Vanadium Ore Chlorination Separation With CO2 Recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for extracting vanadium and iron from vanadium-containing ores result in high carbon dioxide emissions and inefficient resource utilization, failing to effectively separate and recover both metals.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a three-zone chlorination reactor with carbon monoxide, chlorine, and carbon dioxide at controlled temperatures, followed by desublimation and condensation processes, coupled with a solid oxide electrolysis cell for recycling gases, to produce iron chloride and vanadium oxytrichloride, which are then oxidized to their respective oxides, minimizing CO2 release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional high-temperature roasting is used for vanadium extraction, then vanadium can be extracted, but carbon dioxide emissions increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the extraction process by using a gas mixture of chlorine and oxygen instead of conventional high-temperature roasting. This chemical parameter change allows vanadium extraction at lower temperatures (400-800°C) while maintaining extraction efficiency and significantly reducing CO2 emissions associated with high-temperature processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mechanical roasting process with a chemical chlorination process. Instead of relying on high-temperature thermal energy input, the process uses chemical reactions with chlorine and oxygen gases to extract vanadium, substituting a chemical mechanism for a thermal-mechanical one and thereby reducing carbon dioxide footprint.
2Productivity
If selective extraction of iron is performed using chlorination, then iron can be separated, but other metal chlorides are produced requiring additional removal steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different temperature zones within the fluidized bed reactor. The temperature is controlled to be in the range of 400-800°C, which is optimized for selective vanadium chlorination while preventing the formation of volatile chlorides for other metals. This localized temperature control enables selective extraction without producing unwanted byproducts that would require additional removal steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial chlorination by controlling the chlorine concentration and reaction conditions to achieve selective extraction of vanadium without completely chlorinating all metal components. By applying chlorine selectively under controlled conditions, the process extracts vanadium while leaving other metals in their oxide forms, avoiding the complexity of removing multiple metal chloride byproducts.
3Manufacturing precision
If vanadium oxychloride is condensed and purified, then high purity vanadium product is obtained, but unrecovered vanadium chlorides and unreacted chlorine are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by recycling the gas stream containing unreacted chlorine and vanadium chlorides back to the fluidized bed reactor. The condensed vanadium oxychloride is purified through fractional distillation, but the off-gas is not discarded; instead, it is fed back into the reaction zone where unreacted chlorine and vanadium species continue to react, thereby recovering valuable materials and improving overall process efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers valuable materials that would otherwise be discarded. The condensation process captures vanadium oxychloride for purification, while the accompanying gas stream containing unreacted chlorine and vanadium chlorides is recovered and recycled back to the reactor. This prevents loss of vanadium and chlorine materials and improves both purity and resource utilization.
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
Achieves high extraction yields of vanadium and iron (>85 wt%) with substantial CO2 reduction, enabling efficient resource utilization and recycling of gases.
Implementation Method 1
reacting the vanadium ore with a gas mixture comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and chlorine (Cl2) in the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) at a first elevated temperature, wherein the first elevated temperature is in the range from about 850 to about 1000° C. and thereby producing a mixture of volatile metal chlorides
Implementation Method 2
exposing the mixture obtained in step i. to a second temperature, the second temperature being in the range from about 750 to about 550° C. and collecting a gas mixture that comprises iron chloride (FeCl3), vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
Implementation Method 3
oxidizing vanadium oxytrichloride obtained in step iv. in the presence of a carbon dioxide and oxygen gas mixture into vanadium oxide
Implementation Method 4
coupled with a solid oxide electrolysis cell for recycling gases
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a process for selective extraction and separating vanadium and iron using a method of chlorinating vanadium-containing iron oxide ores. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a process for producing vanadium oxytrichloride (VOCl3) and iron trichloride (FeCl3) in a moving bed chlorinator by reacting chlorine and carbon monoxide with vanadium iron oxide materials. In addition, this disclosure describes removing other chlorides with the exemption of vanadium and iron chlorides from the exhaust stream from the reactor by creating a conversion temperature zone at the top of the reactor. Furthermore, the invention discloses removing impurities from an exhaust gas stream to purify carbon dioxide and it also includes a closed-loop capture in the process in order to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.