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US 12,486,175 B2Granted
Continuous process and system for the production of sodium bicarbonate crystals
AssigneeUniversité Catholique De Louvain
InventorsPatricia Luis Alconero, Vida Sang Sefidi, Mar Garcia Alvarez, Marie-Charlotte Sparenberg
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Abstract
A continuous process for the production of sodium bicarbonate crystals from the carbon dioxide of a gas stream including an absorption step of the carbon dioxide from a gas stream into an aqueous solution including a sodium carbonate salt to produce an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate, then a crystallization step of the sodium bicarbonate salt obtained at the first step. A system for the production of sodium bicarbonate crystals from carbon dioxide of a gas stream including a control unit, an absorption unit and a crystallization unit.
Claims20
A continuous process for the production of sodium bicarbonate crystals, comprising:
- 1) an absorption step of the gaseous carbon dioxide from a gas stream into an aqueous solution comprising a sodium carbonate salt, comprising the steps of:
- 1a) contacting said gas stream with a first surface of a first porous membrane contactor;
- and contacting said aqueous solution of sodium carbonate with a second opposite surface of the same first porous membrane contactor, said gaseous carbon dioxide diffusing through the pores of the membrane into said aqueous solution of sodium carbonate where it dissolves;
- and
- 1b) reacting the dissolved carbon dioxide with the sodium carbonate salt in the aqueous solution to produce an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate;
- said absorption step being performed in the presence of at least one mass transfer promoter selected from an amino acid or an enzyme;
- said at least one mass transfer promoter being in suspension in the aqueous solution of sodium carbonate or immobilized on said first porous membrane contactor;
- then
- 2) a crystallization step of sodium bicarbonate salt, comprising the steps of:
- 2a) circulating the aqueous solution containing the sodium bicarbonate at one side of a second porous membrane contactor;
- 2b) applying a driving force by circulating an extracting fluid at the opposite side of the second porous membrane contactor, so that the water of the aqueous solution evaporates and diffuses through the pores of the second porous membrane contactor towards the extracting fluid at the opposite side of the second porous membrane contactor, where it re-condensates, leading to the progressive concentration of the aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate,
- 2c) sending the concentrated aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate to a crystallization tank at the outlet of the second porous membrane contactor where crystal growth takes place;
- and
- 2d) recovering the sodium bicarbonate crystals,
- wherein said first porous membrane contactor and second porous membrane contactor are in series.
12 more elements
A system for the production of sodium bicarbonate crystals from carbon dioxide of a gas stream, comprising:
- a control unit configured to control the gas and/or liquid flow rate, and the gas and/or liquid temperatures;
- an absorption unit comprising a first porous membrane contactor configured to allow contact between a gas stream containing gaseous carbon dioxide and a solvent which is an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate;
- and a gear pump,
- wherein the gas stream and the solvent are separated by said first porous membrane contactor, and wherein said first porous membrane contactor contains means for diffusing the gaseous carbon dioxide of the gas stream towards the solvent, where it dissolved and react with the sodium carbonate to produce sodium bicarbonate, said means being pores;
- and
- a crystallization unit comprising a second porous membrane contactor configured to allow contact between the aqueous solution containing the sodium bicarbonate to be crystallized coming from the absorption unit and an extracting fluid;
- a permeate tank containing the extracting fluid;
- and a crystallization tank where the crystallization takes place,
- wherein the second membrane contactor is fluidically coupled to the crystallization tank and to the permeate tank,
- wherein the water of the aqueous solution containing the sodium bicarbonate to be crystallized coming from the absorption unit circulates at one side of the second porous membrane contactor toward the crystallization tank and the extracting fluid coming from the permeate tank circulates at the opposite side of the second porous membrane contactor, and wherein said second porous membrane contactor contains means for the selective transport of the water of the aqueous solution towards the opposite side, said means being pores,
- wherein said absorption unit and crystallization unit are fluidically coupled.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.