Calcium sulfate and CO 2 sequestration

• US 8,691,175 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arelac, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Bourcier, William, Lu, Peng, Garrison, Geoffrey, Kendall, Teavor
• Primary Examiner(s): Olsen, Kaj K
• Assistant Examiner(s): HIJJI, KARAM Y
• Application Number:
  US13/566,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20130195747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 106/706, 106/738, 106/709, 106/714, 106/718, 106/817, 106/656, 106/815, 106/801, 106/717, 106/640, 106/705, 106/638, 423/430, 423/224, 423/232
• US Class Current: 423/430
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 11/18 Carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 11/182 Preparation of calcium carbonate by carbonation of aqueous solutions and characterised by an additive other than CaCO3-seeds
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/30 Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/37 Stability against thermal decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/28 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/10 Lime cements or magnesium oxide cements
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/16 Hydroxides by simultaneous production of alkali metal hydroxides and chlorine, oxyacids or salts of chlorine C25B1/34
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/22 Inorganic acids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/18 Carbon capture and storage [CCS]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and compositions are provided related to utilizing gypsum for CO₂ sequestration to form solid products containing calcium carbonate.

Claims

1. A method of making a composition, comprising:

a) contacting an industrial waste gas stream comprising carbon dioxide with an alkaline solution to form a carbon dioxide charged water; and

b) adding calcium sulfate to the carbon dioxide charged water to form a composition comprising a metastable component selected from the group consisting of vaterite, amorphous calcium carbonate, and combination thereof wherein the calcium sulfate is selected from the group consisting of anhydrous calcium sulfate, calcium sulfate hemihydrate, calcium sulfate dihydrate, and combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing water, sodium sulfate, or both from the composition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting of the carbon dioxide charged water with the calcium sulfate is under one or more precipitation conditions that favor the formation of the composition comprising the metastable component selected from the group consisting of vaterite, amorphous calcium carbonate, and combination thereof wherein the one or more precipitation conditions are selected from the group consisting of temperature, pH, residence time, proton removing agent, additive, ion ratio, rate of precipitation, mixing rate, form of agitation, presence of seed crystal, catalyst, membrane, or substrate, separation, drying, refining, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the precipitation conditions favor the formation of more than 50 wt % vaterite in the composition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the vaterite to aragonite in presence of water.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calcium sulfate is a powder.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the calcium sulfate from mines or quarries, flue gas desulfurization, desalination, recycled building materials, fly ash, basalt, or a combination of sources thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the calcium sulfate comprises particles less than about 150 microns.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising forming the composition with δ

¹³C of less than −

12‰

.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises sodium sulfate.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising removing the sodium sulfate from the composition and subjecting the sodium sulfate to electrochemical process to produce sulfuric acid.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the composition with water when the composition sets and hardens with a compressive strength of at least 14 MPa after 1 day, 7 days or 28 days.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is a cementitious composition.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is used for making building materials.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide charged water comprises carbonate, bicarbonate, or combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising mixing the composition with water and pouring the composition in a mold to form a formed building material.