Method of purifying brine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames Manio Silva, Paul William Buckley
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Abstract
A method of purifying gluconate-containing brine is described which comprises first removing transition metal cations and other impurities by passage of the brine through a first ion exchange resin. The brine is then passed through a second ion exchange resin to effect removal of alkaline earth metal cations. In a third step the brine is treated with a carbonaceous adsorbent to remove impurities introduced by the ion exchange resins, as well as to effect removal of quaternary ammonium salts such as chloromethyl triethylammonium chloride. Methods for the regeneration of the carbonaceous adsorbent are described.
Claims29
A method for removing impurities from a brine solution, said brine solution comprising a water soluble chelating agent, the method comprising the steps
- a) adjusting the pH of the brine solution to a pH of from about 2 to about 4 and passing the brine solution through a first functionalized resin;
- said first functionalized resin having functional groups capable of removing transition metal cations from the brine solution;
- b) adjusting the pH of the brine solution to a pH of from about 9 to about 11.5 and passing the brine solution through a second functionalized resin, said second functionalized resin having functional groups capable of removing alkaline earth metal cations from the brine solution;
- and
- c) objecting the brine solution to a polishing step following step b).
A method for removing impurities from a brine solution, said brine comprising sodium gluconate and chloromethyltriethyl ammonium chloride, hod comprising the steps of:
- a) adjusting the pH of the brine solution to a pH of from about 2 to about 4 and passing the brine solution through a first functionalized resin;
- said first functionalized resin having functional groups capable of removing transition metal cations from the brine solution;
- b) adjusting the pH of the brine solution to a pH of from about 9 to about 11.5 and passing the brine solution through a second functionalized resin, said second functionalized resin having functional groups capable of removing alkaline earth metal cations from the brine solution;
- and
- c) subjecting the brine solution to a polishing step following step b).
A method for regenerating a carbonaceous adsorbent comprising one or more adsorbed quaternary ammonium salts, said method comprising the step of contacting the carbonaceous adsorbent with a liquid in which said quaternary ammonium is appreciably soluble, allowing at least some of quaternary ammonium salt to dissolve in the liquid, and separating said liquid comprising dissolved quaternary ammonium salt from said carbonaceous adsorbent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.