System and method for generating synthetic diamonds via atmospheric carbon capture

Abstract

One variation of a method includes: ingesting an air sample captured during an air capture period at a target location for collection of a first mixture including carbon dioxide and a first concentration of impurities; conveying the first mixture through a liquefaction unit to generate a second mixture including carbon dioxide and a second concentration of impurities less than the first concentration of impurities; in a methanation reactor, mixing the second mixture with hydrogen to generate a first hydrocarbon mixture comprising a third concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen; conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through a separation unit configured to remove impurities from the first hydrocarbon mixture to generate a second hydrocarbon a fourth concentration of impurities less than the third concentration of impurities; and depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in a diamond reactor containing a set of diamond seeds to generate a first set of diamonds.

1 . A method comprising:
 ingesting an air sample captured during an air capture period and at a target location;   generating an electronic sample file for tracking of products derived from the air sample;   linking a location identifier, associated with the target location, to the electronic sample file;   deriving a first hydrocarbon mixture from the air sample, the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a first concentration of impurities;   conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through a separation unit configured to remove impurities from the first hydrocarbon mixture to generate:   an exhaust stream comprising impurities; and   a second hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a second concentration of impurities less than the first concentration of impurities;   depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in a diamond reactor to generate a first set of diamonds via chemical vapor deposition;   assigning a first diamond identifier to a first diamond in the first set of diamonds; and   linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising engraving the first diamond with the first diamond identifier. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 :
 further comprising:
 collecting the second hydrocarbon mixture at an outlet of the separation unit for storage in a first container; and 
 linking a first container identifier, associated with the first container, to the electronic sample file; and 
   wherein depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the second hydrocarbon mixture from within the second first container to within the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 :
 further comprising writing a timestamp corresponding to the air capture period to the electronic sample file; and   wherein linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location comprises linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location and the air capture period.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein ingesting the air sample, captured during the air capture period at the target location, comprises ingesting the air sample captured during the air capture period, at the target location, and from a first air source selected from the group comprising ambient air and human breath;   further comprising linking a source identifier corresponding to the first air source to the electronic sample file; and   wherein linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location comprises linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location and the first source.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 :
 wherein ingesting the air sample captured from the first source comprises ingesting the air sample captured from the first source selected from the group comprising ambient air and human breath.   
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing a subset of diamonds, in the first set of diamonds, in a first container; and   linking a first container identifier, associated with the first container, to the electronic sample file.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein ingesting the air sample captured during the air capture period and at the target location comprises ingesting the air sample captured from an air source during the air capture period and at the target location;   further comprising:
 linking a timestamp, corresponding to the air capture period, to the electronic sample file; and 
 linking a source identifier, associated with the air source, to the electronic sample file; and 
   wherein linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location comprises linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location, the air capture period, and the air source.   
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate the exhaust stream and the second hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the second concentration of impurities comprises conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate the exhaust stream and the second hydrocarbon mixture comprising a concentration of hydrocarbons exceeding ninety-six percent and the second concentration of impurities. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 ingesting an air sample, captured at a target location, for extraction of a first mixture from the air sample, the first mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a first concentration of impurities;   generating an electronic sample file for tracking of products derived from the air sample;   linking a location identifier, associated with the target location, to the electronic sample file;   in a methanation reactor, mixing the first mixture with a stream of hydrogen to generate a hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a second concentration of impurities;   depositing the hydrocarbon mixture in a diamond reactor containing a set of diamond seeds to generate a set of diamonds via chemical vapor deposition;   assigning a first diamond identifier to a first diamond in the set of diamonds; and   linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 :
 further comprising:
 collecting the first mixture in a first container configured to store the first mixture during transportation of the first mixture to a secondary location remote from the target location; and 
 linking a first container identifier associated with the first container to the electronic sample file; and 
   wherein mixing the first mixture with the stream of hydrogen to generate the hydrocarbon mixture comprises mixing the first mixture with the stream of hydrogen to generate the hydrocarbon mixture in the methanation reactor at the secondary location.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 :
 further comprising:
 collecting the hydrocarbon mixture in a second container; and 
 linking a second container identifier, associated with the second container, to the electronic sample file; and 
   wherein depositing the hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the hydrocarbon mixture from within the second container to within the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 :
 wherein ingesting the air sample captured from the target location comprises ingesting the air sample captured from the target location and from an air source;   further comprising linking a source identifier, associated with the air source, to the electronic sample file; and   wherein linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location comprises linking the first diamond identifier to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the target location and the air source.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 :
