separator to produce silica product, said liquid-solid separator in fluid communication with said dissolution reactor;

a heat source in communication with said dissolution reactor, said heat source being configured to heat said dissolution reactor thereby increasing a temperature inside said dissolution reactor; and

a control module for controlling said heat source.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a biocatalyst recycle stream; and

a biocatalyst recycle module positioned to direct said biocatalyst recycle stream to said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor after forming magnesium or calcium carbonates in said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor for re-use in said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor.

16. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a carbonate ion recycle stream; and

a carbonate ion recycle module positioned to direct said carbonate ion recycle stream to said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor after forming magnesium or calcium carbonates in said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor for re-use in said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said biocatalyst is a carbonic anhydrase in the form of one of the enzymes Cam or Cab or in the form of a whole cell that expresses one of the enzymes Cam or Cab.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more acids and chelating agents in acidic forms include at least one of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), acetic acid, ascorbic acid, (ortho) phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, valeric acid, glutamic acid, gluconic acid, IDA, and NTA for magnesium and calcium leaching, and one or more chelating agents including catechol, guanidine, imidazole, histidine, and arginine targeting silica layer, and a combination thereof.

19. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a pH control module in fluid communication with said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor, said pH control module including a supply of basic material for increasing pH in said combined biocatalyst and carbonation reactor.

20. A method of capturing and storing carbon dioxide, said method comprising:

mixing materials including magnesium or calcium with one or more acids to form a magnesium or calcium-rich solvent;

generating carbonate ions by reacting a gas including carbon dioxide with a carbonic anhydrase biocatalyst;

reacting said solvent with said carbonate ions to form magnesium or calcium carbonates; and

recycling a solution containing said biocatalyst after forming magnesium or calcium carbonates for re-use in said generating step;

wherein said carbonic anhydrase biocatalyst is one of the enzymes Cam or Cab or a whole cell that expresses one of the enzymes Cam or Cab.