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US 8,757,389 B2Granted
Amine-aldehyde resins and uses thereof in separation processes
AssigneeGeorgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC
InventorsJames T. Wright, Carl R. White, Kurt Gabrielson, John B. Hines, Lisa M. Arthur, Michael J. Cousin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Amine-aldehyde resins are disclosed for removing a wide variety of solids and/or ionic species from the liquids in which they are suspended and/or dissolved. These resins are especially useful as froth flotation depressants, for example in the beneficiation of value materials (e.g., bitumen, coal, or kaolin clay) to remove impurities such as sand. The resins are also useful for treating aqueous liquid suspensions to remove solid particulates, as well as for removing metallic ions in the purification of water.
Claims31
A method for beneficiation of an ore, comprising:
- dispersing a urea-formaldehyde resin and one or more chelating agents in an aqueous slurry comprising an ore to provide a dispersed mixture comprising about 400 grams to about 1,000 grams of the urea-formaldehyde resin per metric ton of the ore, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin has a concentration of free formaldehyde of less than 1%, based on the total weight of the urea-formaldehyde resin and consists essentially of a cyclic urea-formaldehyde resin that is formed by reacting a monomer mixture consisting of about 0.1 mole to about 1 mole urea, about 0.1 mole to about 3 moles formaldehyde, and about 0.1 mole to about 1 mole ammonia, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin is stabilized by reacting with an alcohol comprising ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, or isobutanol, and wherein the one or more chelating agents is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethyltriaminepentaacetic, and nitrilotriacetic acid;
- forcing air through the dispersed mixture and having a relatively hydrophobic fraction float to the surface and a relatively hydrophilic fraction sink to the bottom;
- and
- collecting a commercially salable product from either fraction, wherein the commercially salable product is selected from the group consisting of lime, sulfate, gypsum, iron, platinum, gold, palladium, titanium, molybdenum, copper, uranium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, magnesium, lead, zinc, clay, coal, silver, graphite, nickel, bauxite, borax, borate, bitumen, and phosphate.
1 more element
A method for beneficiation of an ore, comprising:
- treating an aqueous slurry comprising an ore and one or more contaminants with a urea-formaldehyde resin, one or more chelating agents, and at least one of a collector and a depressant to provide a treated mixture comprising about 400 grams to about 1,000 grams of the urea-formaldehyde resin per metric ton of the ore, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin consists essentially of a cyclic urea-formaldehyde resin that is formed by reacting a monomer mixture consisting of about 0.1 mole to about 1 mole urea, about 0.1 mole to about 3 moles formaldehyde, and about 0.1 mole to about 1 mole ammonia and has a concentration of free formaldehyde of less than 1%, based on the total weight of the urea-formaldehyde resin, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin is stabilized by reacting with an alcohol comprising ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, or isobutanol, and wherein the one or more chelating agents is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethyltriaminepentaacetic, and nitrilotriacetic acid;
- and
- recovering from the treated mixture a purified product having a reduced concentration of at least one contaminant relative to the aqueous slurry using froth flotation, wherein the purified product is selected from the group consisting of lime, sulfate, gypsum, iron, platinum, gold, palladium, titanium, molybdenum, copper, uranium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, magnesium, lead, zinc, clay, coal, silver, graphite, nickel, bauxite, borax, borate, bitumen, and phosphate.
A method for beneficiation of an ore, comprising:
- dispersing a urea-formaldehyde resin in an aqueous slurry comprising an ore to provide a dispersed mixture, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin has a concentration of free formaldehyde of less than 1%, based on the total weight of the urea-formaldehyde resin, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin has a number average molecular weight of about 400 to about 4,000, and wherein the dispersed mixture comprises about 400 grams to about 1,000 grams of the urea-formaldehyde resin per metric ton of the ore;
- forcing air through the dispersed mixture and having a relatively hydrophilic fraction of the dispersed mixture sink to the bottom;
- and
- collecting a commercially salable product from the hydrophilic fraction, wherein the commercially salable product is selected from the group consisting of lime, sulfate, gypsum, iron, platinum, gold, palladium, titanium, molybdenum, copper, uranium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, magnesium, lead, zinc, clay, coal, silver, graphite, nickel, bauxite, borax, borate, and phosphate.
1 more element
A method for beneficiation of an ore, comprising:
- dispersing a urea-formaldehyde resin in an aqueous slurry comprising an ore to provide a dispersed mixture, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin has a concentration of free formaldehyde of less than 1%, based on the total weight of the urea-formaldehyde resin, wherein the urea-formaldehyde resin has a number average molecular weight of about 400 to about 4,000;
- forcing air through the dispersed mixture and having a relatively hydrophilic fraction of the dispersed mixture sink to the bottom, wherein the amine-aldehyde resin and the aqueous slurry are mixed from 30 seconds to 10 minutes prior to forcing air through the dispersed mixture, and wherein the mixing occurs at a pH from 3.0 to 7.0, and
- collecting a commercially salable product from the hydrophilic fraction, wherein the commercially salable product is selected from the group consisting of iron and coal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.