Building materials from an aqueous solution

• US 9,862,643 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Eisaman, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US15/165,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/04 Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/18 pH control
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2623 Ion-Exchange
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2642 Aggregation, sedimentation, flocculation, precipitation or coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2649 Filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2313/367 Renewable energy sources, e.g. wind or solar sources
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/422 Electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/445 with bipolar membranes; Water splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/54 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4693 electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/52 by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/5218 Crystallization
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/10 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/08 Seawater, e.g. for desalination
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower, fuel cells for electrolysis apparatus C02F2201/46165
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/28 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/36 Inorganic materials not provided for in groups C04B14/022 and C04B14/04 - C04B14/34
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/021 Ash cements, e.g. fly ash cements fly ash as filler C04B18/08; Cements based on incineration residues, e.g. alkali-activated slags from waste incineration alkali-activated combustion residues as such C04B7/243; mixtures of the lime-pozzuolane type C04B28/18; Kiln dust cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/04 Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/06 : Aluminous cements monolithic refractories or refractory mortars C04B35/66
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 : Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/425 : Acids or salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/43 : Heat treatment, e.g. precalcining, burning, melting; Cooling aspects only relating to the installation F27B
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/52 : Grinding ; After-treatment of ground cement
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 : Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/10 : Production of cement, e.g. improving or optimising the production methods; Cement grinding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/18 : Carbon capture and storage [CCS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

A method of making building materials from an aqueous solution includes receiving the aqueous solution with dissolved ions and increasing a pH of the aqueous solution so the dissolved ions precipitate from the aqueous solution as salt. The method also includes collecting the salt precipitated from the aqueous solution and forming the building materials from the salt.

Claims

1. A method of making building materials from an aqueous solution, comprising:

receiving the aqueous solution including dissolved ions with a first precipitation unit;

increasing a pH of the aqueous solution in the first precipitation unit with aqueous NaOH received from an electrodialysis unit, coupled to the first precipitation unit to precipitate the dissolved ions from the aqueous solution as salt;

collecting the salt precipitated from the aqueous solution; and

forming the building materials from the salt.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the salt includes at least one of calcium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide, and wherein the aqueous solution includes seawater.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding construction aggregate to the salt prior to forming the building materials.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the construction aggregate includes at least one of sand, gravel, crushed stone, or ash, and wherein forming the building materials includes compressing the salt and the construction aggregate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the building materials includes adding a first material including silicon and sintering the salt and the first material to form cement clinker.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the building materials include at least one of cement, mortar, bricks, or road base.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the pH of the aqueous solution includes:

receiving the aqueous solution with a brine solution compartment disposed in the electrodialysis unit;

applying a voltage across electrodes in the electrodialysis unit, wherein the brine solution compartment is disposed between the electrodes;

outputting the aqueous solution from the brine solution compartment with a lower salt concentration in response to the voltage applied across the electrodes;

receiving the aqueous NaOH with a basified solution compartment disposed in the electrodialysis unit;

applying the voltage across the electrodes in the electrodialysis unit; and

outputting the aqueous NaOH from the basified solution compartment with a higher NaOH concentration in response to the voltage applied across the electrodes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein increasing the pH of the aqueous solution includes:

receiving aqueous HCl with an acidified solution compartment disposed in the electrodialysis unit;

applying the voltage across the electrodes in the electrodialysis unit; and

outputting the aqueous HCl, with a higher HCl concentration, from the acidified solution compartment, wherein chlorine ions in the brine solution compartment travel to the acidified solution compartment in response to the voltage cross the electrodes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in response to the voltage, the chlorine ions flow through an anion exchange membrane disposed between the brine solution compartment and the acidified solution compartment, and wherein in response to the voltage, hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions flow through a bipolar membrane disposed between the acidified solution compartment and the basified solution compartment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the voltage across the electrodes in the electrodialysis unit includes collecting sodium ions at a negatively charged terminal, and wherein the brine solution compartment, the acidified solution compartment, and the basified solution compartment are included in a first cell in a plurality of cells in the electrodialysis unit.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising neutralizing the aqueous solution, in a pH and alkalinity adjustment unit coupled to the electrodialysis unit, with the aqueous HCl, after precipitating the dissolved ions.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising increasing the pH of the aqueous solution in a second precipitation unit with the aqueous NaOH received from the electrodialysis unit to precipitate the magnesium hydroxide, wherein the pH in the second precipitation unit is greater than the pH in the first precipitation unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein increasing the pH of the aqueous solution in the first precipitation unit includes precipitating the calcium carbonate.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the aqueous solution with the second precipitation unit from the first precipitation unit which is coupled to the second precipitation unit.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein precipitating the magnesium hydroxide and precipitating the calcium carbonate includes adding inserts into the first precipitation unit and the second precipitation unit to increase the surface area of the first precipitation unit and the second precipitation unit.