US 4,228,013 AGranted

Method and apparatus for recovery of heavy metal ions from dilute aqueous solution

AssigneeDe luxe General, Incorporated

InventorsDavid J. Degenkolb, Fred J. Scobey

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Abstract

Heavy metal ions are recovered from a dilute aqueous solution by flowing the solution through either a single bed of ion-absorbing material in successive forward and reverse directions, or through a first bed of ion-absorbing material and thereafter through a second bed of ion-absorbing material in the reverse directon of flow. The reversal of flow is to periodically mechanically agitate a bed of ion-absorbing material to dislodge contaminants, such as gelatin. The method is accomplished by using one enclosed vessel, or a pair of enclosed vessels, that have valves to control the direction of flow. A timing device preferably automatically reverses the direction of flow about each hour. After a relatively large number of reversals of flow the heavy metal ions are recovered from the ion-absorbing material and the same is regenerated in the process to again absorb ions from the dilute aqueous solution.

Claims9

Dependent claims

Apparatus for recovering a heavy metal ion and a coagulant from a dilute aqueous solution, comprising;

(a) one closed ion-exchange vessel (22),
(b) exclusively ion-absorbing material (67) in said vessel,
(c) centrally disposed enclosed pipe means to pass (21,26,47) said dilute aqueous solution through said vessel;
(1) a first part of said means to pass extending through the top of said vessel and having a large plurality of separate groups of contiguously disposed circumferentially aligned circularly symmetrical slit orifices (68) at the bottom of said vessel to cause upward physical agitation of said ion-absorbing material to expand said ion-absorbing material to the top of said ion-exchange vessel when the direction of flow is outward from said orifices (68) at the bottom of said vessel,
(2) a second part of said means to pass surrounding said first part at the top of said vessel and having a large plurality of separate groups of contiguously disposed circumferentially aligned circularly symmetrical slit orifices (66) at the top of said vessel,
(3) said orifices in said means to pass at the bottom and the top of said vessel being uniformly disposed at one radius approximately half-way between the wall of said vessel and said first and second part of said means to pass to directly disperse a distributed flow of said aqueous solution from said means to pass radially into said ion-absorbing material,
(d) a plurality of valve means (20,28,45,48) separately disposed in said means to pass said solution to reverse the direction of flow of said solution only through said vessel,
(e) half of said plurality of valve means to automatically actuate (52,53) all of said plurality of valve means after the passage of an interval of time of approximately an hour, so as to reverse the direction of flow of further said solution through said vessel to prevent clogging of said ion-absorbing material by said coagulant, and
(f) means to time the actuation (51) of the half plurality of said valve means to actuate (52,53) said plurality of valve means after the passage of each successive said intervals of time.

6 more elements

Apparatus for recovering a heavy metal ion and a coagulant from a dilute aqueous solution, comprising;

(a) a pair of interconnected closed ion-exchange vessels (22,27),
(b) exclusively ion-absorbing material (67,67') in each of said vessels,
(c) centrally disposed means to pass (21,26,47) said dilute aqueous solution serially through said vessels;
(1) a first part of said means to pass extending through the tops of said vessels and having a large plurality of separate groups of contiguously disposed circumferentially aligned circularly symmetrical slit orifices (68) at the bottoms of said vessels to cause upward physical agitation of said ion-absorbing material to expand said ion-absorbing material to the top of said ion-exchange vessel when the flow is outward from said orifices (68) at the bottom of a said vessels,
(2) a second part of said means to pass surrounding said first part at the tops of said vessels and having a large plurality of separate groups of contiguously disposed circumferentially aligned circularly symmetrical slit orifices (66) at the tops of said vessels,
(3) said orifices in said means to pass at the bottom and the top of said vessels being uniformly disposed at one radius approximately half-way between the walls of said vessels and said first and second means to pass,
to directly disperse a distributed flow of said aqueous solution from said means to pass radially into said ion-absorbing material,
(d) a plurality of valve means (20,28,45,48) separately disposed in said means to pass only said solution,
(e) half of said plurality of valve means to automatically actuate (52,53) all of said plurality of valve means after the passage of an interval of time of approximately an hour, so as to reverse the direction of flow of further said solution through said vessels to prevent clogging of said ion-absorbing material by said coagulant, and
(f) means to time (51) to successively actuate the half plurality of said valve means to actuate said valve means after the passage of each successive said interval of time.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/945,652Filed 25 Sep 1978 · continuation
Priority: 1 Feb 1977
Granted: 14 Oct 1980
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

G03C 5/3956
Regeneration of photographic processing agents other than developers; Replenishers therefor: microseparation techniques using membranes, e.g.…
B01D 15/02
Separating processes involving the treatment of liquids with solid sorbents; Apparatus therefor: with moving adsorbents
B01J 47/02
Ion-exchange processes in general; Apparatus therefor: column or bed processes
B01J 47/026
Column or bed processes: using columns or beds of different ion exchange materials in series