Process for the selective elimination of inorganic phosphate from liquids by means of adsorbent materials modified with polynuclear metal oxyhydroxides

A process for the selective reduction of the amount of inorganic phosphate in an aqueous liquid feed containing protein, in addition to said inorganic phosphate, without significantly adversely affecting said protein, which comprises:

• contacting an aqueous liquid feed, containing phosphate ions and protein, with an adsorbent composition comprising;
• at least one polynuclear metal oxyhydroxide
• bound to an adsorbent base material;
• wherein said adsorbent composition is reactive with said phosphate ions in said aqueous liquid feed sufficient to adsorb phosphate ions thereon and, after adsorption of said phosphate ions thereon from said aqueous liquid feed, is substantially unreactive to the adsorption of protein from said aqueous liquid feed thereon;
• adsorbing phosphate ions on said adsorbent composition, and thereby contacting said adsorbent composition having adsorbed phosphate ions thereon with aqueous liquid feed, whereby disabling said adsorbent composition, having phosphate adsorbed thereon, from adsorbing a substantial amount of said protein on said adsorbent composition, to form a resultant aqueous fluid containing protein;
• and
• separating the resultant aqueous fluid, having less of said phosphate ions than said aqueous liquid feed and not substantially less protein, from contact with said adsorbent composition.