Controlling Carnallite and Halite crystal sizes in solar evaporation ponds

OVERVIEW

ICL, the Seeker for this Wazoku Crowd Challenge, is looking for a technology to modify, in the opposite direction, the sizes of Carnallite and Halite crystals in evaporation ponds containing Dead Sea water.

The Dead Sea water is a great source of valuable minerals, such as Carnallite, a hydrated potassium magnesium chloride, an important source of potash.

A typical process of Carnallite extraction from Dead Sea water involves sequential water evaporation in a series of evaporation ponds. However, complicating efficient extraction of Carnallite is its co-precipitation with Halite (NaCl), an undesired by-product.

Given that Carnallite and Halite form crystal of different sizes, this process could be made much simpler and cheaper if a technology existed to modify, in the opposite direction, the crystals sizes of Carnallite and Halite: to make Carnallite crystals larger, and Halite crystals smaller.

The objective of this Challenge is, therefore, to find approaches to modify, in the opposite direction, the sizes of Carnallite and Halite crystals: to at least 1.0 mm for Carnallite and <0.2 mm for Halite.

By taking part in this Prize Challenge, you are granting ICL a right to use your submitted information; however, ICL must determine award winners within 45 days from the start of evaluation, otherwise they lose this right.

This Prize Challenge requires a written proposal to be submitted. There will be a guaranteed award pool of $15,000, with at least one award of $5,000 or larger and no award being smaller than $2,500. There is no assignment of IP Rights with this challenge. Award distribution (or allocation) will be determined following theoretical evaluation of the proposals.

In this Prize Challenge, Solvers may:

• Submit ideas of their own
• Submit third-party information that they have the right to use and further, the authority to convey to ICL this right with the right to use and develop derivative works
• Submit information considered in the public domain without any limitations on use

WIN Scouts are very much invited to participate, this being any Solver who can propose a potentially suitable partner (startup or expert) from your network. As a WIN Scout, by referring to a relevant partner you will be recognized with a share of a separate $500 recognition award if your referral meets certain minimum criteria of detail, relevance, and format.

The input required is guided during the submission process for WIN Scouts below.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on September 24th, 2024.

- Login or register your interest to start solving and scouting!

ABOUT THE SEEKER & ELIGIBILITY

ICL, a global manufacturer of products based on unique minerals, fulfills humanity’s essential needs, primarily in three markets: agriculture, food, and engineered materials.

The experience, knowledge, and professionalism derived from establishing Israel’s potash industry over a period of 80 years of intensive activity and major investment in R&D, have transformed ICL into a world leader in specialty fertilizers, bromine, and flame retardants. ICL produces approximately a third of the world’s bromine, and is the world’s sixth largest potash producer, as well as one of its leading producers of pure phosphoric acid.

ICL’s operations are global and are supported by worldwide distribution and supply chains. Our mining and production sites are located in Israel, Europe, North and South America, and China. ICL employs about 13,000 people worldwide.

Employees of the ICL Group and its subsidiaries are ineligible to receive awards for this Challenge.

Wazoku welcomes WIN Scouts and referred partners to become active members of Wazoku Innovation Networks(WIN). 

WIN Scouts are invited to participate, this being any Solver who can propose a potentially suitable partner (startup or expert) from your network. By referring a relevant partner you could receive a share of a separate $500 recognition award. 

Find out more about participation in Wazoku Crowd Challenges.

THE CHALLENGE

Background

The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth: its salinity reaches 28%.

This makes the Dead Sea water a great source of valuable minerals. One of them is Carnallite, a hydrated potassium magnesium chloride with formula KCl.MgCl₂·6(H₂O), an important source of potash.

A typical process of Carnallite extraction from Dead Sea water involves sequential water evaporation in a series of evaporation ponds.

The major obstacle to efficient extraction of Carnallite from increasingly concentrated water is its co-precipitation with Halite (NaCl), which in this case can be considered as an undesired by-product.

Usually, most Halite crystals are smaller than 0.5 mm in size, while coarser fraction, containing crystals larger than 0.5 mm, is enriched in Carnallite, with only low concentration of Halite (<7%) (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Scanning electron microscopy photograph of Carnallite (1) and Halite (2) crystals.

This factor is being used for commercial extraction of Carnallite. Raw material, containing both Carnallite and Halite, is harvested from evaporation ponds and delivered to a production plant, where it is screened with 0.5 mm sieves. The coarser fraction, enriched in Carnallite, is dissolved in water followed by potash precipitation. The finer fraction, enriched in Halite, is used to remove the high content of Halite either by reverse flotation or by hot leaching.  

This process can be made much simpler and cheaper if we could find a way to modify, in the opposite direction, the crystal sizes of Carnallite and Halite directly in evaporation ponds: to make Carnallite crystals larger, and Halite crystals smaller. Unfortunately, a reliable and scalable process to achieve this doesn’t seem to have been developed.

