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US 2026/0249245 A1Published application
Carbon Dioxide Valorization Through Cation-Gradient Carbon Dioxide Capture and Electrolysis Coupled to Electrochemical Electrolyte Decarbonation
AssigneeDioxycle
InventorsDavid Wakerley, Joshua A. Rabinowitz
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for capturing and valorizing carbon dioxide into useful chemicals. A disclosed system includes a carbon dioxide capture block, a decarbonation electrolyzer to generate a concentrated carbon dioxide stream, and a carbon dioxide electrolyzer that converts the carbon dioxide to reduced carbon products. The system also regenerates and recycles carbon dioxide capturing materials into a closed loop.
Claims26
A system for capturing and electrochemically converting carbon dioxide, comprising:
- a carbon dioxide capture block configured to contact a gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide with an aqueous alkali metal carbonate to convert carbon dioxide into an aqueous alkali metal bicarbonate;
- a decarbonation electrolyzer that receives the aqueous alkali metal bicarbonate from the carbon dioxide capture block and electrochemically generates (i) a concentrated carbon dioxide stream;
- and (ii) an alkali metal hydroxide stream;
- a carbon dioxide reduction electrolyzer that receives the concentrated carbon dioxide stream and the alkali metal hydroxide stream from the decarbonation electrolyzer, electrochemically reduces a portion of the concentrated carbon dioxide stream to at least one reduced carbon product stream, and generates an alkali metal carbonate stream from a second portion of the concentrated carbon dioxide stream;
- and
- a recycling conduit fluidly connecting the carbon dioxide reduction electrolyzer and the carbon dioxide capture block, whereby the alkali metal carbonate stream generated in the carbon dioxide reduction electrolyzer is transported to the carbon dioxide capture block.
3 more elements
A method for integrated capture and electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide, comprising:
- contacting a gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide with an aqueous alkali metal carbonate to capture at least a portion of the carbon dioxide as an aqueous alkali metal bicarbonate;
- decarbonating the aqueous alkali metal bicarbonate in a first electrolyzer to generate a concentrated carbon dioxide stream and an alkali metal hydroxide stream;
- feeding the concentrated carbon dioxide stream and the alkali metal hydroxide stream to a second electrolyzer;
- electrochemically reducing carbon dioxide in the second electrolyzer to produce at least one reduced carbon product;
- transporting alkali metal cations within the second electrolyzer toward a cathode to promote in situ formation of alkali metal carbonate;
- and
- recycling the alkali metal carbonate formed during electrochemical reduction to the contacting step;
- wherein the at least one reduced carbon product and the alkali metal carbonate are each generated using a portion of the concentrated carbon dioxide stream.
5 more elements
A system for capturing and electrochemically converting carbon dioxide, comprising:
- a carbon dioxide capture block configured to absorb carbon dioxide from a gaseous stream into an aqueous stream to form an aqueous alkali metal bicarbonate;
- a depolarized decarbonation electrolyzer that receives the aqueous alkali metal bicarbonate and electrochemically generates:
- (i) a concentrated carbon dioxide stream;
- (ii) an alkali metal hydroxide stream;
- and (iii) at least one electrochemically generated product that is generated at a first electrode and is then supplied to an opposing electrode to reduce a cell voltage of the depolarized decarbonation electrolyzer;
- a carbon dioxide reduction electrolyzer that receives the concentrated carbon dioxide stream and the alkali metal hydroxide stream from the depolarized decarbonation electrolyzer, electrochemically reduces carbon dioxide to at least one reduced carbon product, and generates an alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate;
- and
- a recycling conduit fluidly connecting the carbon dioxide reduction electrolyzer and the carbon dioxide capture block.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.