# US 2019/0376154 A1 · Filter media for the removal of particles, ions, and biological materials, and decolorization in a sugar purification process, and use thereof

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- Number: US 2019/0376154 A1
- Document ID: US20190376154A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/420,720
- Filed: 2019-05-23
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-07
- Assignees: Graver Technologies LLC
- Applicants: Graver Technologies LLC
- Inventors: James Knoll; Katie Henderson; Bruce Belcher; Joshua Mertz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190376154A1

## CPC

- B01D 15/363: {Anion-exchange}
- B01J 20/226: {Coordination polymers, e.g. metal-organic frameworks [MOF], zeolitic imidazolate frameworks [ZIF] (preparation of metal complexes containing carboxylic acid moieties C07C51/418; MOF's per se C07F)}
- B01D 39/02: Loose filtering material, e.g. loose fibres
- B01D 39/2041: {the material being filamentary or fibrous}
- B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
- B01J 20/28004: {Sorbent size or size distribution, e.g. particle size}
- B01J 20/28066: {being more than 1000 m2/g}
- B01J 20/28076: {being more than 1.0 ml/g}
- B01J 39/18: Macromolecular compounds (B01J39/17 takes precedence)
- C02F 9/00: Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
- C13B 20/16: by physical means, e.g. osmosis or filtration
- C13B 30/02: Crystallisation; Crystallising apparatus
- B01D 2239/0407: comprising particulate additives, e.g. adsorbents
- B01D 2239/0435: Electret
- B01D 2239/1225: Fibre length
- B01D 2239/1233: Fibre diameter
- C02F 1/004: {using large scale industrial sized filters}
- C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them}
- C02F 11/122: using filter presses (C02F11/123 takes precedence)
- C02F 2001/422: {using anionic exchangers}
- C02F 2001/5218: {Crystallization}
- C02F 2101/103: {Arsenic compounds}
- C02F 2101/308: {Dyes; Colorants; Fluorescent agents}
- C02F 2103/32: from the food or foodstuff industry, e.g. brewery waste waters
- 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)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- 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)
- C13B: PRODUCTION OF SUCROSE; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR (chemically synthesised sugars or sugar derivatives C07H; fermentation or enzyme-using processes for preparing compounds containing saccharide radicals C12P19/00)

## Abstract

A filter media for implementation in a sugar purification process that allows for a significant increase in sorbent material while maintaining, and enhancing the decolorization and. hydraulic properties. The filter media incorporates sorbent material, fiber having specific properties that allows for small particle sorbent material without jeopardizing the hydraulic properties of the media, and an electrolyte. The sorbent material is an inorganic, an adsorption, or ion exchange media, or a metal-organic framework. The implementation of this filter media in a sugar purification process eliminates the need for a clarification step during refining while providing for enhanced decolorization and hydraulic properties for fluid flow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A filter media for removing contaminants from and decolorizing liquid sugar comprising:
a sorbent material 25-50% by weight;
a fiber in a compositional range from 0.01-10%;
an electrolyte in a compositional range from 0.01 -1%.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The filter media of claim 1 wherein the sorbent material is inorganic, an adsorption or ion exchange media, or a metal-organic framework.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The filter media of claim 1 wherein the sorbent material comprises carbon having a D50 particle size of 0-50 micrometers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The filter media of claim 3 wherein the pore volume of said sorbent material is 1.0-2.5 cc/g.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The filter media of claim 3 wherein the surface area of said sorbent material is 1300-1500 m2/g.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The filter media of claim 2 wherein the ion exchange resin has a D50 of 5-100 micrometers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The filter media of claim 1 wherein the fiber diameter is 200-1500 nanometers, the length is 0.500-1000 micrometers, the Canadian Standard of Freeness measurement is 0-100, and the surface area is 0-200 m2/g.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The filter media of claim 1 wherein the sorbent material includes:
0.001-99% carbon by weight;
0.001-99.9% ion exchange resin by weight; and
0.001-99.9% inorganic sorbent media by weight.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A filter media of claim 1, wherein:
said sorbent material comprises approximately 32.7 wt % carbon and approximately 5.5 wt % ion exchange resin;
said fiber is in a compositional range of approximately 0.4 wt %; and
said electrolyte in a compositional range approximately 0.2 wt

