Membrane Carbonate Immobilization With Scale-Passing Filtration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for generating carbonates from solutions containing carbon dioxide and alkaline-earth metal ions, such as sea water, require significant energy for evaporation and are prone to membrane scaling due to alkaline-earth metal carbonate adhesion, leading to decreased treatment performance.

Innovation Solution

A carbonate immobilization device using a semipermeable membrane with a magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% to 99.0% and sodium chloride blocking rate of 95.0% or less to concentrate treatment target water, allowing alkaline-earth metal carbonates to be generated efficiently with reduced energy consumption and minimizing membrane scaling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If heating and evaporation are used to concentrate treatment target water, then carbonate can be obtained, but great energy is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarbonate concentrationVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the thermal evaporation process with a membrane filtration process. Instead of using heat to evaporate water and concentrate the solution, a semipermeable membrane is used to selectively filter and concentrate alkaline-earth metal ions from the treatment target water, thereby obtaining carbonate precursors without the high energy consumption associated with thermal evaporation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the concentration method from thermal evaporation to membrane filtration. By selecting a membrane with specific blocking rate parameters (magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% to 99.0%), the system achieves effective concentration of treatment target water while consuming significantly less energy compared to heating and evaporation methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If RO membrane is used to concentrate treatment target water, then energy consumption is reduced, but alkaline-earth metal carbonate adheres to the membrane surface as scale

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidmembrane treatment performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the membrane selection by specifying a magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% to 99.0%, which is different from conventional RO membranes. This parameter adjustment allows the membrane to concentrate treatment target water effectively while preventing excessive carbonate precipitation and scale formation on the membrane surface, thereby maintaining reliable treatment performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies a selective blocking rate distribution across different ion types. The membrane is designed to block magnesium chloride at a controlled rate (1.0% to 99.0%) while allowing other ions to pass through more freely. This local quality differentiation in ion rejection prevents uniform scale formation and maintains membrane performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Use of energy by moving object

If membrane filtration is used to concentrate treatment target water, then energy consumption is reduced, but carbonate adhesion to membrane surface occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidscale adhesion
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent controls the magnitude of carbonate adhesion by selecting a membrane with a magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% to 99.0%. This parameter optimization ensures that enough carbonate is produced to immobilize carbon dioxide effectively, while preventing excessive carbonate accumulation that would form harmful scale on the membrane surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of carbonate adhesion into a beneficial outcome. By controlling the membrane blocking rate, a small amount of carbonate adhesion is allowed, which actually helps immobilize carbon dioxide. The system is designed to produce carbonate at a controlled rate that balances carbon dioxide immobilization with prevention of harmful scale formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

The device effectively immobilizes carbon dioxide as carbonates with less energy than traditional methods, while preventing membrane scaling and maintaining treatment performance by allowing a portion of the generated carbonates to pass through the membrane, thus suppressing the adhesion of scale.

Implementation Method 1

concentration using the semipermeable membrane is performed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSemipermeable membrane filtration: Semipermeable Membrane

Implementation Method 2

By concentrating the sea water or the like using the RO membrane

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOsmosis: Osmosis

Implementation Method 3

by using the membrane having the magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% or more and 99.0% or less, a part of the alkaline-earth metal carbonate generated when the treatment target water is concentrated passes through the membrane

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIon blocking: Semipermeable Membrane

Data Source

PatentEP4692001A1Carbonate immobilization device and carbonate immobilization method
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 SUMITOMO HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP4692001A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4692001A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4692001A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

[Problem] An object of the present invention is to provide a carbonate immobilization device and a carbonate immobilization method that generate an alkaline-earth metal carbonate with less energy than concentration caused by heating and evaporating from treatment target water containing alkaline-earth metal ions. [Solution] The carbonate immobilization device of the present invention generates an alkaline-earth metal carbonate by concentrating treatment target water containing alkaline-earth metal ions using a membrane having a magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% or more and 99.0% or less. By using the membrane having the magnesium chloride blocking rate of 1.0% or more and 99.0% or less, a part of the alkaline-earth metal carbonate generated when the treatment target water is concentrated passes through the membrane. From this, a decrease in a treatment target water treatment performance caused by adhesion of the carbonate, which is called scale, to a surface of the membrane can be suppressed, and carbon dioxide can be efficiently immobilized.