OCO INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A20-028

Description

OCO proposes to build and demonstrate for the U.S. Army a prototype bench-scale modular reactor system that makes both a more effective and more earth-friendly deicing chemical, Potassium Formate, at a lower cost than current industrial methods.     A cheaper process for making Potassium Formate is essential for displacing the use of road salt as a deicer.  99% of all deicing salts used in the US are chloride-based and cost the US economy over $100B/ yr ($3B of this cost is bourne by the US military itself).  The multiple reasons for the negative impact of chloride-based salt use include: accelerated vehicle and infrastructure corrosion, water table chlorination, roadside vegetation poisoning and soil damage. Even though Potassium Formate is superior to chloride-based salts in terms of deicing performance and environmental impact, it is still more expensive to make and apply than chloride-based salts.     The process proposed will lower the production cost of Potassium Formate to less than $800/ton.  This is due, in part, because the process uses earth-abundant and low-cost feed stocks: carbon dioxide, water and salt (KCl); and is powered by renewable electricity, instead of higher priced materials and fossil fuels.   The Potassium Formate made will be produced on-demand in an application-ready state achieving the desired concentration of Potassium Formate needed to inhibit or melt snow and ice. OCO will achieve this by performing design, engineering and testing work to modify its existing proven electro-chemical reactor design for making formic acid.  This existing design produces potassium formate as an intermediate for the ultimate production of formic acid and uses CO2 and water as feedstocks.  The existing design will be modified and then optimized so as to directly synthesize potassium formate at higher concentrations (40%) that the current design (14%) while maintaining equivalent efficiency and performance metrics. Net Potassium addition to the process will be achieved through the electrochemical dissolution of potassium chloride in a separate electro-dialysis reactor unit.  The proposed design will require a modified catholyte chemistry, thicker and more selective ion exchange membranes, and a potassium cation charging system. The proposed process will electro-catalytically reduce solubilized CO2 with one Potassium and one Hydrogen cation each.  These cations are respectively obtained from the potassium cation from dissolved salt (KCl) and from water (via electrolysis) in a 3 chamber electrolyzer.  The proposed work to design, build, demonstrate and continuously operate this system for >200 hrs, will take 20 weeks.  A Phase I option to enhance system performance and extend operating life to 1000 hrs will take an additional 12 weeks. This work will demonstrate the technical feasibility of converting low-cost abundant feedstocks into a value-added chemical, potassium formate, at a lower cost than existing processes.