Electrochemical Production of Metal Hydroxide Using Metal Silicates

A method of forming metal hydroxide, comprising:

• providing a hydroxyl-producing cathode (i.e., an OH−-producing cathode);
• providing an acid-producing producing anode (i.e., a H+ or H3O+-producing anode);
• connecting a direct current electricity source to said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode with said direct current electricity being capable of producing a direct current electricity path between said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode, said direct current electricity being of sufficient current and voltage to produce acid at said acid-producing anode, or hydroxyl at said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or both;
• providing a metal silicate mass that is contacted by said acid or by said hydroxyl, or by both said acid and by said hydroxyl;
• providing a water solution into which said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode are at least partially submerged, said water solution having an ion concentration sufficient to allow said direct current electricity to pass in said direct current electricity path between said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode;
• wherein said acid or said hydroxyl or both said acid and said hydroxyl are of sufficient concentration to dissolve at least some of the said metal silicate into metal ions and silicate ions,
• wherein said silicate ions react with said acid produced at said acid-producing anode and form one or more of the following:
• silica, silicic acid, other silicon compounds;
• and
• wherein said metal ions react with the said acid formed at said acid-forming anode to produce a metal salt, allowing excess metal hydroxide produced from said water solution at the cathode to accumulate in said water solution, or said metal ions react with said hydroxyl produced at said hydroxyl-producing cathode and form metal hydroxide.

A method of removing acid gas from a gas stream, mixture, or parcel, comprising:

• providing a hydroxyl-producing cathode (i.e., an OH−-producing cathode);
• providing an acid-producing producing anode (i.e., a H+ or H3O+-producing anode);
• connecting a direct current electricity source to said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode with said direct current electricity being capable of producing a direct current electricity path between said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode;
• providing a metal silicate mass that is contacted by said acid or by said hydroxyl ions, or by both said acid and by said hydroxyl ions;
• providing a water solution into which said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode are at least partially submerged, said water solution having a sufficient ion concentration to allow said direct current electricity to pass in said direct current electricity path between said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode;
• providing sufficient current and voltage in said direct current electricity path to generate hydroxyl ions at said hydroxyl-producing cathode or acid at said acid-producing anode, or both;
• wherein said acid or said hydroxyl or both said acid and said hydroxyl are of sufficient concentration to dissolve at least some of the said metal silicate into metal ions and silicate ions,
• wherein said silicate ions travel toward said acid-producing anode and form one or more of the following;
• silica, or silicic acid, or other silicon compounds;
• wherein said metal ions react with the said acid formed at said acid-producing anode to produce a metal salt, allowing excess metal hydroxide produced from ions within said water solution at said hydroxyl-producing cathode to accumulate in said water solution, or said metal ions react with said hydroxyl produced at said hydroxyl-producing cathode and form metal hydroxide;
• and
• wherein said acid gas is contacted by, reacted with, and consumed by said metal hydroxide to form metal salts of those gases, said contacting being facilitated by a natural, artificial, or manufactured contactor of gas and metal hydroxide, said natural contactor being a natural water body into which said metal hydroxide is added and whose surface contacts said gas mixture.

A method of penetrating, excavating, or reducing in mass a metal silicate, comprising the steps of:

• providing a hydroxyl-producing cathode (i.e., an OH−-producing cathode);
• providing an acid-producing producing anode (i.e., a H+ or H3O+-producing anode);
• providing a direct current electricity source that is connected to said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode with said direct current electricity being capable of producing a direct current electricity path between said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode and said direct current electricity being of sufficient current and voltage to produce acid at said acid-producing anode, or hydroxyl at said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or both;
• providing a water solution into which said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode are at least partially submerged, said water solution having a sufficient ion concentration to allow said direct current electricity to pass in said direct current electricity path between said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode;
• positioning said acid-producing anode or said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or both in close proximity to a metal silicate mass;
• wherein said acid or said hydroxyl ions or both said acid and said hydroxyl ions are of sufficient concentration to dissolve at least some of the said metal silicate mass into metal ions and silicate ions, resulting in the penetration, excavation, or reduction in mass of said metal silicate.

A method of producing hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine or other gases, comprising the steps of:

• providing a hydroxyl-producing cathode (i.e., an OH−-producing cathode);
• providing an acid-producing producing anode (i.e., a H+ or H3O+-producing anode);
• connecting a direct current electricity source to said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode, with said direct current electricity being capable of producing a direct current electricity path between said hydroxyl-producing cathode and said acid-producing anode, thereby producing acid at said acid-producing anode, or hydroxyl at said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or both;
• providing a metal silicate mass that is contacted by said acid or by said hydroxyl, or by both said acid and by said hydroxyl;
• providing a water solution into which said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode are at least partially submerged, said water solution having a sufficient ion concentration to allow said direct current electricity to pass in said direct current electricity path between said acid-producing anode and said hydroxyl-producing cathode;
• providing sufficient current and voltage in said direct current electricity path to generate hydroxyl at said hydroxyl-producing cathode and generate acid at said acid-producing anode;
• wherein said acid or said hydroxyl or both said acid and said hydroxyl ions are of sufficient concentration to dissolve at least some of the said metal silicate into metal ions and silicate ions,
• wherein said silicate ions react with said acid produced at said acid-producing anode and form one or more of the following:
• silica, silicic acid, other silicon compounds;
• wherein said metal ions react with the said acid formed at said acid-forming anode to produce a metal salt, allowing excess metal hydroxide produced from said water solution at the cathode to accumulate in said water solution, or said metal ions react with said hydroxyl produced at said hydroxyl-producing cathode and form metal hydroxide;
• and
• wherein said current and said voltage are sufficient to generate oxidative gases at said acid-producing anode, reducing gases at said hydroxyl-producing cathode, or both, said oxidative gases being oxygen, chlorine, or other gases, and said reducing gases being hydrogen or other gases, said gases being derived from the electrolysis of water in said water solution or from the ions contained in said water solution, for example those ions provided by a dissolved metals salt contained in said water solution.