Sustainable, facile separation of the molten carbonate electrolysis cathode product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022259752-A1
Application number	US-202217734210-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2022
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for the separation of electrolyte from the carbon in a solid carbon/electrolyte cathode product formed at the cathode during molten carbonate electrolysis. The processes allows for easy separation of the solid carbon product from the electrolyte without any observed detrimental effect on the structure and/or stability of the resulting solid carbon nanomaterial.

First claim

1 - 34 . (canceled)

35 . A system for separating electrolyte from a solid carbon/molten electrolyte mixed product comprising:
a porous cathode; a force applicator; and a collection chamber, wherein the force applicator applies a force to a mixed product to remove the electrolyte to the collection chamber, wherein the purified product is isolated.

36 . The system of claim 35 , further comprising a porous interface configured to separate the electrolyte from the mixed product.

37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the porous interface is a filter.

38 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the cathode is porous.

39 . The system of claim 35 , wherein said system is configured to operate in an environment that is free of or substantially free of oxygen.

40 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the environment that is substantially free of oxygen comprises less than 1000 ppm of oxygen.

41 . The system of claim 39 , wherein the environment is comprised of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and any combination thereof.

42 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the mixed product is a molten gel.

43 . The system of claim 35 , further comprising a vacuum configured to remove the electrolyte to the collection chamber.

44 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the mixed product is cooled after its formation by electrolysis and reheated prior to a compression step.

45 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the solid carbon/molten electrolyte mixed product is moved from the cathode of an electrolysis chamber to an extraction compression chamber prior to compression.

46 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the electrolyte is not a flowing electrolyte.

47 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the electrolyte is not recirculated via a recirculation loop.

48 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the solid carbon product has an average thickness greater than 1 millimeter.

49 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the solid carbon product comprises greater than about 80% carbon nano-materials.

50 . The system of claim 49 , wherein the nano-materials comprise nano-fibers, nano-tubes, nano-onions, nano-platelets, or nano-scaffolds.

51 . The system of claim 49 , wherein the nano-materials comprise graphene.

52 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the purified product comprises greater than about 85% carbon nano-materials.

53 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the purified product comprises greater than about 90% nano-materials.

54 . The system of claim 35 , wherein purified product comprises greater than about 95% carbon nano-materials.

55 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the solid carbon product is formed from raw carbon nano-material that agglomerates during the carbonate electrolysis and the isolating comprises filtering the solid carbon product with a filter having pores larger than the raw carbon nano-material.

56 . The process according to claim 35 , wherein the purified product comprises a paste.

57 . A system for separating material from raw product, comprising:
an electrolysis chamber comprised of a cathode surrounded by an electrolyte; a transport apparatus coupled to the cathode; and a collection chamber situated above the level of the electrolyte in the electrolysis chamber, wherein raw product formed on the cathode is released into the collection chamber, and wherein purified product is extracted by returning electrolyte from the raw product to the electrolysis chamber.

58 . The system of claim 57 , further comprising a compressor above the collection chamber for applying a force to remove the electrolyte from the raw product.

59 . The system of claim 58 , wherein the force comprises a compression force, torque, rotational force, or twisting force.

60 . The system of claim 57 , wherein the extraction chamber is vertically or horizontally aligned with the collector chamber.

61 . The system of claim 57 , wherein gravitational force is used to return electrolyte from the raw product returns to the electrolysis chamber.

62 . The system of claim 57 , further comprising a vacuum, wherein said vacuum pulls the electrolyte out of the raw product in the collection chamber.

63 . A process for separating material from raw product, comprising:
transporting raw product formed on a cathode in an electrolysis chamber to a collection chamber using a transport apparatus coupled to the cathode, wherein the collection chamber situated above the level of the electrolyte in the electrolysis chamber; releasing the raw product from the cathode into the collection chamber; and extracting purified product by returning electrolyte from the raw product to the electrolysis chamber.

64 . The process according to claim 63 , further comprising applying a force to remove the electrolyte from the raw product using a compressor.

65 . The process according to claim 63 , wherein the force comprises a compression force, torque, rotational force, or twisting force.

66 . The process according to claim 65 , wherein the extraction chamber is vertically or horizontally aligned with the collector chamber.

67 . The process according to claim 63 , wherein gravitational force is used to return electrolyte from the raw product returns to the electrolysis chamber.

68 . The process according to claim 63 , further comprising pulling the electrolyte out of the raw product in the collection chamber using a vacuum.

Assignees

• C2Cnt Llc

Inventors

• Licht Stuart
• Licht Gad

Classifications

• C25B15/085

  Removing impurities · CPC title

• C25B15/083

  Separating products · CPC title

• C25B1/50

  Processes · CPC title

• C25B1/135

  Carbon · CPC title

• B01D35/02

  Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70}) · CPC title