Use of carbonates for biological and chemical synthesis
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorGregory Hudson Rau
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Abstract
A system of using carbonates, especially water-insoluble or sparing soluble mineral carbonates, for maintaining or increasing dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations in aqueous media. In particular, the system generates concentrated dissolve inorganic carbon substrates for photosynthetic, chemosynthetic, or abiotic chemical production of carbonaceous or other compounds in solution. In some embodiments, the invention can also enhance the dissolution and retention of carbon dioxide in aqueous media, and can produce pH buffering capacity, metal ions, and heat, which can be beneficial to the preceding syntheses.
Claims28
A method of maintaining or increasing the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in aqueous media, comprising the steps of:
- contacting and reacting a carbonate with an acid,
- collecting the CO2 so generated, and
- contacting the said CO2 with said aqueous media thereby maintaining or increasing said dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in said aqueous media.
A method of maintaining or increasing the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration, pH buffering capacity and alkalinity in aqueous media, comprising the steps of:
- contacting and reacting a carbonate with carbonic acid,
- generating dissolved inorganic carbon, pH buffering capacity and alkalinity from the said contacting and said reacting, and
- adding said dissolved inorganic carbon, said pH buffering capacity and said alkalinity to said aqueous media thereby maintaining or increasing dissolved inorganic carbon concentration, pH buffering capacity and alkalinity in said aqueous media.
An apparatus for maintaining or increasing the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in aqueous media, comprising:
- a vessel in which carbonate is reacted with an acid, thus producing CO2, a means of collecting and transporting said CO2 to said aqueous media, and a system of contacting and reacting said CO2 with said aqueous media, thereby maintaining or increasing said dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in said aqueous media.
An apparatus for maintaining or increasing the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration, pH buffering capacity and alkalinity in aqueous media comprising:
- a vessel in which carbonate is contacted and reacted with carbonic acid, thus producing dissolved inorganic carbon, pH buffering capacity and alkalinity,
- a vessel containing aqueous media, and
- a system of adding said dissolved inorganic carbon, said pH buffering capacity and said alkalinity into said aqueous media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.