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 collected at a target location during an air capture period;   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 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 containing a set of diamond seeds to generate a set of diamonds via chemical vapor deposition, the set of diamonds comprising carbon sourced from air and derived from hydrocarbons of the second hydrocarbon mixture.   
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 ingesting a first air sample, collected at a target location during a first air capture period, for extraction of a first mixture from the first air sample, the first mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a first concentration of impurities;   conveying the first mixture through a separation unit to promote liquefaction of the first mixture to generate:
 a first exhaust stream comprising impurities; and 
 a second mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a second concentration of impurities less than the first concentration of impurities; 
   converting the second mixture from a liquid state, at a first outlet of the separation unit, to a gaseous state;   conveying the second mixture, in the gaseous state, through a separation unit configured to remove impurities comprising nitrogen from the second mixture, the second mixture comprising a third concentration of impurities less than the second concentration of impurities at a second outlet of the filter unit;   in response to the second concentration of impurities falling below a threshold concentration, depositing the second mixture in a diamond reactor, containing a set of diamond seeds, to generate a first set of diamonds via chemical vapor deposition.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein deriving the first mixture from the air sample comprises:
 extracting a third mixture from the air sample, the third mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a third concentration of impurities;   conveying the third mixture through a pressurized unit at temperatures within a first temperature range to promote liquefaction of the third mixture to generate:
 a second exhaust stream comprising impurities comprising nitrogen; and 
 a fourth mixture, in a liquid state, comprising carbon dioxide and a fourth concentration of impurities less than the third concentration of impurities; 
   converting the fourth mixture from the liquid state to a gaseous state; and   in a methanation reactor, mixing the fourth mixture, in the gaseous state, with a stream of hydrogen to generate the first mixture.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein depositing the second mixture in the diamond reactor to generate the first set of diamonds comprises depositing the second mixture in the diamond reactor to generate the first set of diamonds comprising carbon sourced from air and excluding carbon sourced from underground. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein depositing the second mixture in the diamond reactor in response to the second concentration of impurities falling below a threshold concentration comprises, in response to the second concentration of impurities falling below a threshold concentration of five percent and in response to a concentration of hydrocarbons in the second mixture exceeding ninety-five percent, depositing the second mixture in the diamond reactor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, associating the first set of diamonds within the first target location. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein associating the first set of diamonds with the first target location comprises:
 generating an electronic sample file associated with the first target location; and   linking a diamond identifier, associated with a first diamond, in the first set of diamonds, to the electronic sample file to associate the first diamond with the first target location.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein conveying the first mixture through the separation unit comprises:
 in response to a concentration of nitrogen present in the first mixture exceeding a threshold nitrogen concentration, conveying the first mixture through a purge unit configured to remove nitrogen from the first mixture; and   in response to the concentration of nitrogen falling below the threshold nitrogen concentration, conveying the first mixture through the separation unit.   
     
     
         9 . 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 comprising nitrogen;   conveying the first mixture through a pressurized unit at temperatures within a first temperature range to promote liquefaction of the first mixture to generate:
 a first exhaust stream comprising impurities comprising nitrogen; and 
 a second mixture, in a liquid state, comprising carbon dioxide and a fourth concentration of impurities less than the third concentration of impurities, at a first outlet of the pressurized unit; 
   collecting the second mixture, in the liquid state, at the first outlet of the pressurized unit;   converting the second mixture from the liquid state to a gaseous state; and   in a methanation reactor, mixing the second mixture, in the gaseous state, with a stream of hydrogen to generate the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the first concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein deriving the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the first concentration of impurities comprises deriving the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the first concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen and carbon dioxide; and   wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate 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 second hydrocarbon mixture comprising:
 a concentration of hydrocarbons exceeding ninety-five percent; and 
 the second concentration of impurities comprising a concentration of nitrogen less than 1.2 parts-per-billion. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an electronic sample file associated with the air sample;   linking a location identifier, associated with the target location, to the electronic sample file; and   linking a diamond identifier, associated with a first diamond, in the first set of diamonds, to the electronic sample file to associate the first the diamond with the target location.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 :
 further comprising:
 collecting the first hydrocarbon mixture in a first container; and 
 linking a first container identifier, associated with the first container, to the electronic sample file; 
   wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit comprises transferring the first hydrocarbon mixture form the first container and through the separation unit;   further comprising:
 collecting the second 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 second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises transferring the second hydrocarbon mixture from the second container and into the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit configured to remove impurities from the first hydrocarbon mixture to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture comprises conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through a set of filters configured to collect impurities present in the first hydrocarbon mixture to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture comprises conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through a pressurized unit at temperatures within a target temperature range to promote liquefaction of the first hydrocarbon mixture to generate:
 a first exhaust stream comprising impurities; and 
 the second hydrocarbon mixture in a liquid state; 
   further comprising converting the second hydrocarbon mixture from the liquid state to a gaseous state; and   wherein depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture, in the gaseous state, in the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture comprises:
 in response to a concentration of nitrogen present in the first hydrocarbon mixture exceeding a threshold nitrogen concentration, conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through a purge unit configured to remove nitrogen from the first hydrocarbon mixture; and   in response to the concentration of nitrogen falling below the threshold nitrogen concentration, conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deriving the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the first concentration of impurities comprises deriving the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising:
 hydrocarbons derived from air and comprising methane; and   the first concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen and carbon dioxide.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 ingesting a first mixture derived from a first air sample, the first mixture comprising carbon dioxide and a first concentration of impurities;   conveying the first mixture through a first separation unit to generate:
 a first exhaust stream comprising impurities; and 
 a second mixture, in a liquid state, comprising carbon dioxide and a second concentration of impurities less than the first concentration of impurities; 
   converting the second mixture from the liquid state to a gaseous state;   in a methanation reactor, mixing the second mixture, in the gaseous state, with a stream of hydrogen to generate a first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a third concentration of impurities;   conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through a separation unit to generate a second hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and a fourth concentration of impurities less than the third concentration of impurities; and   depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in a diamond reactor to generate a first set of diamonds comprising carbon sourced from air in the first air sample.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor to generate the first set of diamonds, comprising carbon sourced from air in the first air sample, comprises depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor to generate the first set of diamonds comprising carbon sourced from air in the first air sample and excluding carbon sourced from underground. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 :
 wherein conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit to generate the second hydrocarbon mixture comprises conveying the first hydrocarbon mixture through the separation unit at temperatures within a first temperature range to generate:
 a second exhaust stream comprising impurities; and 
 the second hydrocarbon mixture in a liquid state; 
   further comprising, converting the second hydrocarbon mixture from the liquid state to a gaseous state; and   wherein depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture in the diamond reactor comprises depositing the second hydrocarbon mixture, in the gaseous state, in the diamond reactor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 :
 wherein ingesting the first mixture, comprising carbon dioxide and the first concentration of impurities, comprises ingesting the first mixture comprising carbon dioxide and the first concentration of impurities comprising nitrogen; and   wherein mixing the second mixture with the stream of hydrogen to generate the first hydrocarbon mixture, comprising hydrocarbons and the third concentration of impurities, comprises mixing the second mixture with the stream of hydrogen to generate the first hydrocarbon mixture comprising hydrocarbons and the third concentration of impurities comprising carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen.