BIG BLUE TECHNOLOGIES INC. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase II: T

Description

Proposed is method and system to produce magnesium metal, a strategic infrastructure material commonly associated with the growing demand in vehicle and aircraft light-weighting segments. BBT has already demonstrated the effectiveness of carbothermal reduction as the world’s most material and energy efficient production pathway. Scale-up represents a unique challenge to industrial technologies in niche markets. A cyclic batch process using a high temperature condenser and in-situ vacuum distillation is designed specifically to ease the burden of market entry by modularizing this technology to reduce the minimum scale of commercial impact (~500 t/yr) while maintaining globally competitive cost factors (<$2/kg), reducing total process energy consumption (<15 kWh/kg), establishing a path for net-zero process emissions, and remaining agnostic to conventional logistical constraints such as ore sourcing. The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate a continuous production system in terms of material and energy efficiency by retrofitting a 50 kW electric arc furnace with a dual high temperature condenser system that operates cyclically between condensation of crude magnesium and vacuum distillation. The extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions, and cycling imply focus on component longevity and safety. Because the U.S. has lost its technological advantage and magnesium is a minor metal, the success of this project is critical to revitalizing downstream manufacturing industries and global competitiveness.