Electrochemical synthesis of ammonia using separation membrane and ionic liquid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023073509-A1
Application number	US-202117469678-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 8, 2021
Priority date	Sep 8, 2021
Publication date	Mar 9, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes a purification stage configured to purify an input gas stream prior to delivering the input gas stream to a reaction stage; and a collection stage configured to collect at least some ammonia from the reaction stage. The reaction stage is configured to reduce nitrogen into nitride; and convert at least some of the nitride into ammonia. In another embodiment, a separation membrane includes: an anode; a cathode electrically coupled to the anode; and a porous support material positioned between the anode and the cathode. The separation membrane is configured to reduce nitrogen into nitride; and facilitate hydrogenation of the nitride to form ammonia. In another embodiment, a method includes delivering an input gas stream comprising nitrogen to a separation membrane; reducing at least some of the nitrogen into nitride; and reacting at least some of the nitride with hydrogen-containing compound(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a purification stage configured to purify an input gas stream prior to delivering the input gas stream to a reaction stage, wherein the reaction stage is configured to:
reduce nitrogen into nitride, and
convert at least some of the nitride into ammonia; and
a collection stage configured to collect at least some of the ammonia.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the purification stage comprises:
an adsorbent configured to remove substantially all of one or more impurities from the input gas stream prior to delivering the input gas stream to the reaction stage; an oxygen scrubber configured to remove substantially all of one or more oxygen-containing compounds from the input gas stream prior to delivering the input gas stream to the reaction stage; and a water scrubber configured to remove substantially all water from the input gas stream prior to delivering the input gas stream to the reaction stage.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reaction stage comprises:
an environmentally-controlled enclosure, and a separation membrane.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the separation membrane comprises:
an anode, a cathode electrically coupled to the anode, and a separation matrix positioned between the anode and the cathode.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the separation matrix comprises a porous support material and at least one ionic liquid disposed in some or all pores of the porous support material.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one ionic liquid comprises a fluorinated ionic liquid.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the pores of the porous support material are characterized by an average diameter in a range from about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the porous support material is characterized by a thickness in a range from about 100 μm to about 2,500 μm.

9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the porous support material is characterized by a melting temperature greater than 300° C.

10 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the porous support material comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia.

11 . A separation membrane, comprising:
an anode; a cathode electrically coupled to the anode; and a porous support material positioned between the anode and the cathode; and wherein the separation membrane is configured to:
reduce nitrogen into nitride, and
facilitate hydrogenation of the nitride to form ammonia.

12 . The separation membrane of claim 11 , comprising a fluorinated ionic liquid disposed in the porous support material.

13 . The separation membrane of claim 11 , wherein pores of the porous support material are characterized by an average diameter in a range from about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

14 . The separation membrane of claim 11 , wherein the porous support material is characterized by a thickness in a range from about 100 μm to about 2,500 μm.

15 . The separation membrane of claim 11 , wherein the porous support material is characterized by a melting temperature greater than 300° C.

16 . The separation membrane of claim 11 , wherein the porous support material comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia.

17 . A method for synthesizing ammonia, the method comprising:
delivering an input gas stream comprising nitrogen to a separation membrane; reducing at least some of the nitrogen into nitride; and reacting at least some of the nitride with at least one hydrogen-containing compound to form ammonia.

18 . The method of claim 17 , comprising purifying the input gas stream prior to
delivering the input gas stream to the separation membrane; wherein purifying the input gas stream substantially removes therefrom one or more contaminants; and wherein the one or more contaminants are selected from the group consisting of: carbon-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds, oxygen-containing compounds, ammonia, hydrazine, water, and combinations thereof.

19 . The method of claim 17 , comprising applying a current across the separation membrane.

20 . The method of claim 17 , comprising establishing and/or maintaining an operating temperature of the separation membrane, wherein the operating temperature is in a range from about 20° C. to about 300° C.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein reducing the nitrogen to the nitride is characterized by a coulombic efficiency of about 50% or more.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the ammonia is formed at a flow rate of at least about 50 nmol/cm 2 ·s.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Hernandez Maira Ceron
• Eshelman Hannah Violet
• Vedharathinam Vedasri
• Wood Marissa

Classifications

• C25B15/08 Primary

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title

• C25B13/08 Primary

  based on organic materials · CPC title

• Y02P20/52

  using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts · CPC title

• C25B9/19

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B1/50

  Processes · CPC title