Steel Slag Carbonate Recovery via Acidic Leaching and Capacitive Deionization
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of effective techniques for recovering metal components from steel slag, leading to environmental issues due to the large generation of steel slag by-products in steel mills, with existing methods primarily focusing on recovering iron components and not utilizing other valuable materials.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for recovering carbonate from steel slag by mixing it with an acidic solvent to extract metal ions, forming complex compounds with ligands, and reacting these compounds with CO2 to produce carbonate, utilizing electrochemical methods and capacitive deionizers to separate and reuse unreacted ions and solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If steel slag is disposed of in landfills or separate sites, then environmental issues are avoided, but large amounts of space are consumed and environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts valuable metal components (Ca, Mg, Al, Si, etc.) from steel slag through chemical leaching using acidic solvents. This extraction process separates the valuable materials from the waste matrix, enabling the steel slag to be transformed from a harmful waste product into a source of recoverable resources, thereby reducing environmental pollution while minimizing landfill volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a recovery system that captures and reuses unreacted metal ions and acidic solvents from the leaching process. By recovering these materials through filtration and solvent regeneration, the system prevents waste disposal while maintaining resource efficiency, directly addressing the contradiction between reducing environmental harm and managing large volumes of steel slag.
2Productivity
If only iron components are recovered from steel slag, then Fe production is achieved, but other valuable metal components remain unused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal leaching system using acidic solvents that can simultaneously extract multiple metal components (Ca, Mg, Al, Si, Fe, etc.) from steel slag. This multi-functional approach replaces the traditional single-metal recovery method, allowing the same process to recover various valuable metals while maintaining efficient Fe production, thereby preventing loss of other metal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the chemical environment (pH, solvent composition, temperature) to selectively control the extraction of different metal components. By adjusting these parameters, the system can optimize recovery of specific metals while maintaining overall productivity, enabling simultaneous recovery of multiple valuable components rather than limiting extraction to iron only.
3Ease of manufacture
If unreacted metal ions and acidic solvents are discarded, then process simplicity is maintained, but resource waste occurs and extraction efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a recovery system that captures and reuses unreacted metal ions and acidic solvents from the leaching process. By recovering these materials through filtration and solvent regeneration, the system prevents waste disposal while maintaining resource efficiency, directly addressing the contradiction between reducing environmental harm and managing large volumes of steel slag.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism where recovered metal ions and regenerated acidic solvents are fed back into the leaching process. This closed-loop system maintains resource efficiency by continuously recycling valuable materials, preventing resource waste while keeping the process manageable through automated recovery and reuse operations.
4Productivity
If CO2 is emitted without utilization, then industrial processes continue, but greenhouse gas emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts CO2, a harmful greenhouse gas, into a beneficial resource by utilizing it in the carbonation process. The recovered metal ions react with CO2 to form valuable carbonate products (CaCO3, MgCO3, etc.). This transformation turns CO2 emissions from an environmental liability into a useful input material, maintaining industrial productivity while eliminating harmful emissions.
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 enables the efficient extraction and recycling of carbonate from steel slag, reducing waste and utilizing CO2, while reusing unreacted metal ions and acidic solvents, thus addressing the environmental concerns associated with steel slag disposal.
Implementation Method 1
mixing steel slag and an acidic solvent to produce a first mixture containing metal ions
Implementation Method 2
inserting and mixing ligands into and with the second mixture to produce a third mixture containing a complex compound produced by reaction of the metal ions with the ligands
Implementation Method 3
separating the complex compound from the third mixture by an electrochemical method using a single capacitive deionizer
Implementation Method 4
The complex compound with no charge may be separated from unreacted charged ligands and unreacted charged metal ions by the electrochemical method using a single capacitive deionizer
Implementation Method 5
reacting the separated complex compound with CO2 to produce carbonate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and system for recovering carbonate from steel slag, in which it is possible to extract carbonate from steel slag and reuse the extracted carbonate, and to recycle steel slag and make use of CO2 gas without emission to the atmosphere. Since unreacted metal ions and an acidic solvent are reused in the method and system, it is possible to increase carbonate extraction efficiency and reduce an amount of waste.