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US-12618160-B2 - Electrochemical producer for hydrogen or carbon monoxide

US12618160B2US 12618160 B2US12618160 B2US 12618160B2US-12618160-B2

Abstract

Herein discussed is an electrochemical reactor comprising a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is liquid when the reactor is in operation; a second electrode having a metallic phase and a ceramic phase, wherein the metallic phase is electronically conductive and wherein the ceramic phase is ionically conductive; and a membrane, wherein the membrane is positioned between the first and second electrodes and is in contact with the first and second electrodes, wherein the membrane is mixed conducting. Also discussed herein is a method of producing hydrogen or carbon monoxide comprising: (a) providing an electrochemical reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode, wherein the anode is liquid when the reactor is in operation and wherein the membrane is mixed conducting; (b) introducing a feedstock to the anode; (c) introducing a stream to the cathode, wherein the stream comprises water or carbon dioxide.

Inventors

  • Nicholas FARANDOS
  • Matthew Dawson
  • Jin Dawson
  • Jason Dana
  • Thomas Stilson

Assignees

  • Utility Global, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20221205

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . An electrochemical reactor comprising a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is liquid when the reactor is in operation, wherein the first electrode comprises lithium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, or combinations thereof; a second electrode having a metallic phase and a ceramic phase, wherein the metallic phase is electronically conductive and wherein the ceramic phase is ionically conductive; and a membrane, wherein the membrane is positioned between the first and second electrodes and is in contact with the first and second electrodes, wherein the membrane is mixed conducting.
  2. 2 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, LSGM, CoCGO, and combinations thereof.
  3. 3 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is porous.
  4. 4 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is configured to reduce water to hydrogen electrochemically or to reduce carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide electrochemically.
  5. 5 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is configured to carry a feedstock.
  6. 6 . The reactor of claim 5 , wherein the feedstock comprises carbon, ammonia, syngas, hydrogen, methanol, carbon monoxide, a hydrocarbon, biodiesel, renewable natural gas, biogas, biomass, biowaste, charcoal, petcoke, cooking oil, or combinations thereof.
  7. 7 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is configured to oxidize a feedstock electrochemically.
  8. 8 . The reactor of claim 1 comprising no interconnect and no current collector.
  9. 9 . The reactor of claim 1 producing no electricity and receiving no electricity.
  10. 10 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises an electronically conducting phase and an ionically conducting phase.
  11. 11 . The reactor of claim 10 , wherein the electronically conducting phase comprises doped lanthanum chromite or an electronically conductive metal or combination thereof; and wherein the ionically conducting phase comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gadolinium or samarium doped ceria, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), lanthanum strontium gallate magnesite (LSGM), scandia-stabilized zirconia (SSZ), Sc and Ce doped zirconia (SCZ), and combinations thereof.
  12. 12 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises CoCGO or LST (lanthanum-doped strontium titanate)-stabilized zirconia.
  13. 13 . The reactor of claim 12 , wherein the stabilized zirconia comprises YSZ or SSZ or SCZ (scandia-ceria-stabilized zirconia), and wherein the LST comprises LaSrCaTiO 3 .
  14. 14 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, or Niobium-doped zirconia.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/286,974 filed Dec. 7, 2021 and Application No. 63/289,421 filed Dec. 14, 2021, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention generally relates to production of hydrogen (H2) or carbon monoxide (CO). More specifically, this invention relates to electrochemical production of hydrogen (H2) or carbon monoxide (CO). BACKGROUND Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. It is well known for its poisoning effect because CO readily combines with hemoglobin to produce carboxyhemoglobin, which is highly toxic when the concentration exceeds a certain level. However, CO is a key ingredient in many chemical and industrial processes. CO has a wide range of functions across all disciplines of chemistry, e.g., metal-carbonyl catalysis, radical chemistry, cation and anion chemistries. Carbon monoxide is a strong reductive agent and has been used in pyrometallurgy to reduce metals from ores for centuries. As an example for making specialty compounds, CO is used in the production of vitamin A. Hydrogen (H2) in large quantities is needed in the petroleum and chemical industries. For example, large amounts of hydrogen are used in upgrading fossil fuels and in the production of methanol or hydrochloric acid. Petrochemical plants need hydrogen for hydrocracking, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodealkylation. Hydrogenation processes to increase the level of saturation of unsaturated fats and oils also need hydrogen. Hydrogen is also a reducing agent of metallic ores. Hydrogen may be produced from electrolysis of water, steam reforming, lab-scale metal-acid process, thermochemical methods, or anaerobic corrosion. Many countries are aiming at a hydrogen economy. In the Fischer-Tropsch process, CO and H2 are both essential building blocks, which are often produced by converting carbon-rich feedstocks (e.g., coal). A mixture of CO and H2—syngas can combine to produce various liquid fuels, e.g., via the Fischer-Tropsch process. Syngas can also be converted to lighter hydrocarbons, methanol, ethanol, or plastic monomers (e.g., ethylene). The ratio of CO/H2 is important in all such processes in order to produce the desired compounds. Conventional techniques require extensive and expensive separation and purification processes to obtain the CO and H2 as building blocks. Clearly there is increasing need and interest to develop new technological platforms to produce these building blocks and valuable products. This disclosure discusses production of valuable products via efficient electrochemical pathways. Furthermore, the method and system as disclosed herein do not require the extensive and expensive separation and purification processes as needed in traditional technologies. SUMMARY Herein discussed is an electrochemical reactor comprising a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is liquid when the reactor is in operation; a second electrode having a metallic phase and a ceramic phase, wherein the metallic phase is electronically conductive and wherein the ceramic phase is ionically conductive; and a membrane, wherein the membrane is positioned between the first and second electrodes and is in contact with the first and second electrodes, wherein the membrane is mixed conducting. In an embodiment, the second electrode comprises Ni or NiO and a material selected from the group consisting of YSZ, CGO, SDC, SSZ, LSGM, CoCGO, and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the second electrode is porous. In an embodiment, the second electrode is configured to reduce water to hydrogen electrochemically or to reduce carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide electrochemically. In an embodiment, the first electrode comprises tin (Sn), bismuth (Bi), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), indium (In), silver (Ag), babbitt metal, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the first electrode comprises lithium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the first electrode is configured to carry a feedstock. In an embodiment, the feedstock comprises carbon, ammonia, syngas, hydrogen, methanol, carbon monoxide, a hydrocarbon, biodiesel, renewable natural gas, biogas, biomass, biowaste, charcoal, petcoke, cooking oil, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the first electrode is configured to oxidize a feedstock electrochemically. In an embodiment, the reactor comprises no interconnect and no current collector. In an embodiment, the reactor produces no electricity and receives no electricity. In an embodiment, the membrane comprises an electronically conducting phase and an ionically conducting phase. In an embodiment, the electronically conducting phase comprises doped lanthanum chromite or an electronically conductive metal or combinat