Systems and Methods for Net Carbon Negative and More Profitable Chemical Production

Abstract

The present invention pertains to processes of, for example, preparing zinc oxide and other substances. In one embodiment an exemplary process pertains to reacting ammonium chloride with zinc oxide to form a zinc chloride, gaseous ammonia, and gaseous water vapor. The zinc chloride may be reacted with sulfuric acid to form a zinc sulfate and hydrochloric acid. The zinc sulfate may be decomposed to produce zinc oxide among other substances.

1 . A process comprising:
 reacting ammonium chloride with zinc oxide to form a zinc chloride, ammonia, and water;   reacting the zinc chloride with sulfuric acid to form a zinc sulfate and hydrochloric acid; and   thermally decomposing the zinc sulfate to produce zinc oxide.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thermal decomposing of zinc sulfate further produces sulfur dioxide, or diatomic oxygen, or sulfur trioxide, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the thermal decomposing of zinc sulfate further produces sulfur dioxide and wherein the process further comprises reacting sulfur dioxide with diatomic oxygen to produce sulfur trioxide. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2  which further comprises reacting said sulfur dioxide, or diatomic oxygen, or sulfur trioxide, or a combination thereof with water to form sulfuric acid. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4  which further comprises reacting said formed sulfuric acid with zinc chloride. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said ammonia comprises gaseous ammonia and wherein said water comprises gaseous water vapor. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  which further comprises condensing said gaseous water vapor. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 6  which further comprising condensing said gaseous ammonia and said gaseous water vapor. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the zinc chloride, the zinc sulfate, or both are in a solid phase. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or both are in a liquid phase. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  which further comprises separating at least a portion of zinc sulfate from at least a portion of hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the formed zinc sulfate, or of the formed zinc chloride, or the combination thereof are dissolved in the hydrochloric acid and wherein the process further comprises separating at least a portion of (1) the dissolved zinc sulfate or (2) the dissolved zinc chloride, or (3) the combination of (1) and (2) from the hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12  wherein said separating comprises employing a membrane based process, distillation, electrodialysis, ion exchange, crystallization, precipitation, ‘salting-out’, common-ion effect, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said reacting of ammonium chloride with zinc oxide is conducted at a temperature of greater than about 200° C. and wherein both the ammonium chloride and zinc oxide are in solid form. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said reacting of ammonium chloride with zinc oxide is conducted at a temperature of greater than about 200° C. and wherein the ammonium chloride comprises a gaseous mixture of ammonia and hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said reacting of ammonium chloride with zinc oxide is conducted at a temperature greater than or equal to about 338° C. and wherein the ammonium chloride comprises a gaseous mixture of ammonia and hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said reacting of ammonium chloride with zinc oxide is conducted in a low diatomic oxygen environment. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein said low diatomic oxygen environment comprises a diatomic oxygen concentration of less than about 1 percent by volume. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the ammonium chloride is sourced from a process for producing sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 1  which further comprises producing sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate using a process employing the ammonia, water, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . A process comprising:
 reacting sodium chloride with ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water to form sodium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride;   reacting ammonium chloride with zinc oxide to form zinc chloride, ammonia, and water;   reacting the zinc chloride with sulfuric acid to form zinc sulfate and hydrochloric acid; and   decomposing the zinc sulfate to produce zinc oxide.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the decomposing of zinc sulfate further comprises forming sulfur dioxide, or diatomic oxygen, or sulfur trioxide, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 22  which further comprises reacting said formed sulfur dioxide, or formed diatomic oxygen, or formed sulfur trioxide, or a combination thereof with water to produce sulfuric acid. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 23  which further comprises reacting said produced sulfuric acid with zinc chloride to form zinc sulfate and hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 21  which further comprises decomposing said formed sodium bicarbonate to form carbon dioxide and (1) sodium carbonate, or (2) sodium sesquicarbonate, or (3) a combination of (1) and (2). 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25  which further comprises reacting the formed carbon dioxide with sodium chloride, ammonia, and water to form sodium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 21  which further comprises recycling said formed gaseous ammonia, gaseous water vapor, or both. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21  which further comprises dissolving said formed sodium bicarbonate in the ocean. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 25  which further comprises dissolving said formed sodium carbonate, said formed sodium sesquicarbonate, or both in the ocean. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 21  which further comprises employing carbon dioxide captured from at least one carbon dioxide emission source, from air, or both.