Processes for purifying iron-bearing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023399710-A1
Application number	US-202318165186-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2023
Priority date	Feb 7, 2022
Publication date	Dec 14, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments include processes for purifying and/or preparing iron-bearing materials. Various embodiments include purification and/or preparation of iron ores, iron, and their intermediates. Various embodiments include processes for purifying iron-bearing materials comprising leaching one or more soluble species of impurities out of iron-bearing materials using a leaching solution comprising fluorine.

First claim

1 . A method of metallurgical processing, the method comprising:
leaching one or more soluble species of impurities out of iron-bearing materials wherein leaching the one or more soluble species of impurities comprises leaching with a leaching solution comprising a fluorine containing component.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leaching solution comprises ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) or acid ammonium fluoride (3NH 4 ·HF 2 ), or mixtures thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leaching solution comprises ammonium bifluoride (NH 4 HF 2 ).

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein leaching the one or more soluble species of the impurities out of the iron-bearing materials comprises dissolving the one or more species of the impurities using hydrofluoric acid (HF), alkali metal hydroxides, molten chlorides, molten fluorides, and/or molten oxides.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the leaching solution comprises sodium fluorophosphate (Na 2 PO 3 F).

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorine containing component of the leaching solution has a molar concentration between 100 and 10000 ppm.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluorine containing component of the leaching solution has a molar concentration between 500 and 5000 ppm.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the iron-bearing materials are iron ores, iron, and/or intermediates thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a pH of the leaching solution.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the pH is controlled to be in a range of 8 to 13.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pH is controlled to be in a range of 7 to 9.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the pH is controlled to be in a range of 5 to 10.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a soluble iron salt to the leaching solution.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the soluble iron salt comprises one or more of ferrous sulfate, iron(II) sulfate, ferrous chloride, ferric nitrate, ferric sulfate, and/or ferric chloride.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding iron ions to the leaching solution.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding one or more corrosion inhibitors to the leaching solution.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising recycling the leaching solution.

18 . A method of metallurgical processing, the method comprising:
leaching one or more soluble species of impurities out of iron-bearing materials, wherein leaching the one or more soluble species of impurities comprises dissolution of the one or more soluble species of impurities via addition of a flux.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an electrode of a battery using the iron-bearing materials from which the one or more soluble species of impurities have been leached.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising providing the battery into a bulk energy storage system.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the bulk energy storage system is a long duration energy storage (LODES) system.

22 . A battery and/or a bulk energy storage system, comprising at least one electrode formed at least in part according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Gibson Michael Andrew
• Smith Danielle Cassidy
• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Schroder Kjell William
• Taylor Olivia Claire
• Chevrier Vincent

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2220/10

  Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title

• H01M4/139

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• H01M10/04

  Construction or manufacture in general (H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence) · CPC title