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The filter media of claim 9 wherein a final pH is in the range of 6-8.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A filter media of claim 1, wherein said sorbent material comprises approximately 29.7 wt % carbon and approximately 8.0 wt % ion exchange resin;
said fiber is in a compositional range of approximately 0.5 wt %; and
said electrolyte in a compositional range approximately 0.2 wt %.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The filter media of claim 11 wherein a final pH is in the range of 6-8.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A filter media of claim 1, wherein said sorbent material comprises approximately 36.6 wt % carbon, approximately 1.2 wt % ion exchange resin, and approximately 1.45% inorganic sorbent;
said fiber is in a compositional range of approximately 0.5 wt %; and
said electrolyte in a compositional range approximately 0.2 wt %.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The filter media of claim 13 wherein a final pH is in the range of 6-8.

### Claim 15

A method of removing contaminants from and decolorizing liquid sugar, comprising:
providing a filter media to a sugar purification process, said filter media including:
a sorbent material 25-50% by weight;
a fiber in a compositional range from 0.1-10 wt %; and
an electrolyte in a compositional range from 0 -1 wt %;
providing raw sugar;
melting the raw sugar into liquid sugar;
filtering the liquid sugar;
decolorizing the liquid sugar;
crystallizing the liquid sugar into a crystallized sugar;
melting the crystallized sugar; and
decolorizing the melted crystallized sugar;
wherein said filter media is added and agitated with the liquid sugar for a set period of time at any step in the method following the melting of raw sugar and before crystallizing the liquid sugar.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 including clarifying said liquid sugar.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein the filter media is added and agitated with the liquid sugar for a set period of time following the step in the method of melting the crystallized sugar.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein the filter media is added and agitated with the liquid sugar for a set period of time at any step in the method following the melting of raw sugar and before crystallizing the liquid sugar, and again after the step of melting the crystallized sugar.

### Claim 19

A method of removing contaminants from and decolorizing aqueous solutions in a sugar purification process, comprising:
providing a filter media to said sugar purification process, said filter media including:
a sorbent material 25-50% by weight;
a fiber in a compositional range from 0.01-10%;
an electrolyte in a compositional range from 0.01-1%.
providing raw sugar melted into a liquid form during said purification process;
providing said filter media into the liquid sugar;
agitating the filter media and said liquid sugar to create a slurry; and
pumping the slurry into a filter press;
wherein the filter media is sifted from the liquid sugar and builds up to form a mat or cake within the filter press to further act as a filter for removing contaminants and decolorization of the liquid sugar as the liquid sugar continues to be pumped into the filter press.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein the filter media is introduced directly into said liquid sugar during said purification process, such that the filter media immediately begins decolorization of the liquid sugar during agitation.

### Claim 21

A method of removing contaminants from and decolorizing aqueous solutions in a sugar purification process, comprising:
providing raw sugar;
performing affination and melting of said raw sugar to form a first resultant slurry;
providing filter media for filtration, said filter media comprising:
a sorbent material 25-50% by weight;
a fiber in a compositional range from 0.01-10%;
an electrolyte in a compositional range from 0.01 -1%;
decolorizing said resultant slurry with said filter media, powder activated carbon, ion exchange resin, and/or granular activated carbon, or any combination thereof, to form a second resultant slurry;
performing a crystallization of said second resultant slurry to form a crystallized resultant product; and
melting said crystallized resultant product.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21 wherein said sorbent material comprises carbon and ion exchange resin.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22 wherein the order of addition of providing said filter media to said sugar purification process consists essentially of adding the filter media components the following order: 1) said carbon; 2) said fiber; 3) said ion exchange resin; 4) said electrolyte;
and 5) water.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21 wherein said fiber has a diameter of 200-1500 nanometers, a length of 0.500-1000 micrometers, a Canadian Standard of Freeness measurement of 0-100, and a surface area of 0-200 m2/g.