Process To Convert Reduced Sulfur Species And Water Into Hydrogen And Sulfuric Acid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019376191-A1
Application number	US-201916415275-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	Dec 12, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an aspect, provided herein are methods for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, the methods comprising steps of: providing sulfur dioxide formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; electrochemically oxidizing said sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid in the presence of water; and electrochemically forming hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction. In some embodiments, the methods comprise a step of thermally converting said sulfur-containing species to said sulfur dioxide. Systems configured to perform these methods are also disclosed herein. Also provided herein are methods and systems for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas by electrochemically forming the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen gas in a mixture comprising a sulfur material, a supporting acid, and water. Also provided herein are methods and systems for producing a cement material.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said method comprising steps of:
providing sulfur dioxide formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; electrochemically oxidizing said sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid in the presence of water; electrochemically forming hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction; and amending a soil or agricultural water using said sulfuric acid.

3 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said steps of electrochemically oxidizing said sulfur dioxide is performed in the presence of a catalyst and wherein said catalyst comprises platinum, platinized titanium, tungsten carbide, gold, and any combination thereof.

12 - 24 . (canceled)

25 . The method of claim 2 , comprising amending a soil using said sulfuric acid.

26 . The method of claim 2 , comprising amending agricultural water using said sulfuric acid.

27 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . The method of claim 2 , comprising introducing said produced sulfuric acid to a fertilizer production process.

34 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . A system for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said system comprising:
an electrochemical cell configured to (i) electrochemically oxidize a sulfur dioxide to said sulfuric acid in the presence of water and (ii) electrochemically form hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction, such that the electrochemical cell electrochemically produces the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen gas; wherein said sulfur dioxide is formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; and wherein said electrochemically produced sulfuric acid is characterized by a concentration of at least 89% by mass.

39 . A system for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said system comprising:
an electrochemical cell configured to (i) electrochemically oxidize a sulfur dioxide to said sulfuric acid in the presence of water and (ii) electrochemically form hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction, such that the electrochemical cell electrochemically produces the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen gas; wherein said sulfur dioxide is formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; and an amendment apparatus; said amendment apparatus being configured to provide for amending a soil using said sulfuric acid or configured to provide for amending agricultural water using said sulfuric acid; wherein amending agricultural water corresponds to adding said sulfuric acid to said agricultural water.

40 . A system for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said system comprising:
an electrochemical cell configured to (i) electrochemically oxidize a sulfur dioxide to said sulfuric acid in the presence of water and (ii) electrochemically form hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction, such that the electrochemical cell electrochemically produces the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen gas; wherein said sulfur dioxide is formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; and wherein the electrochemical cell is further configured to electrochemically oxidizing said hydrogen gas to generate electrical energy.

41 - 53 . (canceled)

54 . The system of claim 38 , further comprising an amendment apparatus configured to provide for amending agricultural water using said sulfuric acid; wherein amending agricultural water corresponds to adding said sulfuric acid to said agricultural water.

55 . (canceled)

56 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the electrochemically produced sulfuric acid is characterized by a concentration selected from the range of greater than 0% to 89% by mass.

57 - 59 . (canceled)

60 . A method for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said method comprising steps of:
providing sulfur dioxide formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; electrochemically oxidizing said sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid in the presence of water; and electrochemically forming hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction; wherein said sulfuric acid is characterized by a concentration selected from the range of 1% to 10%.

61 . A system for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said system comprising:
an electrochemical cell configured to (i) electrochemically oxidize a sulfur dioxide to said sulfuric acid in the presence of water and (ii) electrochemically form hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction, such that the electrochemical cell electrochemically produces the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen gas; wherein said sulfur dioxide is formed by thermal conversion of a sulfur-containing species; and wherein said electrochemically produced sulfuric acid is characterized by a concentration selected from the range of 1% to 10%.

62 . A method for producing sulfuric acid and hydrogen gas, said method comprising steps of:
electrochemically forming the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen gas in a mixture comprising a sulfur material, a supporting acid, and water.

63 - 65 . (canceled)

66 . The method of claim 62 , wherein the step of electrochemically forming is characterized by the formula FX1:
1/X S X +YO 2 ZH 2 O→H 2 SO 4 +(Z−1)H 2   (FX1)
wherein: X is an integer selected from the range of 1 to 8; Y is 0, ½, or 1; and Z is 3 or 4.

67 . The method of claim 66 , wherein X is 8, Y is 0, and Z is 4.

68 - 76 . (canceled)

77 . The method of claim 62 , wherein the supporting acid is sulfuric acid.

78 - 80 . (canceled)

81 . The method of claim 62 , wherein the mixture is exposed to at least one of a first catalyst and a second catalyst during the step of electrochemically forming, and wherein the first catalyst comprises Pt, Ru, Ir, tungsten carbide, Au, Ag, or any combination of these.

82 - 87 . (canceled)

88 . The method of claim 62 , wherein a molar ratio of the quantity of hydrogen gas produced to the quantity of sulfuric acid produced during the step of electrochemically forming is equal to 3 or is greater than 1.

89 - 108 . (canceled)

109 . A method for producing a cement material, said method comprising steps of:
a. reacting sulfur dioxide and water to form a first acid, the first acid comprising at least one sulfur-containing anion; b. reacting the first acid and a first cement precursor to form a second cement precursor; wherein the second cement precursor comprises the at least one sulfur-containing anion; and c. converting the second cement precursor to the cement material.

110 - 115 . (canceled)

116 . The method of claim 109 , wherein:
the sulfur containing anion is sulfate (SO 4 ); the first acid is sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ); the step (a) comprises (i) electrochemically oxidizing the sulfur dioxide to the sulfuric acid electrochemically and (ii) forming hydrogen gas via a reduction reaction: the sulfur dioxide and the water are reacted at a ratio of 1:2, respectively, during step (a); and step (a) is performed according to formula FX1:
SO 2 +2H 2 O→H 2 SO 4 +H 2   (FX1).

117 - 165 . (canceled)

Assignees

• California Inst Of Techn

Inventors

• Finke Cody E

Classifications

• C05G5/23

  Solutions · CPC title

• C04B11/26

  {strating from chemical gypsum}; starting from phosphogypsum or from waste, e.g. purification products of smoke (C04B11/02 takes precedence; chemical purification of smoke, fumes or exhaust gases B01D53/00 {purification of gypsum C01F11/46}) · CPC title

• C05D9/00

  Other inorganic fertilisers · CPC title

• C04B2/005

  obtained from an industrial by-product · CPC title

• B09C1/08

  chemically · CPC title