Method for treating wastewater for the recovery of metals contained therein, and apparatus for such a method
AssigneeCircular Materials S.R.L.
InventorMarco Bersani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for treating wastewater, for the recovery of metals contained therein, includes a first pump, a second pump, and a heating element, of which the input is connected to the first pump and the output to a mixer. The mixer, of which a first input is connected to the heating element, a second input to the second pump, and an output to a cooling element, the input of the cooling element being connected to the mixer and the output to a depressurization component. The input of the depressurization component is connected to the cooling element and the output to liquid/solid separation element. The input of the liquid/solid separation component is connected to the depressurization component.
Claims6
A method for treating wastewater for the recovery of metals contained therein, the method comprising the following steps:
- providing a mixer,
- sending a stream of said wastewater at supercritical pressure into said mixer and simultaneously sending a stream of clean process water at a supercritical pressure and at a pericritical and/or supercritical temperature into said mixer,
- mixing in a turbulent manner said stream of wastewater at supercritical pressure with said stream of clean process water at supercritical pressure and pericritical and/or supercritical temperature in said mixer, and causing a precipitation of dissolved metals and an obtainment of a suspension of powders of metals in water,
- sending said suspension from an output of said mixer directly to an input of a cooling means and cooling said suspension, obtaining a cooled suspension,
- sending said cooled suspension from an output of said cooling means directly to an input of a depressurization means and depressurizing said cooled suspension, obtaining a depressurized suspension,
- sending said depressurized suspension from an output of said depressurization means directly to an input of a liquid/solid separation means and
- separating the solid from the liquid in said depressurized suspension, obtaining a solid that contains said metals and purified water, and
- drying said solid, thus recovering said metals.
A method for treating wastewater for the recovery of metals contained therein, the method comprising the following steps:
- providing a mixer,
- sending a stream of said wastewater at supercritical pressure into said mixer and simultaneously sending a stream of clean process water at a supercritical pressure and at a pericritical and/or supercritical temperature into said mixer,
- mixing in a turbulent manner said stream of wastewater at supercritical pressure with said stream of clean process water at supercritical pressure and pericritical and/or supercritical temperature in said mixer, and causing a precipitation of dissolved metals and an obtainment of a suspension of powders of metals in water,
- sending said suspension from an output of said mixer directly to an input of a cooling means and cooling said suspension, obtaining a cooled suspension,
- sending said cooled suspension from an output of said cooling means directly to an input of a depressurization means and depressurizing said cooled suspension, obtaining a depressurized suspension,
- sending said depressurized suspension from an output of said depressurization means directly to an input of a liquid/solid separation means and separating the solid from the liquid in said depressurized suspension, obtaining a solid that contains said metals and purified water, and
- drying said solid, thus recovering said metals, wherein the method uses a fraction of said treated water as clean process water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.