Abstract
A continuous, closed-loop chemical and electrochemical regeneration system is disclosed for maintaining electrolyte stability in a hybrid aqueous-to-deep eutectic solvent (DES) near-room-temperature (60°C to 80°C) metal extraction and electroplating cell. While a selective polymer ion-exchange membrane separates an aqueous hydrochloric acid (HCl) leaching chamber from a non-aqueous plating bath (such as AlCl₃-urea), trace electro-osmotic water crossover inevitably occurs. Rather than relying on oxide or aluminosilicate desiccants—which dissolve in Lewis-acidic chloroaluminate melts—the disclosed process manages moisture buildup in situ using two self-sustaining steps: (1) circulating the DES across freshly electrodeposited, non-dendritic microcrystalline metal to neutralize water-derived HCl back into active metal chloride salt and hydrogen gas (H₂), and (2) applying a periodic, voltage-capped anodic pulse on a consumable graphite electrode to oxidize accumulated oxychloroaluminate species (AlOCl₂⁻) into carbon dioxide gas (CO₂) and active salt. Byproduct H₂ and CO₂ gases are further routed to downstream catalytic synthesis reactors to produce drop-in synthetic fuels and fossil-free polymer feedstocks while yielding pure oxygen (O₂) via closed-loop water electrolysis, enabling zero-waste refining of aluminum, reactive metals, rare earths, precious metals, and e-waste on Earth alongside closed-loop Lunar and Martian In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).
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Recommended Citation
Middleton, Peter James Mr, "Closed-Loop In-Situ Dehydration and Electrolyte Regeneration for Hybrid Aqueous-to-Deep Eutectic Solvent for Near Room-Temperature Aluminum Electroplating", Technical Disclosure Commons, ()
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/13007