Magnesium silicate processing
AssigneeAspiring Materials Limited
InventorsAllan Charles Nye Scott, Christopher John-Paul Oze
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Abstract
Methods of processing magnesium silicate materials are described to produce a number of products including magnesium hydroxide. Related methods of use of processed magnesium silicate and other reaction products are described for energy production, cement manufacture and carbon sequestration. In one embodiment the method comprises subjecting a magnesium silicate source to an acid digestion; increasing the digested liquid pH to produce a magnesium salt solution; subjecting the magnesium salt solution to electrolysis; and recovering magnesium hydroxide produced from electrolysis. By-products such as silica, iron oxy(oxides) and others are also described along with further reaction products such as magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate.
Claims20
A method of processing a magnesium silicate source by:
- selecting a magnesium silicate source selected from:
- olivine, serpentine, pyroxene, amphiboles, phyllosilicates, clays, or any combination thereof;
- subjecting the selected magnesium silicate source to water digestion at a temperature of less than 120° C. and wherein a ratio, by mass, of magnesium silicate source to water in the water digestion is 1 part magnesium silicate to 1 to 20 parts water to form a washed magnesium silicate;
- subjecting the washed magnesium silicate to acid digestion, to produce a digested solution, acid digestion comprising mixing the washed magnesium silicate at a temperature of less than 120° C. with acid sufficient to decrease a pH of the acid and the digested solution to −1-6 and, recovering evolved hydrogen gas during acid digestion;
- and
- completing a base wash by increasing the digested solution pH by addition of an alkali solution at a temperature of less than 120° C., to produce a magnesium salt solution consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, or both magnesium chloride and magnesium sulphate.
A method of processing a magnesium silicate source by:
- selecting a magnesium silicate source selected from:
- olivine, serpentine, pyroxene, amphiboles, phyllosilicates, clays, or any combination thereof;
- subjecting the selected magnesium silicate source to water digestion wherein the magnesium silicate source is mixed with water to form a washed magnesium silicate;
- subjecting the washed magnesium silicate to acid digestion, to produce a digested solution, acid digestion comprising mixing the washed magnesium silicate at a temperature of 60° C. to 120° C. with acid sufficient to decrease a pH of the acid and the digested solution to −1-6 and, recovering evolved hydrogen gas during acid digestion;
- completing a base wash by increasing the digested solution pH by addition of an alkali solution, to produce a magnesium salt solution consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, or both magnesium chloride and magnesium sulphate;
- and
- subjecting the magnesium salt solution to a further base wash by increasing the digested solution pH by addition of an alkali solution at a temperature of less than 120° C. and subsequently, completing base separation and removal of magnesium hydroxide produced during the further base wash.
A method of processing a magnesium silicate source by:
- selecting a magnesium silicate source selected from:
- olivine, serpentine, pyroxene, amphiboles, phyllosilicates, clays, or any combination thereof;
- subjecting the selected magnesium silicate source to water digestion wherein the magnesium silicate source is mixed with water to form a washed magnesium silicate;
- subjecting the washed magnesium silicate to acid digestion, to produce a digested solution, acid digestion comprising mixing the washed magnesium silicate with acid and, recovering evolved hydrogen gas during acid digestion;
- completing a further water digestion step after the acid digestion, wherein the digested solution is mixed with water to form a washed digested solution;
- and
- completing a base wash by increasing a pH of the washed digested solution by addition of an alkali solution, to produce a magnesium salt solution consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, or both magnesium chloride and magnesium sulphate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.