IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,503,394
Granted Patent B2
US 12,503,394 · App. 18/139,815 · Granted Dec 23, 2025

Compositions, methods, and systems related to multi-modal distribution of vaterite particles

Inventors: Craig W Hargis (Campbell, CA); Ryan J Gilliam (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Arelac, Inc.
C04B7/3453C04B28/04C04B2201/10C04B2201/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,503,394
App. No.
18/139,815
Granted
Dec 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided herein are compositions, methods, and systems related to bimodal, trimodal, and/or multi-modal distribution of reactive vaterite cement particles.

Claims (23)

1 . A system comprising:

(i) a calcining reactor configured to calcine limestone to form a mixture comprising lime and a gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide;

(ii) a dissolution reactor operably connected to the calcination reactor configured for dissolving the mixture comprising lime in an aqueous N-containing salt solution to produce an aqueous solution comprising calcium salt; and

(iii) a treatment reactor operably connected to the dissolution reactor configured for treating the aqueous solution comprising calcium salt with the gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide to form a composition comprising bimodal distribution of reactive vaterite cement comprising reactive vaterite cement A having an average particle size of between about 0.1-10 μm and reactive vaterite cement B having an average particle size of between about 11-50 μm.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the treatment reactor comprises a treatment reactor operably connected to the dissolution reactor configured for treating the aqueous solution comprising calcium salt with the gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide to form a composition comprising reactive vaterite cement A having an average particle size of between about 0.1-10 μm; a treatment reactor operably connected to the dissolution reactor configured for treating the aqueous solution comprising calcium salt with the gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide to form a composition comprising reactive vaterite cement B having an average particle size of between about 11-50 μm; and the system further comprises (iv) a mixing reactor operably connected to the treatment reactors configured for mixing the composition comprising reactive vaterite cement A and the composition comprising reactive vaterite cement B to form the composition comprising the bimodal distribution of reactive vaterite cement.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the treatment reactor is further configured to form a composition comprising reactive vaterite cement C having an average particle size of between about 51-100 μm.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a system to form a cement product from the composition, comprising a mixer system configured to prepare a wet composition by adding water to the composition comprising bimodal distribution of reactive vaterite cement; and a curing system configured to cure the wet composition to transform the reactive vaterite cement in the composition into aragonite and/or calcite, to form the cement product.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the cement product is building material.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the building material is building, driveway, foundation, kitchen slab, furniture, pavement, road, bridge, motorway, overpass, parking structure, brick, block, wall, footing for a gate, fence, pole, or module thereof.

7 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the cement product is aggregate.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the aggregate is lightweight aggregate.

9 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the cement product is formed building material.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the formed building material is masonry unit, construction panel, conduit, basin, beam, column, slab, acoustic barrier, insulation material, or combination thereof.

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the cement product is artificial marine structure.

12 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the mixer system is rotary mixer, static mixer, pin mixer, Hobart mixer, slant cylinder mixer, Omni Mixer, Henschel mixer, V-type mixer, or Nauta mixer.

13 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the curing system is one or more autoclaves.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a blending reactor operably connected to the treatment reactor configured for blending one or more components selected from the group consisting of slag from metal production, Portland cement clinker, carbonate material, calcium aluminate cement clinker, calcium sulfoaluminate clinker, aluminosilicate material, alkali metal accelerator, alkaline earth metal accelerator, admixture, and supplementary cementitious material (SCM), with the composition comprising bimodal distribution of reactive vaterite cement.

15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to remotely and/or automatedly control one or more reactors of the system.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reactive vaterite cement A is between about 5-95% by weight in the composition and the reactive vaterite cement B is between about 5-95% by weight in the composition.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the N-containing salt in the N-containing salt solution comprises N-containing inorganic salt, N-containing organic salt, or combination thereof.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the N-containing salt in the N-containing salt solution is N-containing inorganic salt.

19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the N-containing salt in the N-containing salt solution is ammonium chloride or ammonium acetate.

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the dissolution reactor is further configured for dissolving the mixture comprising lime in the aqueous N-containing salt solution to produce solid comprising silicate, iron oxide, alumina, or combination thereof.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2023
From: HARGIS, CRAIG W; GILLIAM, RYAN J
To: ARELAC, INC.
Reel/Frame 063728/0188 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18086081 · Dec 21, 2022
Provisional Application 63292897 · Dec 22, 2021
Related Publication 20230286859A1 · Sep 14, 2023
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