Patents Assigned to ELECTRASTEEL, INC.
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Publication number: 20250109516Abstract: Methods and systems for producing iron from an iron-containing ore and removing impurities found in the iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method for producing iron comprises providing a feedstock having an iron-containing ore and one or more impurities to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; producing an iron-rich solution, in the dissolution subsystem; treating the iron-rich solution to remove at least a portion of one or more impurities by raising a pH of the iron-rich solution from an initial pH to an adjusted pH thereby precipitating at least a portion of the one or more impurities in the treated iron-rich solution; delivering the treated iron-rich solution to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing at least a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal; and removing the Fe metal from the second electrochemical cell thereby producing iron.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2024Publication date: April 3, 2025Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Steven FATUR
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Publication number: 20240425994Abstract: A method of making a material for capturing carbon dioxide from the earth's atmosphere, comprises producing an acid and a base with an electrochemical acid-base generator; dissolving a mineral in the acid to produce a mineral rich solution, separating silica from the mineral rich solution to form a silica depleted solution; adding a first portion of the base to the silica depleted solution to remove impurities by precipitation, adding a second portion of the base until ferrous hydroxide (Fe(OH)2) precipitates, then pausing base addition and removing the ferrous hydroxide precipitate from the solution. Then adding a third portion of the base to the iron-depleted solution to precipitate magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) and/or calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). Then recovering a salt solution and directing the recovered salt solution to the electrochemical acid-base generator to produce a new acid and a new base.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2024Publication date: December 26, 2024Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Kevin GALLOWAY, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Philip WAGNER, Steven FATUR
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Publication number: 20240368789Abstract: Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2024Publication date: November 7, 2024Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Colleen WALLACE, Steven FATUR
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Publication number: 20240368788Abstract: Methods and systems for dissolving an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method of processing and dissolving an iron-containing ore comprises: thermally reducing one or more non-magnetite iron oxide materials in the iron-containing ore to form magnetite in the presence of a reductant, thereby forming thermally-reduced ore; and dissolving at least a portion of the thermally-reduced ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution; wherein the acidic iron-salt solution comprises protons electrochemically generated in an electrochemical cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2024Publication date: November 7, 2024Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Steven FATUR
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Patent number: 12065749Abstract: Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2023Date of Patent: August 20, 2024Assignee: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Sandeep Nijhawan, Adolfredo Alvarez, Colleen Wallace, Steven Fatur
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Publication number: 20240263333Abstract: Methods and systems for producing iron from an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method for producing iron comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell and a dissolution tank; dissolving the iron-containing ore to form an acidic iron-salt solution; reducing Fe3+ ions to form Fe2+ ions and electrochemically generating protons in the first electrochemical cell; circulating solution between the dissolution tank and the first electrochemical cell; transferring formed Fe2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal. The methods and systems optionally include removing one or more impurities found in the feedstock.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2022Publication date: August 8, 2024Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Colleen WALLACE, Steven FATUR
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Patent number: 12054837Abstract: Methods and systems for dissolving an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method of processing and dissolving an iron-containing ore comprises: thermally reducing one or more non-magnetite iron oxide materials in the iron-containing ore to form magnetite in the presence of a reductant, thereby forming thermally-reduced ore; and dissolving at least a portion of the thermally-reduced ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution; wherein the acidic iron-salt solution comprises protons electrochemically generated in an electrochemical cell.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2023Date of Patent: August 6, 2024Assignee: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Sandeep Nijhawan, Adolfredo Alvarez, Steven Fatur
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Publication number: 20240158939Abstract: Methods and systems for producing iron from an iron-containing ore and removing impurities found in the iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method for producing iron comprises providing a feedstock having an iron-containing ore and one or more impurities to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; producing an iron-rich solution, in the dissolution subsystem; treating the iron-rich solution to remove at least a portion of one or more impurities by raising a pH of the iron-rich solution from an initial pH to an adjusted pH thereby precipitating at least a portion of the one or more impurities in the treated iron-rich solution; delivering the treated iron-rich solution to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing at least a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal; and removing the Fe metal from the second electrochemical cell thereby producing iron.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2022Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Steven FATUR
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Publication number: 20240141510Abstract: A method of making a material for capturing carbon dioxide from the earth's atmosphere, comprises producing an acid and a base with an electrochemical acid-base generator; dissolving a mineral in the acid to produce a mineral rich solution, separating silica from the mineral rich solution to form a silica depleted solution; adding a first portion of the base to the silica depleted solution to remove impurities by precipitation, adding a second portion of the base until ferrous hydroxide (Fe(OH)2) precipitates, then pausing base addition and removing the ferrous hydroxide precipitate from the solution. Then adding a third portion of the base to the iron-depleted solution to precipitate magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) and/or calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2022Publication date: May 2, 2024Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Kevin GALLOWAY, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Philip WAGNER, Steven FATUR
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Publication number: 20230374683Abstract: Methods and systems for dissolving an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method of processing and dissolving an iron-containing ore comprises: thermally reducing one or more non-magnetite iron oxide materials in the iron-containing ore to form magnetite in the presence of a reductant, thereby forming thermally-reduced ore; and dissolving at least a portion of the thermally-reduced ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution; wherein the acidic iron-salt solution comprises protons electrochemically generated in an electrochemical cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2023Publication date: November 23, 2023Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Steven FATUR
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Patent number: 11767604Abstract: Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2022Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Sandeep Nijhawan, Adolfredo Alvarez, Colleen Wallace, Steven Fatur
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Patent number: 11753732Abstract: Methods and systems for dissolving an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method of processing and dissolving an iron-containing ore comprises: thermally reducing one or more non-magnetite iron oxide materials in the iron-containing ore to form magnetite in the presence of a reductant, thereby forming thermally-reduced ore; and dissolving at least a portion of the thermally-reduced ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution; wherein the acidic iron-salt solution comprises protons electrochemically generated in an electrochemical cell.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2022Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Sandeep Nijhawan, Adolfredo Alvarez, Steven Fatur
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Publication number: 20220380919Abstract: Methods and systems for producing are disclosed. A method for producing iron, for example, comprises: providing an iron-containing ore to a dissolution subsystem comprising a first electrochemical cell; wherein the first anolyte has a different composition than the first catholyte; dissolving at least a portion of the iron-containing ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution having dissolved first Fe3+ ions; providing at least a portion of the acidic iron-salt solution to the first cathodic chamber; first electrochemically reducing said first Fe3+ ions in the first catholyte to form Fe2+ ions; transferring the formed Fe2+ ions from the dissolution subsystem to an iron-plating subsystem having a second electrochemical cell; second electrochemically reducing a first portion of the transferred formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal at a second cathode of the second electrochemical cell; and removing the Fe metal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Colleen WALLACE, Steven FATUR
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Publication number: 20220380918Abstract: Methods and systems for dissolving an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method of processing and dissolving an iron-containing ore comprises: thermally reducing one or more non-magnetite iron oxide materials in the iron-containing ore to form magnetite in the presence of a reductant, thereby forming thermally-reduced ore; and dissolving at least a portion of the thermally-reduced ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution; wherein the acidic iron-salt solution comprises protons electrochemically generated in an electrochemical cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.Inventors: Ai Quoc PHAM, Sandeep NIJHAWAN, Adolfredo ALVAREZ, Steven FATUR