Process including a carbonation step

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the removal of contaminants from a liquor, the process comprising: introducing a metal or ammonium hydroxide into the liquor; introducing the liquor into a reaction vessel; bubbling a carbon dioxide gas comprising at least 25% carbon dioxide through the liquor within the reaction vessel; and separating the precipitate formed by the carbonatation of the metal hydroxide from the liquor, the precipitate comprising at least some of the contaminants from the liquor; wherein, on average, the liquor is resident within the reaction vessel for a period of no more than about 60 minutes. The invention also relates to a process for the removal of contaminants from a liquor, the process comprising: introducing a metal or ammonium hydroxide into the liquor and bubbling a carbon dioxide gas comprising at least 25% carbon dioxide through the liquor to form a precipitate by carbonatation in a period of no more than about 60 minutes. The carbonatation processes may be included in sugar refining or water softening and/or decontamination processes. A use of a carbon dioxide gas comprising at least 25% carbon dioxide in a carbonatation process for removing contaminants from a hydroxide-treated liquor is also provided, wherein the process forms a precipitate in a period of no more than about 60 minutes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.