# US 10,478,776 B2 · Process for the removal of heavy metals from fluids

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- Number: US 10,478,776 B2
- Document ID: US10478776B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/091,099
- Filed: 2017-03-23
- Published: 2019-04-25
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04
- Assignees: Cppe Carbon Process & Plant Engineering S.A.
- Applicants: Cppe Carbon Process & Plant Engineering S.A.
- Inventors: Alain Strickroth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478776B2

## CPC

- B01D 53/82: with stationary reactants
- B01D 53/64: Heavy metals or compounds thereof, e.g. mercury
- B01D 53/72: Organic compounds not provided for in groups B01D53/48 - B01D53/70, e.g. hydrocarbons
- B01D 53/81: Solid phase processes
- B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
- C02F 1/288: {using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered}
- B01D 2253/102: Carbon
- B01D 2253/1122: Metals
- B01D 2253/25: Coated, impregnated or composite adsorbents
- B01D 2255/20738: Iron
- B01D 2255/702: Carbon
- B01D 2257/2064: Chlorine
- B01D 2257/602: Mercury or mercury compounds
- B01D 2257/7027: Aromatic hydrocarbons
- C02F 1/281: {using inorganic sorbents}
- C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them}
- C02F 2101/103: {Arsenic compounds}
- C02F 2101/20: Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
- C02F 2101/30: Organic compounds
- C02F 2101/366: {Dioxine; Furan}
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

A process for removal of heavy metals and/or dioxins from a fluid including heavy metals, where the fluid is brought in contact with a mixture including between 30% vol. and 60% vol. of an activated carbon catalyst impregnated with sulfur, between 30% vol. and 60% vol. of an activated carbon catalyst impregnated with iron and between 5% vol. and 40% vol. of a filler material, the total of these three ingredients being 100% vol, where the fluid is left in contact with the mixture, the heavy metals and/or dioxins are absorbed onto the mixture to obtain a fluid with a depleted level of heavy metals, which fluid is then evacuated from the mixture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the removal of heavy metals and/or dioxins from a fluid comprising heavy metals, the process comprising
bringing the fluid in contact in a fixed-bed adsorber with a mixture comprising, based on a total volume of particles in the mixture,
between 30% vol. and 60% vol. of separate, distinct particles of an activated carbon catalyst impregnated with sulfur,
between 30% vol. and 60% vol. of separate, distinct particles of an activated carbon catalyst impregnated with iron, and
between 5% vol. and 40% vol. of separate, distinct particles of a filler material, said particles of a filler material having a mean particle size, based on the average largest dimension—by number—of the particle, of more than 4 mm,
leaving the fluid in contact with the mixture,
allowing absorption of the heavy metals and/or dioxins onto the mixture to obtain a fluid with a depleted level of heavy metals and/or dioxins, and
evacuating the fluid with a depleted level of heavy metals and/or dioxins from the mixture,
wherein any individual particle of said activated carbon catalyst impregnated with sulfur is distinguishable from any individual particle of said activated carbon catalyst impregnated with iron at least on the basis of chemical composition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid is a gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gas is a waste gas from sewage, sludge or hazardous waste incineration plants.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gas comprises at least 50 mg/dscm % weight of heavy metals and/or at least 200 ng/dscm of dioxins.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid is a liquid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the liquid comprises at least 40 mg/l of heavy metals and/or at least 0.02 μg/1 of dioxins.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises between 40% vol. and 50% vol. of the separate, distinct particles of activated carbon catalyst impregnated with sulfur, based on a total volume of particles in the mixture.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate, distinct particles of activated carbon catalyst impregnated with sulfur comprises between 5% weight and 20% weight of sulfur, based on a total weight of the separate, distinct particles of activated carbon catalyst impregnated with sulfur.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises between 40% vol. and 50% vol. of the separate, distinct particles of activated carbon catalyst impregnated with iron, based on a total volume of particles in the mixture.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate, distinct particles of activated carbon catalyst impregnated with iron comprises between 10% weight and 30% weight of iron, based on a total weight of the separate, distinct particles of activated carbon catalyst impregnated with iron.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filler material comprises at least one of plastic, alumina and ceramic.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate, distinct particles of filler material comprise a free volume of 50% vol and 97% vol, based on a total volume of the filler material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the separate, distinct particles of filler material are present in an amount from 5 to 15% vol, based on a total volume of particles in the mixture.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filler material is a shape comprising at least one of saddle shaped, ring shaped, ball shaped, torus shaped, prism shaped and irregular shaped.

### Claim 15 (depends on 2)

The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gas is conditioned in at least one of a coalescer, a droplet separator and a heat exchanger before it is put in contact with the mixture.