Impurity control in magnesium (Mg) based chloride salts has been well established due to its industrial application in Mg electrowinning. In Mg electrowinning cells the purity of the salt affects the Faradaic efficiency of the unit and the rate of the graphite anode consumption. Typical strategies involve a slow heating step to remove residual moisture under a chlorinating environment to avoid formation of magnesium hydroxychloride (MgOHCl) and magnesium oxide (MgO). Slow heating is crucial to avoid the formation of MgOHCl, which has been found to decompose at temperatures above 550° C. However, slow heating is not an effective solution for purification of molten salts during plant operation, as cold-side temperatures of most concentrating solar power (CSP) plants are below the temperature for which this is effective. Thus, there remains a need for a means of purifying molten salts that is useable in CSP applications.
An aspect of the present disclosure is a system for purifying a molten salt, the system including a tank for holding the molten salt, a plurality of electrodes positioned within the tank and including only a working electrode, and a counter electrode, and a voltage source, in which the voltage source is configured to provide a voltage to the working electrode. In some embodiments, the working electrode includes at least one of tungsten, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, or nickel. In some embodiments, the counter electrode includes magnesium (Mg). In some embodiments, the voltage is less than 5 V. In some embodiments, the counter electrode is configured to release an ion into the molten salt. In some embodiments, the ion is a magnesium ion (Mg+). In some embodiments, the molten salt is configured to react with the ion to form a mass on the working electrode. In some embodiments, the mass comprises a hydroxide. In some embodiments, the hydroxide is magnesium hydroxide (MgOH+). In some embodiments, the molten salt includes a chloride salt. In some embodiments, the molten salt has a temperature, and the temperature is less than approximately 300° C.
An aspect of the present disclosure is a method for purifying a molten salt, the method including placing the molten salt in a tank containing a plurality of electrodes, applying a voltage, collecting a mass, in which the plurality of electrodes includes only a working electrode, and a counter electrode, and the applying comprises applying the voltage to the working electrode. In some embodiments, the working electrode includes at least one of tungsten, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, or nickel. In some embodiments, the counter electrode includes magnesium (Mg). In some embodiments, the voltage is less than 5 V. In some embodiments, as a result of the applying, the counter electrode releases an ion into the molten salt. In some embodiments, the ion is a magnesium ion (Mg+). In some embodiments, as a result of the applying, the molten salt reacts with the ion to form a mass on the working electrode. In some embodiments, the mass includes magnesium hydroxide (MgOH+). In some embodiments, the molten salt includes a chloride salt.
Some embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting.
The embodiments described herein should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein. References in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, “some embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
As used herein the term “substantially” is used to indicate that exact values are not necessarily attainable. By way of example, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that in some chemical reactions 100% conversion of a reactant is possible, yet unlikely. Most of a reactant may be converted to a product and conversion of the reactant may asymptotically approach 100% conversion. So, although from a practical perspective 100% of the reactant is converted, from a technical perspective, a small and sometimes difficult to define amount remains. For this example of a chemical reactant, that amount may be relatively easily defined by the detection limits of the instrument used to test for it. However, in many cases, this amount may not be easily defined, hence the use of the term “substantially”. In some embodiments of the present invention, the term “substantially” is defined as approaching a specific numeric value or target to within 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, or within 1% of the value or target. In further embodiments of the present invention, the term “substantially” is defined as approaching a specific numeric value or target to within 1%, 0.9%, 0.8%, 0.7%, 0.6%, 0.5%, 0.4%, 0.3%, 0.2%, or 0.1% of the value or target.
As used herein, the term “about” is used to indicate that exact values are not necessarily attainable. Therefore, the term “about” is used to indicate this uncertainty limit. In some embodiments of the present invention, the term “about” is used to indicate an uncertainty limit of less than or equal to ±20%, ±15%, ±10%, ±5%, or ±1% of a specific numeric value or target. In some embodiments of the present invention, the term “about” is used to indicate an uncertainty limit of less than or equal to ±1%, ±0.9%, ±0.8%, ±0.7%, ±0.6%, ±0.5%, ±0.4%, ±0.3%, ±0.2%, or ±0.1% of a specific numeric value or target.
