Humate Extraction via Ozone Mechano-Chemical Reactor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing humate materials from mineral coal face limitations such as high alkalinity, low yield of water-soluble humic acids, and environmental concerns due to the use of chemicals and prolonged treatment times, which restrict their agricultural and industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
A closed industrial-scale system involving a raw material depository, mixer, dryer, and mechano-chemical reactor using ozone and solid alkali to enhance the solubility and concentration of humate compounds, where ozone is used for oxidative polymerization and mechano-chemical treatment in a centrifugal vibration ball-mill or other mills to break down humic acid structures, reducing chemical consumption and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional alkali treatment and oxidation methods are used to produce soluble humic acids from coal, then some water-soluble humates can be obtained, but the yield is limited (up to 10% in leonardit type coal) and the process requires prolonged treatment times (5-600 minutes at 100-300°C)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of the alkali reagent from liquid to solid form, and conducts the reaction in a dry state rather than in aqueous solution. This parameter change enables much shorter treatment times (1-2 hours vs. 5-600 minutes) while achieving higher yields of water-soluble humates (30-70% vs. up to 10%). The solid-alkali dry treatment method fundamentally alters the reaction kinetics and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the conventional thermal-chemical oxidation process (requiring 100-300°C for 5-600 minutes) with a mechano-chemical treatment using a ball mill. The mechanical energy from ball milling (10-20 m/s² acceleration) substitutes for prolonged thermal treatment, dramatically reducing processing time while enhancing the formation of water-soluble humates through mechanical activation and increased surface contact.
2Quantity of substance
If strong alkali solutions are used to extract humic acids from coal, then water-soluble humates can be produced, but the resulting product has high alkalinity that prevents its direct agricultural application in concentrated form
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses solid alkali (NaOH or KOH) in controlled amounts during the dry treatment process, which reacts with humic acids to form water-soluble humates. The solid alkali is consumed in the reaction and can be precisely controlled, avoiding the excessive alkalinity problem of liquid alkali solutions. The product achieves high concentration (30-70% soluble humates) with manageable alkalinity suitable for agricultural application.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the concentration and physical state parameters by using solid alkali in a dry treatment process rather than dilute liquid alkali solutions. This enables production of concentrated humate products (30-70% soluble content) with controlled alkalinity, making them directly applicable in agriculture without requiring extensive dilution or neutralization.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional wet treatment methods with liquid alkali are used, then humic compounds can be hydrolyzed, but the process requires large amounts of water and produces wastewater that needs treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the water phase from the conventional wet treatment process, conducting the entire reaction in a dry state using solid alkali. This removes the source of wastewater generation while maintaining effective hydrolysis and formation of water-soluble humates. The dry treatment produces minimal waste, eliminating the need for wastewater treatment infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid alkali in the dry treatment process serves multiple functions: it acts as the reacting reagent, the reaction medium, and the water-absorbing agent. The process is self-sufficient, requiring no external water supply or wastewater treatment systems. The solid reagent system naturally manages moisture and produces a dry, easily transportable final product.
4Productivity
If mechanical disintegration is applied to speed up the reaction between humic compounds and reagents, then processing time can be reduced, but the equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a ball mill that generates mechanical vibration and impact forces (10-20 m/s² acceleration) to intensely mix and disintegrate the coal-alkali mixture. This mechanical vibration dramatically increases the reaction surface area and contact between reagents, reducing treatment time from hours to 1-2 hours while maintaining relatively simple equipment design suitable for industrial implementation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly increases the yield and solubility of humate compounds, reduces chemical usage and production costs, and produces a powder form that is easier to handle and apply, while maintaining environmental safety by containing harmful materials within the system.
Implementation Method 1
In the presence of an oxidative agent not only depolymerization reactions take place, but oxidation of the polymer molecules as well, without decomposition of the polymer chains. In such cases, oxygen-containing - phenolic, ketone (=C=O), acidic groups appear in the polymer.
Implementation Method 2
If humic acids in the natural raw material are composed of extremely large polymer molecules, 'carbon - carbon' (-C-C- and -C=C-) bonds must be 'destructed' within the humic acid. Alkaline or acidic hydrolysis of such bonds is practically impossible; therefore application of oxidative hydrolysis is necessary.
Implementation Method 3
mechano-chemical treatment of the mixture of brown coal and alkali is performed in the presence of a gas-form oxidative agent, namely ozone... in a centrifugal vibration ball-mill
Implementation Method 4
a dryer, sealed from the environment, for drying the base material
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention describes an installation, which serves for obtaining humate materials from mineral coal base material, and is provided with raw material depository (1), and a suitable mixer (5) for mixing of the raw material and the reagent, and where a dryer (3) for drying the raw material is attached to the raw material depository, and through a transporter (4) a mixer (5) is attached in order to mix the mineral coal base material with the solid state alkali reagent, furthermore there is a solid alkali feeder equipment (5a) and through a transporter (6) an ozonizing chamber (9) is attached to mixer (5), where the chamber (9) has an ozone inlet hole (78) attached to the ozone generator (8), and there is a mechano-chemical activator (10) attached to the outlet hole (79) of the chamber (9).