Non-cementitious compositions comprising vaterite and methods thereof

• US 9,133,581 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arelac, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Devenney, Martin, Fernandez, Miguel, Morgan, Samuel O
• Primary Examiner(s): Hendrickson, Stuart
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/804,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20130192783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/60 Preparation of carbonates or bicarbonates in general of percarbonates C01B15/10; of specific carbonates or bicarbonates according to the cation C01B-C01G
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/24 Vegetable refuse, e.g. rice husks, maize-ear refuse; Cellulosic materials, e.g. paper , cork
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/10 Lime cements or magnesium oxide cements
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/26 Carbonates; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 17/66 Salts, e.g. alums
• 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

Non-cementitious compositions and products are provided. The compositions of the invention include a carbonate additive comprising vaterite such as reactive vaterite. Additional aspects of the invention include methods of making and using the non-cementitious compositions and products.

Claims

1. A method for producing a non-cementitious product, the method comprising:

a) producing a carbonate additive, wherein the carbonate additive comprises reactive vaterite;

b) mixing the carbonate additive with a non-cementitious additive; and

c) transforming the reactive vaterite to aragonite and producing a non-cementitious product wherein the non-cementitious additive is a cellulosic fiber or polymeric fiber to make a paper product.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising making the non-cementitious product comprising at least 50% w/w aragonitic carbonate additive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the carbonate additive comprises contacting CO₂ with a proton removing agent to form a solution;

and contacting the solution with water comprising alkaline earth-metal ions under one or more precipitation conditions to make the carbonate additive comprising reactive vaterite.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the alkaline earth-metal ions comprise calcium ions, magnesium ions, or combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the CO₂ is contacted with carbide lime solution wherein the carbide lime solution provides both the proton removing agent and the calcium ions.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more precipitation conditions are selected from temperature, pH, pressure, ion ratio, precipitation rate, presence of additive, presence of ionic species, concentration of additive and ionic species, stirring, residence time, mixing rate, forms of agitation, presence of seed crystal, catalyst, membrane, or substrate, dewatering, drying, ball milling, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonate additive comprising reactive vaterite is transformed to aragonite in situ to form paper product.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the reactive vaterite to facilitate transformation of the reactive vaterite to aragonite during, or after step b) by nuclei activation, thermal activation, mechanical activation, chemical activation, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the activation comprises adding one or more of aragonite seed, inorganic additive or organic additive.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising adding one or more of inorganic additives selected from beryllium, magnesium, strontium, barium, and combinations thereof, to the carbonate additive during, and/or after step b) to facilitate transformation of the reactive vaterite to the aragonite.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the formation of the aragonite results in one or more of properties selected from better linkage or bonding, higher tensile strength, higher burst strength, higher tear strength, higher impact fracture toughness, and combinations thereof of the non-cementitious product as compared to the non-cementitious product comprising stable vaterite.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein amount of the one or more inorganic additives in the added solution is between 0.05-0.5M.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the carbonate additive comprises calcining limestone to form calcium oxide, forming hydrated lime from the calcium oxide, and treating the hydrated lime with CO₂ to form the carbonate additive comprising reactive vaterite.