Integrated carbon mineral sequestration with hydrogen gas production and iron oxide particle synthesis

In order to stabilize and ultimately reduce concentrations of carbon dioxide, it is important to employ carbon sequestration - carbon capture, separation and storage or reuse. Existing capture technologies, however, are not cost-effective when considered in the context of sequestering CO2 from power plants. This technology utilizes the iron component of Mg-bearing minerals (e.g. olivine and serpentine) during carbon mineral sequestration. Through synthesis and utilization of iron oxide particles during the mineral processing, this technology provides an important step towards the economic feasibility of carbon mineral sequestration.

More complete resource utilization generates value-added products and clean energy to offset costs of carbon sequestration.

Carbon is stably sequestered using magnesium-bearing minerals, which naturally contain 5-10% iron. Extracting the iron from these minerals and producing iron oxide during carbon sequestration allows coupling to other processes for value-added production. The hydrogen gas produced from iron oxidation can be used as a clean energy source. Iron is looped to cyclically produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas in one process. In addition, the extracted iron can be used for other industrial applications, such as feedstock for steel. Taken together, this technology generates additional revenues for carbon sequestration while facilitating clean energy production.

This technology has been demonstrated using serpentine for carbon mineral sequestration and iron oxide generation using syngas as a carbonaceous field source.

Lead Inventor:

Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Ph.D.

Applications:

• Produce high purity hydrogen gas from steam and sequestration-ready carbon dioxide from syngas.
• Recover iron from magnesium-bearing minerals.
• Synthesize iron oxide particles during carbon mineral sequestration.
• Capture carbon dioxide using mineral sequestration with magnesium-bearing minerals.

Advantages:

• Utilizes magnesium minerals more completely for carbon sequestration and iron oxide particle synthesis.
• Allows clean energy hydrogen production during carbon capture.
• Produces hydrogen gas and iron oxide particles to provide additional revenue for offsetting costs of carbon capture and storage.
• Loops iron usage for conversion of both syngas to sequestration-ready carbon dioxide and steam to hydrogen gas.

Patent information:

Patent Issued

Tech Ventures Reference: M09-092

Related Publications:

• A.H.A. Park et. al. Synthesis of Iron-Based Chemical Looping Sorbents Integrated with pH Swing Carbon Mineral Sequestration. J. Nanosci. Nanotech. Vol. 9, No. 12, December 2009, pp. 7422-7427.