Removing carbon dioxide from waste streams through co-generation of carbonate and/or bicarbonate minerals

Abstract

All of the methods and devices disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the methods and devices of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the methods and devices and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain compositions which are chemically related may be substituted for the compositions described herein while the same or similar results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of sequestering carbon dioxide contained in a gas stream, comprising the steps of:
 (a) obtaining a hydroxide in an aqueous mixture;   (b) admixing the hydroxide with carbon dioxide contained in the gas stream to produce bicarbonate products or a combination of carbonate and bicarbonate products in an admixture; and   (c) separating said products from the admixture, thereby sequestering the carbon dioxide in a mineral product form;   wherein obtaining the hydroxide comprises:
 obtaining a group-1 or group-2 salt; 
 admixing the salt with acid and water, acid and steam, or acid, water, and steam to produce a protonated brine solution; and 
 electrolyzing the protonated brine solution to produce a hydroxide; 
   wherein step (b) comprises altering the product equilibrium to favor the production of bicarbonate products.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of carbon dioxide is generated in performing steps (a)-(c), and that amount of carbon dioxide is less than the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in performing steps (a)-(c). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the admixing occurs in two separate chambers, with one chamber being used to produce carbonate products and the other chamber being used to produce bicarbonate products. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the admixing occurs in a bubble column or series of bubble columns. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) involves a heated-precipitation separation process. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the heat for the separation process is derived from heat exchange with the gas stream. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: transporting the products to a remote sequestration site; combining the products with acid in a neutralization reaction to generate pure carbon dioxide; and injecting the carbon dioxide into a carbon bank. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein other components of the gas stream are neutralized and/or captured in performing steps (a)-(c). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein electrolyzing the protonated brine comprises combusting a carbon-based fuel source to produce DC electricity. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of acid admixed with the salt is based on a determination of the optimum protonation rate that achieves the lowest energy to produce reactants and the highest energy to recover from products. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: the protonated brine solution is electrolyzed in an electrochemical cell having a catholyte side and an anolyte side; and the products are recycled to the catholyte side of the electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the energy required by the method is supplemented with waste-heat recovered from the gas stream. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt is sodium chloride, the acid is hydrochloric acid, and the hydroxide produced by electrolyzing the protonated brine solution is sodium hydroxide. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas stream is an exhaust stream from a plant. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein electrolyzing the protonated brine solution also produces chlorine gas and hydrogen gas. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the chlorine gas and hydrogen gas are combusted to form hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen gas is used to produce energy. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the hydrochloric acid formed from the chlorine gas and hydrogen gas is used in obtaining additional hydroxide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen gas is combusted with atmospheric oxygen or oxygen from stock chemicals to produce water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (c) involves a heated-precipitation separation process in which the heat for the separation process is derived from the energy produced by the hydrogen gas.