# US 12,006,212 B2 · Systems and methods for generating hydrogen and magnetite from rock > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,212 B2 - Document ID: US12006212B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/302,702 - Filed: 2023-04-18 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-30 - Assignees: Ohio State Innovation Foundation - Applicants: Ohio State Innovation Foundation - Inventors: Thomas Darrah; Vikram Rao; Colin Whyte - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006212B2 ## CPC - C01B 3/06: by reaction of inorganic compounds containing electro-positively bound hydrogen with inorganic reducing agents - C01B 3/061: by reaction of water with metal oxides - C01B 3/04: by decomposition of inorganic compounds (reversible storage of hydrogen C01B3/0018) - C01F 5/24: Magnesium carbonates - C01G 49/08: Ferroso-ferric oxide [Fe3O4] - C22B 1/00: Preliminary treatment of ores or scrap - C22B 23/005: {Preliminary treatment of ores, e.g. by roasting or by the Krupp-Renn process} - C22B 23/0415: {with acids or salt solutions except ammonium salts solutions} - C22B 26/12: Obtaining lithium - C22B 34/32: Obtaining chromium - C22B 59/00: Obtaining rare earth metals - C01B 2203/0272: containing a non-catalytic decomposition step - C01B 2203/06: Integration with other chemical processes - C01B 2203/1258: Pre-treatment of the feed - C01B 2203/86: Carbon dioxide sequestration - Y02C 20/40: of CO2 - Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - C01F: COMPOUNDS OF THE METALS BERYLLIUM, MAGNESIUM, ALUMINIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, RADIUM, THORIUM, OR OF THE RARE-EARTH METALS (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts of peroxyacids C01B15/00; sulfides or polysulfides of magnesium, calcium, strontium, or barium C01B17/42; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds other than ammonia or cyanogen containing nitrogen and non-metals and optionally metals C01B21/082; amides or imides of silicon C01B21/087}; metal {imides or} amides C01B21/092, {C01B21/0923}; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanic acid C01C3/14; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20; {double sulfates of magnesium with sodium or potassium C01D5/12; with other alkali metals C01D15/00, C01D17/00}) - C01G: COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts or peroxyacids C01B15/00; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium, or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds containing nitrogen, other non-metals and metal C01B21/082}; metal amides C01B21/092; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20) - C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS - Y02C: CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG] - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Systems and methods for sequestering carbon, evolving hydrogen gas, producing iron oxide as magnetite, and producing magnesium carbonate as magnesite through sequential carbonation and serpentinization/hydration reactions involving processed olivine- and/or pyroxene-rich ores, as typically found in mafic and ultramafic igneous rock. Precious or scarce metals, such nickel, cobalt, chromium, rare earth elements, and others, may be concentrated in the remaining ore to facilitate their recovery from any gangue material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for sequestering carbon and generating hydrogen and magnetite from rock, the method comprising: obtaining an ore containing olivine or pyroxene; introducing the ore into a reactor that is operable at temperatures above ambient temperature and pressures above atmospheric pressure; introducing carbon dioxide into the reactor at a first temperature for a first residence time to react with the ore to generate magnesium carbonate; introducing water into the reactor at a second temperature for a second residence time to react with the ore to generate magnetite and hydrogen gas; removing the hydrogen gas from the reactor; and removing any remaining ore from the reactor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising comminuting the ore into smaller size fractions prior to introducing the carbon dioxide into the reactor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising washing the ore with either water or an acidic solution prior to comminuting the ore into the smaller size fractions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing at least a portion of the magnesium carbonate from the reactor prior to introducing the water into the reactor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the water has a pH of between about 8.3 and about 11.1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: passing the water through a heated bed of copper filings to reduce an oxygen fugacity of the water prior to introducing the water into the reactor; applying, prior to introducing the carbon dioxide into the reactor, an acidic solution to the ore that is introduced into the reactor; or removing oxygen from the reactor prior to introducing the carbon dioxide into the reactor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising separating at least one of nickel, cobalt, lithium, chromium, or rare earth elements from the remaining ore. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide that is introduced into the reactor is gaseous or supercritical carbon dioxide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature is no greater than 300° C. ### Claim 10 A method for sequestering carbon and generating hydrogen and magnetite from rock, the method comprising: obtaining an ore containing olivine or pyroxene; introducing the ore into a first reactor that is operable at temperatures above ambient temperature and pressures above atmospheric pressure; introducing carbon dioxide into the first reactor at a first temperature for a first residence time to react with the ore to generate magnesium carbonate; passing the ore to a second reactor; introducing water into the second reactor at a second temperature for a second residence time to react with the ore to generate magnetite and hydrogen gas; removing the hydrogen gas from the second reactor; and removing the ore from the second reactor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the carbon dioxide that is introduced into the first reactor is gaseous or supercritical carbon dioxide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: sieving the ore prior to introducing the ore into the first reactor to allow ore particles up to a pre-selected size to pass into the first reactor, wherein introducing the ore into the first reactor comprises introducing, into the first reactor, only a subset of the ore having particles up to the pre-selected size. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the pre-selected size comprises a size of between about 25 microns and about 150 microns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the water has a pH between about 8.3 and about 11.1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature is no greater than 400° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein a pressure inside the first reactor during the first residence time is at or above about 5 bars of carbon dioxide. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein a pressure inside the second reactor during the second residence time is at or above about 1 bar of carbon dioxide. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: washing the ore with either an additional water or an acidic solution prior to introducing the carbon dioxide into the first reactor; and sieving the ore prior to introducing the ore into the first reactor to allow ore particles up to a pre-selected size to pass into the first reactor, wherein introducing the ore into the first reactor comprises introducing, into the first reactor, only a subset of the ore having particles up to the pre-selected size, wherein the pre-selected size comprises a size of between about 25 microns and about 150 microns. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the additional water has a pH of between about 8.3 and about 11.1. ### Claim 20 A method for sequestering carbon and generating hydrogen and magnetite from rock, the method comprising: obtaining an ore containing olivine or pyroxene; introducing the ore into a first reactor that is operable at temperatures above ambient temperature and pressures above atmospheric pressure; introducing carbon dioxide into the first reactor at a first temperature for a first residence time to react with the ore to generate magnesium carbonate; passing the any remaining ore to a second reactor; introducing water into the second reactor at a second temperature for a second residence time to reactor with the remaining ore to generate magnetite and hydrogen gas; removing the hydrogen gas from the second reactor; removing any remaining ore from the second rector; and passing the water through a heated bed of copper filings to reduce an oxygen fugacity of the water prior to introducing the water into the second reactor.