Methods and systems for producing activated silicate based materials using sustainable energy and materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019210883-A1
Application number	US-201716333759-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 19, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for producing highly activated silicate materials are disclosed. A silicate source material is provided for reaction with a reforming agent in a reforming process. The reforming process is a hydrothermal process and/or a high temperature silicate reforming (HTSR) process. The reaction materials are brought to the suitable reaction temperature via a heat source in the presence of the suitable reaction medium. For the hydrothermal reaction process, the reaction medium and heat source can be exhausted steam that is the byproduct of another industrial process. For the HTSR process, the silicate source material and the heat source can be a molten slag byproduct from another industrial process. The activated silicate materials exhibit improved reactivity compared to non-activated silicate materials and thus are advantageously employed in elemental extraction processes to produce a value material product. By being integrated with the utilization of industrial waste heat, like molten slag heat utilization (MSHU), and the recycle of the reforming agents, the production of activated silicate based materials can base on sustainable energy and materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of producing activated silicate material comprising:
providing a silicate source material; reforming the silicate source material to an activated silicate material with a reforming agent in a reforming reaction; and providing the activated silicate material to an elemental extraction process.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the silicate source material is comprised of a calcium mineral, a magnesium mineral, slag, mine tailing, fly ash, kiln dust, or a combination thereof.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein reforming the silicate source material further comprises applying heat from an industrial energy production source, an industrial energy production process, waste energy source, molten iron slag, molten steel slag, a flue gas, an exhaust gas, exhausted steam, or a combination thereof.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein reforming the silicate source material further comprises a hydrothermal reaction between the silicate source material and the reforming agent.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein reforming the silicate source material further comprises intermixing the silicate source material, the reforming agent, and exhausted steam.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising intermixing the silicate source material, the reforming agent, and water to produce a water-based slurry, wherein the water-based slurry is mixed to a density of about 10 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight solids.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the reforming agent comprises sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), ammonium hydroxide (NH 4 OH), lithium metaborate (LiBO 2 ), lithium tetraborate (Li 2 B 4 O 7 ), sodium carbonate/bicarbonate (Na 2 CO 3 /NaHCO 3 ), potassium carbonate/bicarbonate (K 2 CO 3 /KHCO 3 ), ammonium carbonate/bicarbonate ((NH 4 )) 2 CO 3 /(NH 4 )HCO 3 ), or a combination thereof.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reforming step further comprises:
reforming the silicate source material at a high temperature in anhydrous conditions.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the reforming step further comprises:
intermixing the reforming agent with molten slag.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the reforming agent is comprised of boron trioxide (B 2 O 3 ), lithium tetraborate (Li 2 B 4 O 7 ), silica (SiO 2 ), ammonium (NH 4+ ) based acidic salts; borax (Na 2 B 4 O 7 .10H 2 O), lithium metaborate (LiBO 2 ), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), sodium carbonate/bicarbonate (Na 2 CO 3 /NaHCO 3 ), ammonium based basic salts; sodium chloride (NaCl), fluorite (CaF 2 ), alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), ammonium based neutral salts, or a combination thereof.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the elemental extraction process further comprises a mineral carbonation process, oxides/hydroxide production process, halide production process, ferrous metal production process, nonferrous metal production process, rare earth production process, or a combination thereof.

12 . A method of producing activated silicate material comprising:
providing a silicate source material; intermixing a reforming agent with the silicate source material; providing heat from a waste heat source to the silicate source material and reforming agent to initiate a reforming reaction; reforming the silicate source material to an activated silicate material via a hydrothermal process or a high temperature silicate reforming process; extracting value materials from the activated silicate material; and recycling at least a part of the reforming agent.

13 . A system for producing activated silicate material comprising:
a reaction chamber; a silicate material input in communication with the reaction chamber configured to provide a source of silicate material to the reaction chamber; a reforming agent input in communication with the reaction chamber configured to provide a source of reforming agent to the reaction chamber; a reaction medium input in communication with the reaction chamber configured to provide a reaction medium to the reaction chamber; at least one conduit positioned to communicate the silicate material, the reforming agent, and the reaction medium input to the reaction chamber; a heat source configured to provide heat to the system; and an activated silicate material output from the reaction chamber.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the silicate material source comprises a water-based slurry.

15 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the silicate material source is a calcium mineral, a magnesium mineral, slag, mine tailing, fly ash, kiln dust, or a combination thereof.

16 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the heat source is an industrial energy production source, an industrial energy production process, waste energy source, molten iron slag, molten steel slag, a flue gas, an exhaust gas, exhausted steam, or a combination thereof.

17 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the reaction medium source is an industrial plant exhaust source, air source, nitrogen gas source, oxygen gas source, carbon monoxide gas source, or a combination thereof.

18 . The system according to claim 14 , further comprising a process module in communication with the non-activated silicate material source configured to initiate a non-silicate-activation process utilizing heat from the molten slag, wherein the silicate material is a molten slag, wherein the non-silicate-activation process is an endothermic reaction.

19 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein said process module further comprises:
a feedstock input in communication with the reaction chamber configured to provide a feedstock to the reaction chamber.

20 . The system according to claim 14 , further comprising an elemental extraction module for extracting value materials from the activated silicate material.

Assignees

• Univ Columbia

Inventors

• Park Ah-Hyung Alissa
• Zhou Xiaozhou
• Zhou Chengchuan

Classifications

• C01B33/20 Primary

  Silicates (persilicates C01B15/14 {; containing aluminium C01B33/26}) · CPC title

• C01F5/14

  Magnesium hydroxide · CPC title

• C01F11/12

  from silicates · CPC title

• Y02P20/129

  Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines · CPC title

• Y02C20/40

  of CO2 · CPC title