Silicon Reacts with CO2 to Form Solid Silicon Carbide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for lime production are costly and inefficient, with high storage requirements and potential for greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating alternative methods for capturing and storing carbon dioxide.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the reaction of silicon with carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures and pressures to form solid silicon carbide, utilizing silicon as a carbon-capture and storage material, where CO2 reacts with silicon to form SiC and SiO2, capturing carbon in solid form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If CCS technology is used to capture and store CO2 in deep underground geological formations, then CO2 emissions are reduced, but the process takes considerable time and requires high storage capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms CO2 from gaseous phase to solid phase by reacting it with silicon at high temperatures (above 1000°C) to form solid silicon carbide. This phase transition enables immediate solid-form storage without requiring long-term underground geological storage, thereby resolving the time delay issue while maintaining emission reduction benefits
Solution Approach 2:
Silicon acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates the conversion of CO2 into a stable solid form (silicon carbide). This intermediary material enables direct transformation and storage, eliminating the need for prolonged underground storage infrastructure and reducing both time and capacity requirements
2Object-generated harmful factors
If CCS technology is used for CO2 storage in underground geological formations, then CO2 emissions are reduced, but the costs are high and require high storage capacity
Solution Approach 1:
By converting CO2 gas into solid silicon carbide through high-temperature reaction with silicon, the patent achieves compact solid-form storage. This phase transition dramatically reduces the volume and capacity requirements compared to gaseous or liquid CO2 storage, eliminating the need for large-scale underground geological formations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material (silicon carbide) by combining silicon and CO2. This composite approach transforms the harmful CO2 into a valuable solid material with industrial applications, thereby reducing both storage capacity requirements and overall costs while maintaining emission reduction benefits
3Object-generated harmful factors
If CO2 is converted to fuels such as methanol/ethanol through CCU technology, then CO2 emissions are reduced, but the technology is not yet commercialized and might yet release GHG emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves permanent carbon sequestration by transforming CO2 into solid silicon carbide through high-temperature phase transition. This solid form is stable and does not readily convert back to gaseous CO2, providing reliable and permanent emission reduction without the uncertainties associated with unproven CCU fuel technologies
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful CO2 emissions into beneficial solid silicon carbide material that has industrial applications. This transformation turns a waste product into a valuable resource, providing both emission reduction and economic benefit, thereby resolving the reliability concerns associated with experimental CCU fuel technologies
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
Efficient capture and storage of carbon dioxide as solid silicon carbide, reducing emissions and storage costs, with the potential for industrial application in lime production and silicon carbide industry.
Implementation Method 1
allowing CO2 to react with the silicon in the container, thereby forming solid silicon carbide. The reaction that takes place in the container can be written: CO2 (g) + 2Si -> SiC (s) + SiO2 (s)
Data Source
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AI summary
Process for capturing carbon from gaseous CO2 (2) and storing the captured carbon in solid form (4a). The process comprises: providing (100) silicon (5a, 5b, 5c) in a container (6), wherein a temperature of the silicon is or is adjusted to at least 1000 °C; providing (200) a gas in the container such that a gas pressure of at least 101.335 kPa is created in the container, wherein the gas in the container comprises at least 1 vol. % CO2 (2), and wherein a mole fraction of CO2 in the gas is greater than a mole fraction of O2 in the gas, allowing the CO2 (2) to react with the silicon (5a, 5b, 5c) in the container, thereby forming solid silicon carbide (4a).