Overview
ARBOK-SODA is a compact, zero-discharge system that extracts sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃, soda ash) from seawater, brines, or wastewater as part of ARBOK's evaporative separation platform, while co-producing freshwater, technical salt, and other mineral fractions. It replaces the energy- and chemical-intensive Solvay process and trona mining — which generate large CO₂ and brine waste — with a low-energy, modular, reagent-free unit ideal for coastal or brine-rich regions.
Applications
Primary use cases: soda-ash recovery from seawater, industrial brine, or lake brine; combined desalination + mineral recovery.
Industries and users: glass and detergent makers, chemical producers, water utilities, desulfurization operators.
Scale: 200 m³/day per 20-ft module; scalable by unit count; suited to brine-rich coastal sites.
Operating Principle
Brine or seawater enters a vertical vacuum module with integrated separation, crystallization, and condensation stages; water evaporates at ambient temperature and condenses as freshwater, while soda ash, technical salt, and mineral fractions crystallize out. Fully enclosed, no external reagents, no discharge.
Limitations: soda yield scales with feed composition; crystallized-product handling per fraction.
Key Parameters
Energy: ~0.8 kWh/ton of processed input.
Soda ash yield: seawater ~1.8–2.3 kg/m³; soda-rich brine up to 15–25 kg/m³.
Freshwater recovery: 60–85 % (input-dependent). Salt recovery: ~35 kg/m³ average.
Unit capacity: 200 m³/day; 20-ft vertical module, 9 m² footprint.
Architecture and Components
Vertical 20-ft vacuum module with separation, crystallization, and condensation stages; freshwater collection; soda-ash and salt extraction; control system (PLC/automation). Compact, mobile, scalable by unit count.
Advantages
Technical: reagent-free; co-produces water + salt + soda ash; enclosed, no discharge.
Economic: ~0.8 kWh/ton energy; multi-product revenue from one stream; modular CAPEX.
Environmental: avoids Solvay/trona CO₂ and brine waste; zero discharge.
Strategic: domestic soda-ash supply from owned brine/seawater; fits brine-rich regions lacking infrastructure.
Integrations
Co-locates with desalination and brine operations; SCADA/PLC ready; cascades with other ARBOK brine-recovery units (boron, salt, lithium).
Deployment & Operation
Steps: brine assay → unit sizing → container install → commissioning. Open-air, ambient temperature, renewable-compatible. Continuous, automated, minimal staffing.
TRL
TRL 7 (confirmed by Michael). Prototype proven in operational environment: pilot-scale modules tested on brine and seawater with stable soda-ash extraction. Remaining: full-scale commercial deployments and product-grade qualification.
Market Potential
Global soda-ash demand exceeds 60 million tons/year and is growing (glass, detergents, chemicals). Brine-integrated recovery opens low-carbon supply, especially where desalination or saline discharge already exists.
Typical Project Economics
OPEX driven by ~0.8 kWh/ton energy; no reagents. Revenue stacks soda ash + freshwater + salt. CAPEX modular per 200 m³/day unit; payback site-specific (feed soda concentration). (Detailed economics to be modelled per site.)
Risk Factors
Yield depends on feed composition; product-grade qualification (glass/detergent buyers); conservative incumbents (Solvay/trona); needs documented pilot reference.
Related Technologies
ARBOK-Boron Separation (ASB) · Vacuum Osmosis · ARBOK LIGHT-SALT · ARBOK-VC (Vacuum Cracking)