Waste management in electrochemical systems
A method for collecting aluminate waste. The method includes transporting a super-saturated aqueous aluminate stream through a non-electrode open cell foam such that aluminum hydroxide that is the product of an electricity-generating electrochemical reaction between aluminum and water is precipitated on the non-electrode open cell foam, wherein at least 50% wt of the precipitation occurs within the non-electrode open cell foam instead of on an electrode.
1. A method for collecting aluminate waste, comprising:
transporting a super-saturated aqueous aluminate stream through a non-electrode open cell foam such that aluminum hydroxide that is the product of an electricity-generating electrochemical reaction between aluminum and water is precipitated on the non-electrode open cell foam, wherein at least 50% wt of the precipitation occurs within the non-electrode open cell foam instead of on an electrode.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the super-saturated stream is transported through the non-electrode open cell foam by a pump; by gravity; by convection caused by a thermal gradient, bubbles of rising gas; or by molecular diffusion.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the open cell foam includes pores with an average pore diameter greater than or equal to 1 micrometer.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-electrode open cell foam is positioned in a housing and at least a portion of the non-electrode open cell foam is capable of being removed from the housing.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-electrode open cell foam is expanded during transportation of the super-saturated aqueous aluminate stream.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrochemical reaction is caused by an electrode that includes a majority composition of aluminum and a minority composition of at least one of gallium, indium, magnesium, and tin.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein transporting the super-saturated aqueous aluminate stream through the non-electrode open cell foam includes pumping, using a pump fluidically connected to the super-saturated aqueous aluminate stream, the super-saturated aqueous aluminate stream through the non-electrode open cell foam.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing at least part of the non-electrode open cell foam from an electrochemical system.