Polymeric flocculants
OwnerJames E. Guillet, Michael Heskins +1inventors
InventorsJames E. Guillet, Michael Heskins, D. Gary Murray
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Abstract
There is provided a flocculating process, especially for clay-water suspensions, in which high molecular weight polymers of N-loweralkyl substituted acrylamides and methacrylamides are used as flocculating agent. There are also provided novel polymeric flocculating agents which have the property of exhibiting a critical flocculation temperature, below which they will cause flocculation of suspended solids but above which they are ineffective as flocculants.
Claims13
A process for accelerating the rate of settling of a suspended, finely divided solids material from aqueous suspension using a polymeric flocculant of molecular weight at least 0.5.times.10.sup.6 g/mol and which has a critical flocculation temperature in the approximate range 0.degree. C.-80.degree. C., said critical flocculation temperature being the temperature below which the polymeric flocculant exhibits flocculating ability and above which the polymeric flocculant will not effect flocculation, which comprises adding to said suspension an effective amount of the polymeric flocculant at a temperature below the critical flocculation temperature of the flocculant, said flocculant comprising at least one water soluble polymer of at least 50 mol% of N-isopropylacrylamide or N-isopropylmethacrylamide, or methyl cellulose, separating the settled solids material from the aqueous liquid, then warming the liquid to a temperature above the critical flocculation temperature of the polymeric flocculant, to precipitate said polymeric flocculant, and separating the precipitated polymeric flocculant from said aqueous liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.