Process employing thermally sterilizable aqueous polishing agents
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsPhilip J. Birbara, Timothy A. Nalette, Douglas A. Snowdon
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system and a process for removing contaminants such as CO.sub.2 and mobile cations and anions from aqueous solutions. The system and the process contemplate the use of thermally sterilizable aqueous polishing agents such as thermally sterilizable ion exchange resins and as a result, the need for chemical and/or mechanical microbial control or inhibition techniques is obviated. Therefore, the present invention will be especially useful in submarine and spacecraft applications where the need exists for reduced weight and volume water processing systems.
Claims9
A process for removing contaminants from an aqueous solution, which comprises:
- a. passing said solution through a cation exchange resin bed at least once for adsorption of mobile cations, wherein said resin bed comprises a thermally sterilizable cation exchange resin;
- b. passing said solution through an anion exchange resin bed at least once for adsorption of CO.sub.2 and mobile anions, wherein said resin bed comprises a thermally sterilizable anion exchange resin of the formula ##STR2## wherein n=1 to 3;
- c. regenerating said cation exchange resin for desorption of adsorbed mobile cations;
- d. regenerating said anion exchange resin for desorption of adsorbed CO.sub.2 and mobile anions;
- e. optionally repeating steps (a) through (d) at least once;
- and
- f. thermally sterilizing said resins for destroying all forms of microbial life on or in said resins.
A process for removing contaminants from an aqueous solution, which comprises:
- a. passing said solution through a cation exchange resin bed at least once for adsorption of mobile cations, wherein said resin bed comprises a thermally sterilizable cation exchange resin;
- b. passing said solution through an anion exchange resin bed at least once for adsorption of CO.sub.2 and mobile anions, wherein said resin bed comprises a thermally sterilizable anion exchange resin of the formula ##STR3## where n=1 to 3;
- c. passing said solution through a sorbent bed at least once for adsorption of non-ionizing organic compounds, wherein said sorbent bed comprises a thermally sterilizable sorbent;
- d. regenerating said cation exchange resin for desorption of adsorbed mobile cations;
- e. regenerating said anion exchange resin for desorption of adsorbed CO.sub.2 and mobile anions;
- f. replacing said sorbent with virgin or unspent sorbent;
- g. optionally repeating steps (a) through (f) at least once;
- and
- h. thermally sterilizing said resins and said sorbent for destroying all forms of microbial life on or in said resins and said sorbent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.