US 4,328,197 A · Metal-micelle asbestos and treatment of asbestos and other silicate minerals to reduce their harmful properties

Abstract

Silicate minerals, including asbestos fibres, are rendered less harmful by forming metal-micelle polymer coatings on the silicate. A metal-micelle polymer coating is formed on a silicate by contacting a silicate mineral, such as asbestos, with a metal-weak base-strong acid aqueous ion system, or a metal-strong base-weak acid ion system. In these systems the metal is selected from the group consisting of manganese, chromium, cobalt, iron, copper, aluminum and mixtures of these metals. The product of reacting asbestos fibres with these systems is less irritating to living cells than asbestos fibres and also has substantially the same physical and chemical properties as asbestos fibres and can thus be substituted for asbestos fibres in most technological applications.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method for rendering silicate minerals less harmful to living cells comprising the step of:

contacting a silicate mineral with
(a) a metal-weak base-strong acid ion system, wherein said system comprises (i) an aqueous solution containing at least three ions, said three ions including a cation from a weak base, an anion from a strong acid and a metal ion, or (ii) an aqueous solution containing at least two ions, said two ions including a cation from a weak base and a metal-containing anion from a strong acid, or
(b) a metal-strong base-weak acid ion system, wherein said system comprises an aqueous solution containing at least three ions, said three ions including a cation from a strong base, an anion from a weak acid and a metal ion,
wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of manganese, chromium, cobalt, iron, copper, aluminum and mixtures thereof, and
whereby said metal-weak base-strong acid ion system or said metal-strong base-weak acid ion system forms a metal-micelle polymer silicate mineral by inducing formation of a metal-micelle polymer coating on said silicate mineral, said polymer coating being ionically bonded to said silicate mineral.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Metal-micelle asbestos and treatment of asbestos and other silicate minerals to reduce their harmful properties

Life of this patent

Metal-micelle asbestos and treatment of asbestos and other silicate minerals to reduce their harmful properties

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31