Method for reducing CO2, CO, NOX, and SOx emissions

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:874712

Lee, James Weifu ^[1]; Li, Rongfu ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge, TN
2. Zhejiang, CH

Industrial combustion facilities are integrated with greenhouse gas-solidifying fertilizer production reactions so that CO.sub.2, CO, NO.sub.x, and SO.sub.x emissions can be converted prior to emission into carbonate-containing fertilizers, mainly NH.sub.4 HCO.sub.3 and/or (NH.sub.2).sub.2 CO, plus a small fraction of NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3 and (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4. The invention enhances sequestration of CO.sub.2 into soil and the earth subsurface, reduces N0.sub.3.sup.- contamination of surface and groundwater, and stimulates photosynthetic fixation of CO.sub.2 from the atmosphere. The method for converting CO.sub.2, CO, NO.sub.x, and SO.sub.x emissions into fertilizers includes the step of collecting these materials from the emissions of industrial combustion facilities such as fossil fuel-powered energy sources and transporting the emissions to a reactor. In the reactor, the CO.sub.2, CO, N.sub.2, SO.sub.x, and/or NO.sub.x are converted into carbonate-containing fertilizers using H.sub.2, CH.sub.4, or NH.sub.3. The carbonate-containing fertilizers are then applied to soil and green plants to (1) sequester inorganic carbon into soil and subsoil earth layers by enhanced carbonation of groundwater and the earth minerals, (2) reduce the environmental problem of NO.sub.3.sup.- runoff by substituting for ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and (3) stimulate photosynthetic fixation of CO.sub.2 from the atmosphere by the fertilization effect of the carbonate-containing fertilizers.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-96OR22464
• Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN)
• Patent Number(s): US 6447437
• OSTI ID: 874712
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

method
reducing
co2
nox
sox
emissions
industrial
combustion
facilities
integrated
greenhouse
gas-solidifying
fertilizer
production
reactions
cosub2
nosubx
sosubx
converted
prior
emission
carbonate-containing
fertilizers
mainly
nhsub4
hcosub3
andor
nhsub2sub2
plus
fraction
nosub3
nhsub4sub2
sosub4
enhances
sequestration
soil
earth
subsurface
reduces
n0sub3sup-
contamination
surface
groundwater
stimulates
photosynthetic
fixation
atmosphere
converting
step
collecting
materials
fossil
fuel-powered
energy
sources
transporting
reactor
nsub2
hsub2
chsub4
nhsub3
applied
green
plants
sequester
inorganic
carbon
subsoil
layers
enhanced
carbonation
minerals
reduce
environmental
nosub3sup-
runoff
substituting
ammonium
nitrate
stimulate
fertilization
effect
energy source
fossil fuel
/588/71/405/423/