Process for manufacturing a solution of an earth alkali hydrogen carbonate

A process for the mineralization of water, the process comprises the steps of:

• i) providing water to be mineralized,
• ii) preparing an aqueous solution comprising at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate by:
• a) providing water in a main process flow and in a first side process flow;
• b) adding at least one earth alkali carbonate-comprising material to the water provided in a first portion of the first side process flow to obtain a suspension comprising the at least one earth alkali carbonate-comprising material;
• c) adding carbon dioxide or an acid having a pKa-value<5 to the water provided in a second portion of the first side process flow and adjusting the pH-value to a range from 2.5 to 7.5 to obtain acidified water;
• d) reacting the suspension obtained in step b) with the acidified water obtained in step c) in a reactor unit of the first side process flow to obtain a solution or suspension of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate;
• e) dosing the solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in step d) from the first side process flow into the water provided in the main process flow to obtain an aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate;
• and
• f) dosing an earth alkali hydroxide provided in water to the aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in the main process flow of step e) to adjust the pH-value of the aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate to a range from 7.0 to 9.0 and to form an aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate having an earth alkali concentration as earth alkali hydrogen carbonate in the range from 10 to 300 mg/l;
• wherein the molar ratio between the at least one earth alkali carbonate-comprising material in step b) and the earth alkali hydroxide in step f) is in the range from 50:1 to 1:10;
• and
• wherein the carbon dioxide concentration in the solution or suspension of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in step d) is in the range from 50 to 2,800 mg/l, the carbon dioxide concentration in the aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in step e) is in the range from 10 to 2,400 mg/l, and the carbon dioxide concentration in the aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in step f) is in the range from 0.001 to 20 mg/l;
• iii) combining the water to be mineralized of step i) and the aqueous solution comprising at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate of step ii) in order to obtain mineralized water, and
• iv) adding at least one earth alkali hydroxide to the mineralized water obtained in step iii).

A process for the preparation of an aqueous solution comprising at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing water in a main process flow and in a first side process flow;
• b) adding at least one earth alkali carbonate-comprising material to the water provided in a first portion of the first side process flow to obtain a suspension comprising the at least one earth alkali carbonate-comprising material;
• c) adding carbon dioxide or an acid having a pKa-value<5 to the water provided in a second portion of the first side process flow and adjusting the pH-value to a range from 2.5 to 7.5 to obtain acidified water;
• d) reacting the suspension obtained in step b) with the acidified water obtained in step c) in a reactor unit of the first side process flow to obtain a solution or suspension of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate;
• e) dosing the solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in step d) from the first side process flow into the water provided in the main process flow to obtain an aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate;
• and
• f) dosing an earth alkali hydroxide provided in water to the aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate obtained in the main process flow of step e) to adjust the pH-value of the aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate to a range from 7.0 to 9.0 and to form an aqueous solution of at least one earth alkali hydrogen carbonate having an earth alkali concentration as earth alkali hydrogen carbonate in the range from 10 to 300 mg/l;
• wherein the molar ratio between the at least one earth alkali carbonate-comprising material in step b) and the earth alkali hydroxide in step f) is in the range from 50:1 to 1:10;
• wherein the earth alkali hydroxide dosed in step f) is provided in a second side process flow;
• and
• wherein a second outlet of the second side process flow is connected to the main process flow at a location downstream of a connection of a first outlet of the first side process flow to the main process flow.