Sustainable, facile separation of the molten carbonate electrolysis cathode product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023203685-A9
Application number	US-202217734341-A
Country	US
Kind code	A9
Filing date	May 2, 2022
Priority date	Aug 6, 2020
Publication date	Jun 29, 2023
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 allow 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 - 41 . (canceled)

42 . A process comprising:
heating, if not molten, a carbon electrolyte to form a mixed product of a molten carbonate and a solid carbon product including nano-materials with tangled matrices; applying a force to the mixed product;
filtering the mixed product with a filter having pores larger than the tangled nano-materials to separate the carbon electrolyte from the nano-materials;
releasing the force; and removing the solid carbon product.

43 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein applying and releasing the force is repeated two, three or four times, prior to removing the solid carbon product.

44 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the force includes a pressure of between 10 psi and 100,000 psi.

45 . (canceled)

46 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the filter comprises a porous carbon felt, a graphite felt, a metal mesh, a porous or sieve ceramic, or any combination thereof.

47 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the pores of the filter have a size between 10 μm and 10 mm.

48 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the process is conducted at a temperature between 399° C. and 900° C.

49 . The process according to claim 42 , further comprising applying a vacuum while applying the force.

50 . The process according to claim 49 , wherein the process is conducted at a pressure between 0.1 and 0.9 atmospheres.

51 . The process according to claim 49 , wherein the process is conducted at a pressure less than 0.1 atmospheres.

52 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the process is conducted under a gas that is free of oxygen.

53 . The process according to claim 52 , wherein the gas is selected from nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and any combination thereof.

54 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the mixed product is cooled and reheated prior to applying the force.

55 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the force is applied directly to the mixed product on a cathode in an electrolysis chamber.

56 . The process according to claim 42 , further comprising moving the mixed product from a cathode of an electrolysis chamber to an extraction chamber prior to applying the force.

57 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the carbon electrolyte is not a flowing electrolyte.

58 . The process according to claim 42 wherein the carbon electrolyte is not recirculated via a recirculation loop.

59 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the solid carbon product has an average thickness greater than 1 millimeter.

60 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the solid carbon product comprises greater than 80% carbon nano-materials.

61 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the solid carbon product comprises greater than 85% carbon nano-materials.

62 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the solid carbon product comprises greater than 90% nano-materials.

63 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein solid carbon product comprises greater than 95% carbon nano-materials.

64 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the nano-materials comprise nano-fibers.

65 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the nano-materials comprise nano-tubes.

66 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the nano-materials comprise nano-onions.

67 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the nano-materials comprise nano-platelets.

68 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the nano-materials comprise nano-scaffolds.

69 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the nano-materials comprise graphene.

70 . (canceled)

71 . The process according to claim 42 , wherein the solid carbon product comprises a paste.

72 . The process of claim 42 , wherein the applied force is gravitational.

73 . A process comprising:
heating, if not molten, a carbon electrolyte to form a mixed product including a molten carbonate with tangled matrices; applying a turbulent force to the mixed product to separate the carbon electrolyte from a solid carbon product; releasing the turbulent force; and removing the solid carbon product.

74 . A process comprising:
heating, if not molten, a carbon electrolyte to form a mixed product including a molten carbonate with tangled matrices on a cathode; applying a force to the mixed product to separate the carbon electrolyte from a solid carbon product; releasing the force; and removing the solid carbon product from the cathode, wherein the force is applied prior to removing the solid carbon product from the cathode.

Assignees

• C2Cnt Llc

Inventors

• Licht Stuart
• Licht Gad

Classifications

• C25B1/135 Primary

  Carbon · CPC title

• C25B15/083 Primary

  Separating products · CPC title

• C25B9/09

  Fused bath cells · CPC title

• C01B32/16

  Preparation · CPC title

• C01B32/17

  Purification · CPC title