 further comprising:
 storing the first hydrocarbon mixture in a first container; and 
 linking a first container identifier, associated with the first container, to the electronic sample file; and 
   wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit comprises transferring the first hydrocarbon mixture from the first container into an inlet of the separation unit and through the separation unit.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deriving the first hydrocarbon mixture from the air sample comprises:
 extracting a first mixture from the air sample, the first mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a third concentration of impurities;   conveying the first mixture through a pressurized unit to promote liquefaction of the first mixture to generate:
 a first exhaust stream comprising impurities comprising nitrogen; and 
 a second mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a fourth concentration of impurities less than the third concentration of impurities; and 
   in a methanation reactor, mixing the second mixture with a stream of hydrogen to generate the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the first concentration of impurities.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 :
 further comprising:
 collecting the first mixture in a first container configured to transiently store the first mixture; and 
 linking a first container identifier, associated with the first container, to the electronic sample file; 
   wherein conveying the first mixture through the pressurized unit comprises conveying the first mixture from the first container and through the pressurized unit;   further comprising:
 collecting the second hydrocarbon mixture in a second container at an outlet of the separation unit; and 
 linking a second container identifier, associated with the second container, to the electronic sample file; and 
   wherein depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the second hydrocarbon mixture from the second container and into the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 :
 further comprising conveying the first mixture through a pressurized unit to promote liquefaction of the first mixture to remove impurities from the first mixture, the first mixture comprising a third concentration of impurities, less than the first concentration of impurities, at an outlet of the pressurized unit;   wherein mixing the first mixture with the stream of hydrogen in the methanation reactor comprises transferring the first mixture form the outlet of the pressurized unit to the methanation reactor for mixing with the stream of hydrogen;   further comprising conveying the hydrocarbon mixture through a separation unit configured to remove impurities form the hydrocarbon mixture, the hydrocarbon mixture comprising a fourth concentration of impurities, less than the second concentration of impurities, at an outlet of the separation unit; and   wherein depositing the hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the hydrocarbon mixture from the outlet of the separation unit and into the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 during a first time period:
 generating a first electronic sample file for tracking of products derived from a first air sample captured at a first target location; 
 linking a first location identifier, associated with the first target location, to the first electronic sample file; 
 deriving a first hydrocarbon mixture from the first air sample, the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a first concentration of impurities; 
 in response to the first concentration of impurities falling below a threshold concentration, depositing the first hydrocarbon mixture in a diamond reactor for generation of a first set of diamonds via chemical vapor deposition; 
 assigning a first diamond identifier to a first diamond in the first set of diamonds; and 
 linking the first diamond identifier to the first electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the first target location; and 
   during a second time period:
 generating a second electronic sample file for tracking of products derived from a second air sample captured at a second target location; 
 linking a second location identifier, associated with the second target location, to the second electronic sample file; 
 deriving a second hydrocarbon mixture from the second air sample, the second hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a second concentration of impurities; 
 in response to the second concentration of impurities falling below the threshold concentration, depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor for generation of a second set of diamonds via chemical vapor deposition; 
 assigning a second diamond identifier to a second diamond in the second set of diamonds; and 
 linking the second diamond identifier to the second electronic sample file to associate the second diamond with the second target location. 
   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 :
 wherein deriving the first hydrocarbon mixture from the first air sample comprises:
 extracting a first mixture from the first air sample, the first mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a third concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen; 
 conveying the first mixture through a pressurized unit to promote liquefaction of the first mixture to generate:
 a first exhaust stream comprising impurities comprising nitrogen; and 
 a second mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a fourth concentration of impurities less than the third concentration of impurities; and 
 
 in a methanation reactor, mixing the second mixture with a stream of hydrogen to generate the first hydrocarbon mixture; and 
   wherein deriving the second hydrocarbon mixture from the second air sample comprises:
 extracting a third mixture from the second air sample, the first mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a fifth concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen; 
 conveying the third mixture through the pressurized unit to promote liquefaction of the third mixture to generate:
 a second exhaust stream comprising impurities comprising nitrogen; and 
 a fourth mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a sixth concentration of impurities less than the fifth concentration of impurities; and 
 
 in the methanation reactor, mixing the fourth mixture with a stream of hydrogen to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture. 
   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 :
 further comprising:
 collecting the first hydrocarbon mixture in a first container configured to transiently store the first hydrocarbon mixture; and 
 linking a first container identifier, associated with the first container, to the first electronic sample file; and 
   wherein depositing the first hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the first hydrocarbon mixture from the first container and into the diamond reactor;   further comprising:
 collecting the second hydrocarbon mixture in a second container configured to transiently store the second hydrocarbon mixture; and 
 linking a second container identifier, associated with the second container, to the second electronic sample file; and 
   wherein depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the second hydrocarbon mixture from the second container and into the diamond reactor.