Among other things, the present disclosure relates to methods and systems for removing impurities from molten salts using an electrochemical purification system having two electrodes. When a voltage is applied to the two-electrode electrochemical purification system, ions from a counter electrode may react with impurities in the molten salt to form materials which can deposit on the working electrode and out of the molten salt. The electrochemical method using a two-electrode electrochemical purification system as described herein is more effective at removing impurities than alternative chemical and thermal methods and produces less harmful byproducts.
In some embodiments, the two-electrode electrochemical purification system of the present disclosure may be used to purify a molten salt, which may include a halogen salt. Halogens in the halogen salt include bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), iodine (I), astatine (As), and/or Tennessine (Ts). In some embodiments, the halogen in the salt may be sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and/or nickel (Ni). Exemplary salts may be salts with the primary halogen being Cl (known as chloride salts) and having multiple cations, such as NaCl—KCl—MgCl2. The two-electrode system of the present disclosure and the methods described herein were tested using NaCl—KCl—MgCl2 as the molten salt, although other salts could be used with these two-electrode electrochemical purification systems and methods.
As used herein, the two-electrode electrochemical purification system of the present disclosure may also be referred to as a two-electrode electrochemical purification cell. An electrochemical cell is a device (or combination of devices) that can generate electrical energy from the chemical reactions occurring in it or (as with the two-electrode electrochemical purification system of the present disclosure) use the electrical energy supplied to it to facilitate chemical reactions in it.
In some embodiments, the WE 110 and/or the CE 115 may be partially submerged in the molten salt. That is, at least a portion of the WE 110 and/or CE 115 will be immersed in the molten salt. For example, approximately 5-50% of the WE 110 and/or CE 115 may be submerged in the molten salt. In some embodiments, the WE 110 and/or the CE 115 may be in contact with the molten salt but not submerged. In some embodiments, the WE 110 and/or the CE 115 may be substantially submerged. For example, for a WE 110 and/or CE 155 with a length of approximately 160 mm approximately 3 mm may be immersed in the molten salt.
In some embodiments, the WE 110 may be at least one of tungsten (W), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), or nickel (Ni). In experiments described herein, tungsten (W) was the primary material for the WE 110, although other materials could be used. In some embodiments, the WE 110 has a diameter less than approximately 15 mm. In some embodiments, the WE 110 has a diameter in the range of approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 10 mm. In the experiments described herein, unless indicated otherwise, the diameter of the W WE 110 was approximately 5 mm.
In some embodiments, the CE 115 may be at least one of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, or a metalloid. Examples of CE 115 materials include, but are not limited to, sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), francium (Fr), lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), strontium (Sr), radium (Ra), barium (Ba), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), scandium (Sc), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), silicon (Si), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), boron (B), arsenic (As), germanium (Ge), and/or astatine (At). In the experiments described herein, magnesium (Mg) was the primary material for the CE 115, although other materials could be used. In some embodiments, the CE 115 has a diameter of less than approximately 15 mm. In some embodiments, the CE 115 has a diameter in the range of approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 10 mm. In the experiments described herein, unless indicated otherwise, the diameter of the Mg CE 115 was approximately 8 mm.
The two-electrode system 105 of the present disclosure utilizes electrowinning by the CE 115 to purify the molten salt. That is, when a voltage is applied to the WE 110, ions from the CE 115 may be released into the molten salt (and thus react with the molten salt). These reactions may result in the coagulation of a mass on the WE 110, which can then be removed.
