Methods of removing contaminants from a solution, and related systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021171369-A1
Application number	US-202017110487-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 5, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of removing contaminants from a solution comprises passing a solution including one or more contaminants through a first cell comprising a first anode chamber and a first cathode chamber, passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber while applying an electric potential between the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber to transport anions from the solution to the first anode chamber and to transport cations from the solution to the first cathode chamber, the flowing electrode material comprising a MXene material, wherein M is a metal and X is one or both of carbon and nitrogen, and passing the slurry through a second cell to desorb the anions and cations from the flowing electrode material. Related systems for removing contaminants from a solution, and related methods are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of removing contaminants from a solution, the method comprising:
passing a solution including one or more contaminants through a first cell comprising a first anode chamber and a first cathode chamber; passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber while applying an electric potential between the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber to transport anions from the solution to the first anode chamber and to transport cations from the solution to the first cathode chamber and remove the one or more contaminants from the solution, the flowing electrode material comprising a MXene material, wherein M is a metal and X is one or both of carbon and nitrogen; and passing the slurry through a second cell to desorb the anions and cations from the flowing electrode material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transporting anions from the solution to the first anode chamber and transporting cations from the solution to the first cathode chamber comprises adsorbing the anions and the cations on the flowing electrode material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a solution including one or more contaminants through a first cell comprising a first anode chamber and a first cathode chamber comprises passing a solution comprising ammonia through the first cell.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber comprises passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material comprising titanium carbide or vanadium carbide through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber comprises passing a slurry comprising from about 0.01 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent of the MXene material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber comprises passing a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber having the same material composition as the flowing electrode material flowing through the first cathode chamber.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the slurry through a second cell comprises passing the slurry through a second cell comprising a second anode chamber and a second cathode chamber while applying an electric potential between the second anode chamber and the second cathode chamber.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein applying an electric potential between the second anode chamber and the second cathode chamber comprises applying an electric potential having an opposite polarity as the electric potential applied between the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the slurry through a second cell comprises passing the slurry through the second cell simultaneously with passing the slurry through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing a stripping solution through the second cell while flowing the slurry through the second cell.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a solution including one or more contaminants through a first cell comprising a first anode chamber and a first cathode chamber comprises passing a solution comprising heavy metals through the first cell.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a solution including one or more contaminants through a first cell comprising a first anode chamber and a first cathode chamber comprises passing saltwater through the first cell.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber comprises passing a first slurry comprising a first flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and passing a second slurry comprising a second flowing electrode material through the first cathode chamber, the second slurry physically isolated from the first slurry.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material through the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber comprises passing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material comprising one or more surface termination groups selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, oxygen, chlorine, and fluorine.

15 . A system for removing one or more contaminants from a solution, the system comprising:
a first cell comprising a first anode chamber electrically coupled to a first cathode chamber, a flow channel between the first anode chamber and the first cathode chamber; a second cell comprising a second anode chamber and a second cathode chamber; a first electrode flow circuit comprising a flowing electrode material comprising a MXene material connecting the first anode chamber and the second cathode chamber, wherein M is a metal and X is one or both of carbon and nitrogen; and a second electrode flow circuit comprising the flowing electrode material connecting the first cathode chamber to the second anode chamber.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the MXene material comprises one or more of titanium carbide, vanadium carbide, scandium carbide chromium carbide, Ti (2-y) Nb y CT x , Ti (2-y) V y CT x , V (2-y) Nb y CT x , Mo 1.33 CT x , and W 1.33 CT x .

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the flowing electrode material comprises a slurry, the MXene material constituting from about 0.01 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent of the slurry.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first electrode flow circuit is physically separated from the second electrode flow circuit.

19 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a first cation exchange membrane between the flow channel and the first cathode chamber and a first anion exchange membrane between the flow channel and the first anode chamber.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the MXene material has a particle size from about 2 μm to about 100 μm.

21 . A method of removing contaminants from a solution, the method comprising:
flowing a solution including contaminants therein through a first flow channel between a first pair of electrodes in a first cell; flowing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material comprising particles of a two dimensional material through the first pair of electrodes to adsorb the contaminants from the solution onto the flowing electrode material; and flowing the slurry through a second flow channel between a second pair of electrodes in a second cell to regenerate the flowing electrode material.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein flowing a slurry comprising a flowing electrode material comprises flowing a slurry including particles of one or more of a transition metal carbide, a transition metal nitride, and a transition metal carbonitride through the first pair of electrodes.

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc
• Univ Boise State

Inventors

• Lister Tedd E
• Diaz Aldana Luis A
• Mansoor Naqsh E
• Estrada David

Classifications

• C02F1/4691 Primary

  Capacitive deionisation · CPC title

• C02F2101/16

  Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia · CPC title

• C02F1/46114 Primary

  Electrodes in particulate form or with conductive and/or non conductive particles between them · CPC title

• C02F2001/46133

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C02F1/4604

  for desalination of seawater or brackish water · CPC title