Boron separation and recovery
AssigneeVattenfall AB
InventorsJinying Yan, Anna Velin, Bernt Bengtsson
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Abstract
A process is provided for separating, concentrating and recovery of boron compound from aqueous solution containing boron, strongly dissociated anions and some cations. The process specifically integrates electrodialysis with ion exchange to selectively separate boron from aqueous solution that contains a wide concentration range of boron, strongly ionised anions such as chloride, nitrate and sulfate, and cations like lithium. The process is adapted for controlling boron concentration in an industrial process, for the recovery or purification of boron and some cations like lithium form aqueous solutions, and for wastewater treatment.
Claims16
A process for the separation and recovery of boron from aqueous solution containing the same which aqueous solutions are used in nuclear power generation, comprising
- separating strongly dissociated anions in the form of electrical migration performed in one diluted compartment (2) of an electrochemical cell, filled with cation-exchange material only;
- separating dissociated cations such as 7Li+ in the form of ion-exchange/electrical migration in the same compartment above;
- separating boron in the form of electrochemical/chemical dissociation, ion-exchange/adsorption, and electrical migration performed in another diluted compartment (5) filled by anion-exchange material or a mixture of anion- and cation-exchange materials, or layers of anion- and cation-materials separated from each other;
- recovering the separated cations into the catholyte compartment (1) of the electrochemical cell;
- recovering the separated boron into the anolyte compartment (3, 4) of the electrochemical cell;
- recirculating the anolyte in the at least one anolyte compartment (3, 4);
- recirculating the catholyte in the catholyte compartment (1);
- and
- recirculating the diluted solution in the diluted compartments (2, 5) if necessary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.