Reaction schemes involving acids and bases; reactors comprising spatially varying chemical composition gradients; and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12252442-B2
Application number	US-202318395376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2023
Priority date	Jan 16, 2019
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

Reaction schemes involving acids and bases; reactors comprising spatially varying chemical composition gradients (e.g., spatially varying pH gradients), and associated systems and methods, are generally described. For example, methods comprising producing an acid and a base via electrolysis; dissolving a material comprising calcium using the acid to produce ions comprising calcium in a region of a reactor with a pH of 6 or less; precipitating solid calcium hydroxide from the ions comprising calcium using the base in a region of a reactor with a pH of 10 or higher; and utilizing the calcium hydroxide in a downstream process to form a cement are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
producing an acid and a base via electrolysis;
dissolving a material comprising calcium using the acid to produce ions comprising calcium in a region of a reactor with a pH of 6 or less;
precipitating solid calcium hydroxide from the ions comprising calcium using the base in a region of a reactor with a pH of 10 or higher; and
utilizing the calcium hydroxide in a downstream process to form a cement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement comprises Pozzolan cement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein utilizing the calcium hydroxide in a downstream process to form a cement comprises mixing the solid calcium hydroxide with an aluminate, a silicate, and/or a pozzolanic material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein utilizing the calcium hydroxide in a downstream process to form a cement comprises mixing the solid calcium hydroxide with the silicate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein utilizing the calcium hydroxide in a downstream process to form a cement comprises mixing the solid calcium hydroxide with the pozzolanic material.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing a byproduct different from the calcium hydroxide.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising collecting the byproduct.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting the precipitate.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein utilizing the calcium hydroxide in a downstream process to form a cement comprises converting the calcium hydroxide into calcium oxide.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mixing the cement with water and an additive to form a concrete.

11. A method, comprising:
producing an acid and a base via electrolysis;
dissolving a material comprising calcium using the acid to produce ions comprising calcium, wherein dissolving the material in the acid is in a region of a reactor with a pH of 6 or less;
precipitating solid calcium hydroxide from the ions comprising calcium using the base in a region of a reactor with a pH of 10 or higher; and
mixing the solid calcium hydroxide and/or a downstream product thereof with a pozzolanic material to form a cement.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cement comprises Pozzolan cement.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the cement comprises mixing the calcium hydroxide and/or the downstream product thereof with an aluminate, a silicate, and/or a second pozzolanic material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the cement comprises mixing the solid calcium hydroxide and/or the downstream product thereof with the silicate.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the cement comprises mixing the solid calcium hydroxide and/or the downstream product thereof with the aluminate.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising producing a byproduct different from the calcium hydroxide.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising collecting the byproduct.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising collecting the precipitate.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the downstream product comprises calcium oxide, and wherein the method comprises mixing the calcium oxide with the pozzolanic material to form the cement.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising mixing the cement with water and an additive to form a concrete.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Ellis Leah
• Badel Andres

Classifications

• Y02P40/121

  Energy efficiency measures, e.g. improving or optimising the production methods · CPC title

• C04B7/06 Primary

  using alkaline raw materials (C04B7/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02P40/18

  Carbon capture and storage [CCS] · CPC title

• C04B2290/20

  Integrated combined plants or devices, e.g. combined foundry and concrete plant · CPC title

• B01J2219/00033

  Continuous processes · CPC title