Iron powder production via flow electrolysis

Abstract

The iron and steel industry has a history of environmental consciousness, and efforts are continually made to reduce energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. However, the carbothermic process has approached limits on the further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and only marginal improvements can be expected. Low temperature electrolysis using a dispersion medium to efficiently distribute charge throughout a colloid mixture including iron oxide provides an environmentally friendly method for performing an electrochemical reduction of Fe 2 O 3 to produce granular Fe. An electrical-ionic conductive colloidal electrode containing the electrochemically active species (Fe 2 O 3 particles), the liquid electrolyte (NaOH solution), and a percolating electrical conductor (carbon network) is utilized to produce Fe. The resulting simultaneous percolation of electrons and ions effectively increases the area of the current collector, and enables the process to function at higher currents and rate of charge transfer than static electrolysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for low temperature electrolysis (LTE), comprising:
 circulating a fluidic substance between opposed electrodes, the fluidic substance defined by a colloid including a reactant, an electrolyte, and a disbursement medium, the colloid responsive to an electric charge for producing a target reaction;   agitating the fluidic substance for disposing the fluidic substance between the opposed electrodes;   applying an electric charge to the opposed electrodes for electrolytically causing the target reaction; and   receiving the circulated fluidic substance including a precipitate of the target reaction for separating a desired substance from the fluidic substance.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a reactant form of the desired substance is a molecular form responsive to the electric charge to result in a desired substance as a result of the target reaction. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising generating the desired substance from electrolysis of the reactant resulting in an alternate molecular form of the reactant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising dispersing an electric charge throughout the fluidic substance from conductivity of the dispersement medium for transporting electrons from at least one of the opposed electrodes to the reactant via the dispersement medium. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the dispersement medium is a percolating electrical conductor dispersed throughout the fluidic substance and conducive to conducting electrical charges throughout the fluidic substance for providing electrons to the target reaction. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating an electrolytic reaction from a colloidal electrode, the colloidal electrode defined by the combination of the dispersement medium and the reactant for transporting electrons to reactant molecules distant from a charge surface, the electrolytic reaction resulting in the desired substance through electrolysis of the reactant. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising selecting the electrolyte based on an electrochemical reaction rate for shifting electrolysis towards reactions resulting in the generation of the desired substance and away from reactions resulting in hydrogen gas (H 2 ). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the electrolyte is an alkaline substance selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na 2 S). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the reactant is iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) and the dispersement medium is carbon for electrolyzing iron particles (Fe) as the desired substance. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the opposed electrodes include a colloid electrode defined by a titanium plate, and a counter electrode defined by a platinum foil, wherein a plurality of titanium plates and opposed planar platinum foil electrodes are arranged in a series of parallel planes in a flow vessel for transporting the fluidic substance from between the opposed electrodes for collection in a reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . An electrolysis apparatus, comprising:
 a fluidic substance defined by a colloid including a reactant, an electrolyte, and a disbursement medium, the colloid responsive to an electric charge for producing a target reaction;   a flow vessel having opposed electrodes for circulating the fluidic substance from a colloid reservoir to an output reservoir after circulating the fluidic substance between the opposed electrodes;   a pump for circulating and agitating the fluidic substance for disposing the fluidic substance between the opposed electrodes; and   a power source for applying an electric charge to the opposed electrodes for electrolytically causing the target reaction, the output reservoir for receiving the circulated fluidic substance including a precipitate of the target reaction for separating a desired substance from the fluidic substance.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the reactant is form of the desired substance in a molecular form responsive to the electric charge to result in a desired substance as a result of the target reaction. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the flow vessel generates the desired substance from electrolysis of the reactant resulting in an alternate molecular form of the reactant. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the disbursement medium is configured to disperse an electric charge throughout the fluidic substance from conductivity of the dispersement medium for transporting electrons from at least one of the opposed electrodes to the reactant via the dispersement medium. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the dispersement medium is a percolating electrical conductor dispersed throughout the fluidic substance and conducive to conducting electrical charges throughout the fluidic substance for providing electrons to the target reaction. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising generating an electrolytic reaction from a colloidal electrode, the colloidal electrode defined by the combination of the dispersement medium and the reactant for transporting electrons to reactant molecules distant from a charge surface, the electrolytic reaction resulting in the desired substance through electrolysis of the reactant. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein:
 the reactant is iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ), 
 the dispersement medium is carbon powder; 
 the electrolyte is an alkaline substance selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na 2 S). 
 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the flow vessel has a plurality of opposed electrodes include a colloid electrode defined by a titanium plate, and a counter electrode defined by a platinum foil, wherein a plurality of titanium plates and opposed planar platinum foil electrodes are arranged in a series of parallel planes in a flow vessel for transporting the fluidic substance from between the opposed electrodes for collection in a reservoir. 
     
     
         19 . A method for electrochemical iron production comprising:
 providing a electrolysis containment system having an anodic (anode) and cathodic (cathode) side, and a cell responsive to an electric charge;   circulating, adjacent to the cathodic side, a hematite conductive colloid including Fe 2 O 3 , conductive carbon and sodium hydroxide solution, the cathodic side in fluid communication with an cathodic portion of the cell;   circulating, adjacent to the anodic side, an alkaline solution, the anodic side in fluid communication with an anodic portion of the cell; and   harvesting, from the cell, iron particles.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising harvesting oxygen from the anode side of the electrolysis containment system. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reactant includes forms of at least one of Fe, Ag, Ni, Cu, and rare earth elements. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising circulating the fluidic substance based on intervals of static containment of the fluidic substance and resuming a fluidic flow of the fluidic substance across the opposed electrodes following the interval. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising circulating the fluidic substance in a continuous flow across the electrodes and collecting the continuous flow in a reservoir for extracting the desired substance.