Ut-battelle, Inc.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Virginia Museum of Natrual History Foundation

Other

Orion Laboratories, LLC

Virginia Museum of Natural History

James G Blencoe

Lawrence M Anovitz

Donald A Palmer

James S Beard

Randall Paul Moore

Kevin J Jackson

Arend Groen

An improved beta(β)-spodumene (˜LiAlSiO) nitric acid conversion process produces discrete lithium (Li), aluminum (Al) and silica (SiO) materials by: (i) converting lithium nitrate, LiNO, to lithium carbonate, LiCO; (ii) creating a Al-rich precipitate either by thermally decomposing aluminum nitrate, Al(NO), or by reacting Al(NO)with aqueous and/or solid ammonium carbonate, (NH)CO; and (iii) forming a solid SiO-rich aluminosilicate residue by selectively leaching Li and Al from β-spodumene. Three key reactants consumed during processing—nitric acid (HNO), ammonia (NH), and magnesium oxide (MgO)—may be regenerated internally by closed-loop chemical cycles, this feature of the process greatly improving its economics in commercial applications.

Process for extracting lithium, aluminum, and silicon materials from a hard rock source

A process for the chemical conversion of contaminated magnesium hydroxide to high purity solutions of magnesium bicarbonate include steps of providing an impure reagent including at least 40% and less than 95% by total weight of total metals of magnesium in a form of solid magnesium hydroxide and at least 10% by weight of total metals of calcium carbonate, combining the impure reagent containing the solid magnesium hydroxide with carbonic acid in water, thereby generating magnesium bicarbonate and water and then filtering out solid calcium carbonate leaving a solution of magnesium bicarbonate in water having a by weight ratio of Mg/(Mg+Ca) in the solution of greater than 95%. Heating and/or drying the magnesium bicarbonate solution produces correspondingly high purity magnesium carbonate.

Chemical process for the manufacture of magnesium bicarbonate from impure reagent including magnesium hydroxide and calcium carbonate

In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process of sequestering carbon dioxide. The process comprises the steps of: (a) reacting a metal silicate with a caustic alkali-metal hydroxide to produce a hydroxide of the metal formerly contained in the silicate; (b) reacting carbon dioxide with at least one of a caustic alkali-metal hydroxide and an alkali-metal silicate to produce at least one of an alkali-metal carbonate and an alkali-metal bicarbonate; and (c) reacting the metal hydroxide product of step (a) with at least one of the alkali-metal carbonate and the alkali-metal bicarbonate produced in step (b) to produce a carbonate of the metal formerly contained in the metal silicate of step (a).

Carbonation of metal silicates for long-term COsequestration

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Carbonation of metal silicates for long-term CO2 sequestration

A process of producing magnesium metal includes providing magnesium carbonate, and reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The carbon dioxide is used as a reactant in a second process. In another embodiment of the process, a magnesium silicate is reacted with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide is reacted with a source of carbon dioxide to produce magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is reacted to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The invention also relates to the magnesium metal produced by the processes described herein.

Production of magnesium metal

Magnesiothermic methods of producing solid silicon are provided. In a first embodiment, solid silica and magnesium gas are reacted at a temperature from 400&#xb0; C. to 1000&#xb0; C. to produce solid silicon and solid magnesium oxide, the silicon having a purity from 98.0 to 99.9999%. The silicon is separated from the magnesium oxide using an electrostatic technology. In a second embodiment, the solid silicon is reacted with magnesium gas to produce solid magnesium silicide. The magnesium silicide is contacted with hydrogen chloride gas or hydrochloric acid to produce silane gas. The silane gas is thermally decomposed to produce solid silicon and hydrogen gas, the silicon having a purity of at least 99.9999%. The solid silicon and hydrogen gas are separated into two processing streams. The hydrogen gas is recycled for reaction with chlorine gas to produce hydrogen chloride gas.

Magnesiothermic methods of producing high-purity silicon

A process of producing magnesium metal includes providing magnesium carbonate, and reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The carbon dioxide is used as a reactant in a second process. In another embodiment of the process, a magnesium silicate is reacted with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide is reacted with a source of carbon dioxide to produce magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is reacted to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The invention further relates to a process for production of magnesium metal or a magnesium compound where an external source of carbon dioxide is not used in any of the reactions of the process. The invention also relates to the magnesium metal produced by the processes described herein.

Growing community of inventors

Harriman, TN, United States of America

James G Blencoe