Experiments were performed to determine whether the desirable purification results were the result of the Mg electrorefining process. The experiments included repeating the electrolysis experiments and targeting the Mg reduction potential. To control the rate for this process, the currents were controlled in the two-electrode system 105 of the present disclosure. The concentration of MgOH+ over time is shown in
To determine whether As shown in
A prototype of the two-electrode system 105 of the present disclosure was built and installed in a molten salt flow system. A ¼ inch stainless steel 316 tube was welded onto the lid of a reactor. Heat shields were also attached to the lid and bolted in a staggered formation in an attempt to minimize heat conduction. Also, the lid was attached to a tank 125 with a Grafoil gasket, a thermocouple, pressure relief valve, and a pressure transducer. The tank 125 was pressurized to approximately 10 psig with helium (He) and leak checked with a He detector. With the two-electrode system 105 installed, a molten salt flow experiment was conducted with approximately 50 lbs. of molten salt transferred from a first molten salt vessel through the tank 125 to a second molten salt vessel. The results are shown in
In some embodiments, the first step of the method 200 includes placing 205 the molten salt in a tank containing a plurality of electrodes. The plurality of electrodes includes a CE 115 and a WE 110. In some embodiments, the WE 110 may be at least one of tungsten (W), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), or nickel (Ni). In some embodiments, the CE 115 may be at least one of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, or a metalloid.
In some embodiments, the next step in the method 200 includes applying 210 a voltage to the WE 110. In some embodiments, the voltage applied 210 is less than approximately 5 V.
In some embodiments, as a result of the applying 210 the CE 115 releases an ion into the molten salt. When the CE 115 is Mg, the ion may be Mg+. In some embodiments, as a result of the applying 210, the molten salt reactions with the ion to form a mass on the WE 110. The mass may be a hydroxide. If the CE 115 is Mg and the ion is Mg+, the hydroxide may be MgOH+.
In some embodiments, the next step in the method 200 includes collecting 115 a mass. The collecting 115 may involve removing the mass from the WE 110. The removing may be done by scraping, washing, scrubbing, and/or rinsing the WE 110. In some embodiments, the collecting 115 may include replacing the WE 110 with a new WE 110 that does not have a mass present on its surface.
Example 1. A system for purifying a molten salt, the system comprising:
Example 2. The system of Example 1, further comprising:
Example 3. The system of Example 1, further comprising:
Example 4. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 5. The system of Example 4, wherein the working electrode comprises tungsten (W).
Example 6. The system of Example 1, wherein the working electrode has a diameter of less than 10 mm.
Example 7. The system of Example 6, wherein the working electrode has a diameter of less than 7 mm.
Example 8. The system of Example 6, wherein the working electrode has a diameter of approximately 5 mm.
Example 9. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 10. The system of Example 9, wherein:
Example 11. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 12. The system of Example 11, wherein:
Example 13. The system of Example 11, wherein:
Example 14. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 15. The system of Example 14, wherein:
Example 16. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 17. The system of Example 16, wherein:
Example 18. The system of Example 16, wherein:
Example 19. The system of Example 18, wherein:
Example 20. The system of Example 19, wherein:
Example 21. The system of Example 1, wherein the molten salt comprises a halogen salt.
Example 22. The system of Example 1, wherein the molten salt comprises a chloride salt.
Example 23. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 24. The system of Example 1, wherein:
Example 25. The system of Example 24, wherein:
Example 26. A method for purifying a molten salt, the method comprising:
Example 27. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 28. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 29. The method of Example 27, wherein the working electrode comprises tungsten (W).
Example 30. The method of Example 26, wherein the working electrode has a diameter of less than 10 mm.
Example 31. The method of Example 30, wherein the working electrode has a diameter of less than 3 mm.
Example 32. The method of Example 31, wherein the working electrode has a diameter of approximately 1.5 mm.
Example 33. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 34. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 35. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 36. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 37. The method of Example 36, wherein:
Example 38. The method of Example 37, wherein:
Example 39. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 40. The method of Example 39, wherein:
Example 41. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 42. The method of Example 41, wherein:
Example 43. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 44. The method of Example 43, wherein:
Example 45. The method of Example 43, wherein:
Example 46. The method of Example 45, wherein:
Example 47. The method of Example 46, wherein:
Example 48. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 49. The method of Example 26, wherein:
Example 50. The method of Example 48, wherein:
The foregoing discussion and examples have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the aspects, embodiments, or configurations to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the aspects, embodiments, or configurations are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, or configurations may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, or configurations other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the aspects, embodiments, or configurations require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. While certain aspects of conventional technology have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of some embodiments of the present invention, the Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate aspect, embodiment, or configuration.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/480,355 filed on Jan. 18, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 awarded by the Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63480355 | Jan 2023 | US |