# US 11,440,826 B2 · Process and installation for purification of washing waters of chemical plants

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- Number: US 11,440,826 B2
- Document ID: US11440826B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/052,581
- Filed: 2019-04-30
- Published: 2021-11-25
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-04
- Assignees: Pieco GmbH
- Applicants: P.I.Eco S.R.L.
- Inventors: Pietro Medolago Albani; Giovanni Andrea Medolago Albani; Federico Alessandro Medolago Albani; Alessandro Medolago Albani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440826B2

## CPC

- C02F 9/00: Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
- B01D 61/026: {comprising multiple reverse osmosis steps}
- B01D 61/58: Multistep processes
- C02F 1/048: {Purification of waste water by evaporation}
- C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them}
- C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis}
- C02F 1/444: {by ultrafiltration or microfiltration}
- C02F 1/50: by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment {(C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence)}
- C02F 3/12: Activated sludge processes
- B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration}
- B01D 61/04: Feed pretreatment
- B01D 61/145: {Ultrafiltration}
- B01D 2311/06: Specific process operations in the permeate stream
- B01D 2311/08: Specific process operations in the concentrate stream
- B01D 2311/2626: Absorption or adsorption
- B01D 2311/2649: Filtration
- B01D 2311/2673: Evaporation
- B01D 2311/2688: Biological processes
- B01D 2311/2692: Sterilization
- C02F 1/041: {by means of vapour compression}
- C02F 1/76: with halogens or compounds of halogens {(C02F1/4674 takes precedence)}
- C02F 1/78: with ozone {(C02F1/4672 takes precedence)}
- C02F 2101/12: Halogens or halogen-containing compounds
- C02F 2101/30: Organic compounds
- C02F 2103/04: for obtaining ultra-pure water
- C02F 2103/32: from the food or foodstuff industry, e.g. brewery waste waters
- C02F 2103/343: {from the pharmaceutical industry, e.g. containing antibiotics}
- C02F 2303/185: The treatment agent being halogen or a halogenated compound
- Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
- 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)
- 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)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

A process for purifying washing waters of a production plant of the cosmetics sector includes subjecting the washing waters to an ultrafiltration treatment that produces an ultrafiltration concentrate and ultrafiltration water, and subjecting ultrafiltration water to a biological treatment with separation of sludges to be disposed of or further treated and treated water to be disposed of or to undergo subsequent treatments.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for purifying washing waters of a production plant of the cosmetics sector, the process comprising:
subjecting the washing waters to an ultrafiltration treatment in an ultrafiltration section, wherein the ultrafiltration treatment produces an ultrafiltration concentrate and ultrafiltration water; and
subjecting the ultrafiltration water to a biological treatment with separation of sludges to be disposed of or further treated and treated water to be disposed of or to undergo subsequent treatments,
wherein the ultrafiltration concentrate is subjected to an evaporation treatment that produces a waste to be disposed of and evaporation water that is again fed into the ultrafiltration section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the treated water is stored with addition of sanitizing agents to avoid problems due to bacterial load.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein stored water is subjected to filtration with activated carbon to reduce chlorinated pollutants.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, wherein filtered water is subjected to a first reverse osmosis treatment to reduce organic and saline pollutants.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein the reverse osmosis concentrate obtained from the first reverse osmosis treatment undergoes the evaporation treatment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein the first reverse osmosis treatment produces permeated water, which after further addition of sanitizers, is reused in the production plant or disposed of.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein permeated water is subjected to a second reverse osmosis treatment to obtain water having characteristics to be reused in a boiler for production of steam.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the biological treatment does not provide for introduction of biological nutrients.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the biological treatment does not provide for introduction of dilution water coming from sources outside a system.

### Claim 10

A system for the purification of washing waters of a production plant, the system comprising:
an ultrafiltration section to subject the washing waters to an ultrafiltration treatment which produces an ultrafiltration concentrate and ultrafiltration water;
a biological treatment section, operatively connected downstream of the ultrafiltration section, to subject the ultrafiltration water to a biological treatment with separation of sludges for disposal or further treatment and treated water for disposal or subsequent treatments; and
an evaporator-concentrator operatively connected to the ultrafiltration section to receive incoming ultrafiltration concentrate and perform an evaporation-concentration after which is obtained a waste to be disposed of as special waste and evaporation water that is again fed into the ultrafiltration section.