The Challenge

The goal of this Challenge is to find approaches to modify, in the opposite direction, the sizes of Carnallite and Halite crystals: to at least 1 mm for Carnallite and <0.2 mm for Halite.

We envision that the proposed approach will be based on already existing — sustainable, scalable, and economically feasible — technologies to control crystal size in liquid solutions.

Important: Although our goal is to find a technology that would modify crystal size for both Carnallite and Halite, approaches to size modifications of either Carnallite or Halite will be considered too.

SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS

We’re open to any innovative approach for as long as the proposed solution meets the following major Solution Requirements:

1. The proposed solution will preferably allow to increase the size of Carnallite crystals to at least 1 mm and to reduce the size of Halite crystals to <0.2 mm, or will enlarge the gap between the sizes of Carnallite and Halite.
2. The proposed solution will allow the modification of Carnallite and Halite crystals sizes directly in evaporation ponds.
3. The proposed solution should be scalable to hundreds of thousands of tons of Dead Sea water.
4. The proposed solution will be completely sustainable, i.e. will not introduce any non-proven environmental hazards, nor represent occupational risks to the operator.
5. The proposed solution should consider the energy demands of the technology, favoring low energy consumption technologies.
6. The proposed solution will be economically feasible, i.e. will include low costs.

Important! We would like to emphasize that we’re looking for technological approaches that are already available. The Solvers are therefore encouraged not only to describe the proposed improvements but also list the providers of the proposed technologies and/or sources of commercially available equipment. Solutions providing such information will be given special consideration.

At the same time, we prefer not to consider solutions based on addition of materials, unless those are already present in the Dead Sea water.

Solutions with Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 7-9 are invited.

This Prize Challenge has the following features:

1. By taking part in this Prize Challenge, you are granting ICL a right to use your submitted information; however, ICL must determine the award winners within 45 days from the start of evaluation, otherwise ICL loses this right. You will receive notification.

2. There will be a guaranteed award of $15,000, with at least one award being no smaller than $5,000 and no award being smaller than $2,500.

3. The award distribution will be determined after theoretical evaluation of the proposals by ICL.

4. Solvers may:

• Submit ideas of their own
• Submit third-party information that they have the right to use and further, the authority to convey to ICL this right with the right to use and develop derivative works
• Submit information considered in the public domain without any limitations on use

5. WIN Scouts are invited to participate, this being any Solver who can propose a potentially suitable partner (startup or expert) from your network. As a WIN Scout, by referring a relevant partner you will be recognized with a share of a separate $500 recognition award if your referral meets certain minimum criteria of detail, relevance, and format. The input required is guided during the submission process for WIN Scouts below.

5b. Confidential Information guidance; during the submission process, you will have the option to let ICL know if you have further relevant information, consisting of IP rights that may be of interest to ICL, that you are only prepared to disclose if ICL proposes an acceptable award offer.

6. ICL may also issue “Honorable Mention” recognitions for notable submissions that are not selected for monetary awards.

7. ICL may wish to partner with the Solver at the conclusion of the Challenge. Please indicate your interest in partnering.

YOUR SUBMISSION

Please login and register your interest, to complete the submission form.

The submitted proposals must be written in English, and in your submission form response and attachments, you should include:

1. Participation type – you will first be asked to inform us how you are participating in this challenge, as a Solver (Individual), Solver (Organization) or WIN Scout (submission uses an alternative form).

2. Solution Stage - the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of your solution.

3. Partnering - there may be an opportunity to partner at the conclusion of this Challenge. Please indicate if partnering is of interest to you.

4. Problem & Opportunity - highlight the innovation in your approach to the Problem, its point of difference, and the specific advantages/benefits this brings (up to 500 words).

5. Solution Overview - detail the features of your solution and how they address the Solution Requirements (500 words, there is space to add more in the summary field below, and to add any appropriate supporting data, diagrams, etc.).

6. Experience - Expertise, use cases and skills you or your organization have in relation to your proposed solution (up to 500 words).

7. Solution Risks - any risks you see with your solution and how you would plan for this (up to 500 words).

8. Timeline, capability and costs - describe what you think is required to deliver the solution, estimated time and cost (up to 500 words).

9. Online References - provide links to any publications, articles or press releases of relevance (up to 500 words).

Wazoku encourages the use by Solvers of AI approaches to help develop their submissions, though any produced solely with generative AI are not of interest.

Find out more about participation in Wazoku Crowd Challenges.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on September 24th, 2024.

Late submissions will not be considered.

Your submission will be evaluated by the evaluation team first reviewing the information and content you have submitted on the submission form, with attachments used as additional context to your form submission. Submissions relying solely on attachments will receive less attention from the evaluation team.

After the Challenge submission due date, ICL will complete the review process and make a decision with regards to the winning solution(s) according to the timeline in the Challenge header. All Solvers who submit a proposal will be notified about the status of their submissions.