Carbon dioxide based mining for carbon negative mineral recovery

Abstract

A mineral recovery solution may include a liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component. The mineral recovery solution may include a water component. The mineral recovery solution may include a chelator component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mineral recovery solution comprising:
 a liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component;   a water component; and   a chelator component.   
     
     
         2 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 1 , wherein the chelator component is present in a range of from about 0.01 mol % to about 7 mol % of the mineral recovery solution. 
     
     
         3 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 2 , wherein the chelator component is present in a range of from about 0.01 mol % to about 0.2 mol % of the mineral recovery solution. 
     
     
         4 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 1 , wherein the chelator component comprises a chelator capable of chelation with nickel, iron, cobalt, copper, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 1 , wherein the chelator component comprises a single chelator or a mixture of at least two different chelators. 
     
     
         6 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 5 , wherein the single chelator or mixture of at least two different chelators comprises EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), or EDDS (Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid), CDTA (cyclohexane diamine tetra acetic acid), PDTA (Propylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid), and PDTA (1,3-propanediaminetetraacetic acid) ortho-Phenylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid. 
     
     
         7 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 5 , wherein the single chelator comprises ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. 
     
     
         8 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component is in range of from about 2 mol % to about 95 mol % of the mineral recovery solution. 
     
     
         9 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 8 , wherein the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component is in range of from about 50 mol % to about 95 mol % of the mineral recovery solution. 
     
     
         10 . The mineral recovery solution of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component is a supercritical carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         11 . A method of recovering a mineral, the method comprising:
 delivering a mineral recovery solution to a subterranean location, the mineral recovery solution comprising:
 a liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component; 
 a water component; and 
 a chelator component; 
   chelating a mineral with the chelator component to form a chelated mineral;   mineralizing the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component; and   recovering the chelated mineral.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein
 the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component is in range of from about 0.01 mol % to about 7 mol % of the mineral recovery solution;   the chelator component is present in a range of from about 0.5 mol % to about 7 mol % of the mineral recovery solution; and   the chelator component comprises a single chelator or a mixture of at least two different chelators, the single chelator or mixture of at least two different chelators comprises EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), or EDDS (Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid), CDTA (cyclohexane diamine tetra acetic acid), PDTA (Propylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid), and PDTA (1,3-propanediaminetetraacetic acid) ortho-Phenylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mineral comprises nickel, iron, cobalt, copper, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least 90 mol % of the mineral is chelated. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is a carbon net negative method. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a mineral recovery solution, the method comprising:
 contacting a liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component and a chelator component.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising contacting water with the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component and a chelator component. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component and the chelator component are located in separate storage tanks prior to contact with each other and are contacted at a subterranean location. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein an amount of the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component and the chelator component is controlled by a manifold in fluid communication with the liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide component and the chelator component. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising further separate storage tank comprising a second chelator component.