# US 10,766,790 B2 · Ammonia removal in freshwater and saltwater systems

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,766,790 B2
- Document ID: US10766790B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/200,212
- Filed: 2018-11-26
- Published: 2019-05-02
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-16
- Assignees: University of South Florida
- Applicants: Norma A. Alcantar; Wen Zhao; Sarina Joy Ergas
- Inventors: Norma A. Alcantar; Wen Zhao; Sarina Joy Ergas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766790B2

## CPC

- C02F 1/281: {using inorganic sorbents}
- A01K 63/04: Arrangements for treating water specially adapted to receptacles for live fish
- B01J 20/16: Alumino-silicates (B01J20/12 takes precedence)
- B01J 20/165: {Natural alumino-silicates, e.g. zeolites}
- B01J 20/3071: {Washing or leaching}
- B01J 20/3078: {Thermal treatment, e.g. calcining or pyrolizing}
- B01J 20/3433: {of sorbents or filter aids other than those covered by B01J20/3408 - B01J20/3425}
- B01J 39/02: Processes using inorganic exchangers
- B01J 39/14: Base exchange silicates, e.g. zeolites
- C02F 1/42: by ion-exchange (ion-exchange in general B01J)
- C02F 1/66: by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58)
- B01J 20/2805: {Sorbents inside a permeable or porous casing, e.g. inside a container, bag or membrane}
- C02F 2001/425: {using cation exchangers}
- C02F 2101/16: Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia
- C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination
- C02F 2103/20: from animal husbandry
- C02F 2303/16: Regeneration of sorbents, filters
- 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)
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS

## Abstract

An ammonia adsorption product is described which may be used for fresh caught fish and bait. The product may comprise functionalized tectosilicate compound and a buffer. High concentrations of ammonia produced by fish waste can be lethal, even though oxygen availability is rich enough to keep fish breathing. The product is a user-friendly, sustainable, affordable product which is able to extend the life of the fish by safely removing ammonia by an ion-exchange mechanism. This product can convert toxic ammonia into ammonium and uptake ammonium by releasing sodium ions in the water.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing an ammonia removal agent for saltwater environments, comprising:
obtaining a tectosilicate compound wherein the tectosilicate compound is chabazite;
functionalizing the tectosilicate compound, comprising soaking the tectosilicate compound in a synthetic saltwater solution for 24 hours and replacing cations in the tectosilicate compound with sodium ions wherein the synthetic saltwater solution consists of:
an amount of water;
10.780 g/L of sodium;
0.42 g/L of potassium;
1.32 g/L of magnesium;
19.290 g/L of chloride
0.400 g/L of calcium;
0.200 g/L of bicarbonate;
2.66 g/L of sulfate; and
0.241 g/L of alkalinity;
washing the functionalized tectosilicate compound in deionized water; and
drying the functionalized tectosilicate compound.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising washing the tectosilicate compound in deionized water and drying the tectosilicate compound prior to soaking the tectosilicate compound in the synthetic saltwater solution.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the tectosilicate compound is washed using a shaker table for 24 hours to remove small particles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein functionalizing the tectosilicate compound increases a percentage of sodium in the tectosilicate compound by at least 30 percent.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalized tectosilicate compound is dried in an oven at 110° C. for 5 hours.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalized tectosilicate compound is regenerated by removing adsorbed ammonium ions and replacing them with sodium ions.

### Claim 7

A method for controlling an ammonia level in a water environment, comprising:
providing a water environment;
providing a functionalized tectosilicate compound, the functionalized tectosilicate compound produced by the steps of:
obtaining a tectosilicate compound wherein the tectosilicate compound is chabazite;
functionalizing the tectosilicate compound, comprising:
soaking the tectosilicate compound in a synthetic freshwater solution or a synthetic saltwater solution; and
removing ions from the tectosilicate compound that have a lower cationic affinity than ammonium ions when the synthetic freshwater solution is used or replacing cations in the tectosilicate compound with sodium ions when the synthetic saltwater solution is used;
wherein the synthetic freshwater solution consists of:
an amount of water;
0.075 g/L of sodium;
0.00312 g/L of potassium;
0.024 g/L of magnesium;
0.193 g/L of chloride
0.043 g/L of calcium;
0.0048 g/L of bicarbonate;
0.096 g/L of sulfate; and
0.310 g/L of alkalinity;
wherein the synthetic saltwater solution consists of:
an amount of water;
10.780 g/L of sodium;
0.42 g/L of potassium;
1.32 g/L of magnesium;
19.290 g/L of chloride
0.400 g/L of calcium;
0.200 g/L of bicarbonate;
2.66 g/L of sulfate; and
0.241 g/L of alkalinity;
washing the functionalized tectosilicate compound in deionized water and then drying the compound; and
providing a container for the functionalized tectosilicate compound and a solid pH buffer, the container comprising a porous material to allow liquid to flow through the material;
providing for the container of functionalized tectosilicate compound to be placed in a water environment comprising a source of ammonia;
buffering the water system to a pH of about 7 and shifting an equilibrium between ammonia and ammonium in the water environment towards ammonium; and
adsorbing the ammonium using the functionalized tectosilicate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising regenerating the functionalized tectosilicate compound by removing the adsorbed ammonium and replacing with sodium ions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising washing the tectosilicate compound in deionized water and drying the tectosilicate compound prior to soaking the tectosilicate compound in the synthetic freshwater solution or the synthetic saltwater solution.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein removing ions from the tectosilicate compound soaked in the synthetic freshwater solution comprises removing sodium ions from the tectosilicate compound.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein functionalizing the tectosilicate compound reduces a percentage of sodium ionically bound to the compound by at least 50 percent.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the functionalized tectosilicate compound is dried in an oven at 110° C. for 5 hours.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein functionalizing the tectosilicate compound by soaking the tectosilicate compound in the synthetic saltwater solution increases a percentage of sodium in the tectosilicate compound by at least 30 percent.

### Claim 14

A system for removing ammonia from a saltwater environment, comprising:
a saltwater environment containing ammonia;
a functionalized tectosilicate compound, the functionalized tectosilicate compound produced by the steps of:
obtaining a tectosilicate compound wherein the tectosilicate compound is chabazite;
functionalizing the tectosilicate compound, comprising soaking the tectosilicate compound in a synthetic saltwater solution and replacing cations in the tectosilicate compound with sodium ions wherein the synthetic saltwater solution consists of:
an amount of water;
10.780 g/L of sodium;
0.42 g/L of potassium;
1.32 g/L of magnesium;
19.290 g/L of chloride
0.400 g/L of calcium;
0.200 g/L of bicarbonate;
2.66 g/L of sulfate; and
0.241 g/L of alkalinity;
washing the functionalized tectosilicate compound in deionized water and then drying the compound; and
a pH buffer, wherein the pH buffer is a phosphate buffer in a solid state wherein an amount of the pH buffer used is such that the pH buffer maintains a pH of 7 in the saltwater environment; and
a container holding the functionalized tectosilicate compound and the pH buffer, the container comprising a porous material to allow water to flow through the material;
wherein the pH of 7 of the water environment shifts an equilibrium between ammonia and ammonium in the water environment towards ammonium, and the ammonium is adsorbed by the functionalized tectosilicate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the functionalized tectosilicate compound is regenerated after use by removing the adsorbed ammonium and replacing with sodium ions.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein functionalizing the tectosilicate compound increases a percentage of sodium in the compound by at least 30 percent.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the phosphate buffer is Na2HPO4, NaH2PO4, or a combination thereof.