US 12,435,437 B2
Impurity removal in an iron conversion system
Ai Quoc Pham, Boulder, CO (US); Sandeep Nijhawan, Boulder, CO (US); Adolfredo Alvarez, Boulder, CO (US); and Steven Fatur, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to ELECTRASTEEL, INC., Boulder, CO (US)
Filed by ELECTRASTEEL, INC., Boulder, CO (US)
Filed on Dec. 10, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/976,083.
Application 18/976,083 is a continuation of application No. 18/550,189, previously published as PCT/US2022/021712, filed on Mar. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/165,502, filed on Mar. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2025/0109516 A1, Apr. 3, 2025
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C25C 1/06 (2006.01); C21B 13/00 (2006.01); C21C 5/52 (2006.01); C22B 3/06 (2006.01); C22B 5/00 (2006.01); C25B 1/04 (2021.01); C25B 15/08 (2006.01); C25C 7/02 (2006.01); C25C 7/04 (2006.01); C25C 7/08 (2006.01); C25D 3/20 (2006.01)
CPC C25C 1/06 (2013.01) [C21B 13/0073 (2013.01); C21C 5/5241 (2013.01); C22B 3/06 (2013.01); C22B 5/00 (2013.01); C25B 1/04 (2013.01); C25B 15/081 (2021.01); C25B 15/087 (2021.01); C25C 7/02 (2013.01); C25C 7/04 (2013.01); C25C 7/08 (2013.01); C25D 3/20 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for producing iron, the method comprising:
providing a solid feedstock having an iron-containing ore and one or more non-iron impurities to a dissolution subsystem;
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;
reducing said first Fe3+ ions to form Fe2+ ions;
producing an iron-rich solution in the dissolution subsystem, the iron-rich solution having at least a portion of the formed Fe2+ ions and at least a portion of the one or more non-iron impurities;
treating at least a first portion of the iron-rich solution to remove at least a portion of the one or more non-iron impurities from the iron-rich solution, thereby forming a treated iron-rich solution having at least a portion of the formed Fe2+ ions;
wherein the step of treating comprises 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 non-iron impurities from the treated iron-rich solution;
delivering at least a first portion of the treated iron-rich solution to an iron-plating subsystem having an electrochemical plating cell;
electroplating iron by electrochemically reducing at least a first portion of the delivered formed Fe2+ ions to Fe metal at a plating cathode of the electrochemical plating cell; and
removing the Fe metal from the electrochemical plating cell thereby producing iron.