Methods of treating metal carbonate salts
AssigneeEnergy & Environmental Research Center Foundation
InventorChristopher Lee Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of treating a metal carbonate salt includes hydrolyzing a metal halide salt to form a hydrohalic acid and a hydroxide salt of the metal in the metal halide salt. The metal includes an alkaline earth metal or an alkali metal. The method includes reacting the hydrohalic acid with the metal carbonate salt, wherein the metal carbonate salt is a carbonate salt of the alkaline earth metal or alkali metal, to form CO2 and the metal halide salt. At least some of the metal halide salt formed from the reacting of the hydrohalic acid with the metal carbonate salt is recycled as at least some of the metal halide salt in the hydrolyzing of the metal halide salt to form the hydrohalic acid and the hydroxide salt.
Claims20
A method of softening water from a water source, the method comprising:
- hydrolyzing a metal halide salt to form a hydrohalic acid and a hydroxide salt of the metal in the metal halide salt, the metal comprising an alkaline earth metal or an alkali metal;
- reacting a bicarbonate salt in the water from the water source with at least some of the hydroxide salt, to form a carbonate salt of the metal in the metal halide salt;
- and
- reacting the hydrohalic acid with the carbonate salt, to form CO2 and the metal halide salt, wherein at least some of the metal halide salt formed from the reacting of the hydrohalic acid with the carbonate salt is recycled as at least some of the metal halide salt in the hydrolyzing of the metal halide salt to form the hydrohalic acid and the hydroxide salt.
The method of 3, wherein the water from the water source comprises salt water, ocean water, brackish water, fresh water, or a combination thereof, and wherein the natural water source comprises an ocean, a stream, a pond, a lake, a river, or a combination thereof.
A method of softening water from a water source, the method comprising:
- hydrolyzing a metal halide salt to form a hydrohalic acid and a hydroxide salt of the metal in the metal halide salt, the metal comprising an alkaline earth metal or an alkali metal;
- reacting a bicarbonate salt in the water from the water source with the hydroxide salt, to form a carbonate salt of the metal in the metal halide salt;
- and
- reacting the hydrohalic acid with the carbonate salt, to form CO2 and the metal halide salt, wherein at least some of the metal halide salt formed from the reacting of the hydrohalic acid with the carbonate salt is recycled as at least some of the metal halide salt in the hydrolyzing of the metal halide salt to form the hydrohalic acid and the hydroxide salt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.