ZA200906732B

ZA200906732B - An apparatus for recovering soluble salts

Info

Publication number: ZA200906732B
Application number: ZA200906732A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Guillermo Gomez; Victor Silva
Original assignee: Watermin S A
Priority date: 2008-09-26
Filing date: 2009-09-28
Publication date: 2010-06-30
Also published as: CN101683605A; IT1397168B1; PE20100576A1; CL2008002879A1; MX2009010359A; AU2009222427A1; DE102009043605A1; GB0916988D0; JP2010115640A; SE0950705A1; FR2936508A1; AR073321A1; CO6210140A1; ITMI20091661A1; US20100078332A1; CA2680991A1; SE0950705A2; BRPI0903456A2

Description

. 2879-2008

AN APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING SOLUBLE SALTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION I | MI

DE

This invention relates to the recovery of soluble salts by turning them insoluble through chemical, electric, and magnetic processes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

There are many processes in the state of the art where chemical reactions result in insoluble products. Other reactions, however, form soluble salts, for which they cannot be separated from an aqueous solution.

The present invention seeks to offer a solution to this technical problem by taking all soluble salts from an aqueous solution and forcing them to form insoluble compounds.

Examples of processes forming insoluble salts are found in the state of the art as follows:

JP2004255627 discloses a process of salt insolubilization as a pre-treatment to prevent membranes from fauling by reverse osmosis. This process does not use any magnetic field nor frequency and cannot insolubilize chlorides or sulphates.

: 2879-2008

US 5858249 discloses a process of insolubilization of ionic species in a kind of : electrolytic cell that works as electro-coagulation to form insoiubles with salts inherently contained in the (aqueous solution, and the addition of ions of the sacrificial electrode. This process cannot precipitate chlorides or sulphates.

CN 1131127 se discloses a process of insolubilization of salts contained in an aqueous solution by adding chemical reagents, such as phosphate salts and barium salts. The precipitate solutions are separated by filtering, the aqueous solution, in this case water, ending up with a low salt content. This process does not apply electric, magnetic or frequency fields and cannot form compounds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process for forming insoluble chemical compounds in a liquid medium by way of physical stimuli. The compounds thus formed can be inorganic or organic, simple or complex. The technical problem addressed by the present invention is that of transforming highly soluble salts into insoluble compounds so that they may be separated from the aqueous solution to obtain a benefit from both the separated salts and the purified residual liquid.

Reactive mechanisms and physical changes take place in a single phase or reactor, such as the initial precipitation of compounds that act as nuclei for subsequent nucleation and absorption mechanisms of other species formed. The formation of these first precipitates is due to the action of an electric and magnetic field applied by

. 2879-2008 #2009/067 32 way of an ultra-filtered electric current transmitted through electrodes, in addition to the ionic contribution by one of the electrodes acting as a sacrificial one.

Thereafter, a second ionic contribution is added, usually aluminum, calcium, iron, lead or tin to form new compounds with the salts contained in the aqueous solution.

The size of the initially formed nuclei is thereby increased by the new compounds and at this stage the absorption of other hon-complex salts formed takes place.

The different compounds are formed by selectivity of the processes that are achieved by applying electromagnetic wave frequency in the radio wave spectrum at 1 KHz to 2 MHz frequencies, by an electromagnetic wave generator having different geometry and frequency.

The possible fields of application for this technique, among others, are: o Seawater desalinization, chloride and sulphate precipitation. o Removal of salts from acid water from mining operations. o Precipitation of salts from mining PLS solutions. o Potable water treatment, precipitation of chlorides and sulphates. o Boiler water treatment and cooling, removal of sulphates and chlorides. o Irrigation water treatment, chloride and sulphate precipitation. o Irrigation water treatment, phosphate and nitrate precipitation. o Sewage treatment, precipitation of chlorides, sulphates and phosphates. o Sewage treatment, precipitation of nitrates and nitrites.

£400 8/7067 32 2879-2008 o Insolubilization of salts in processes for producing drugs and chemical reagents in general. o Precipitation of salts as pre-treatment for ultra-filtering and reverse osmosis processes.

Although these examples might be the ones most known, many other processes may make use of the advantages of being able to insolubilize regularly soluble salts and thus optimize the performance and/or purity of the products obtained. Accordingly, if a process were to use a part or the entire technology of the present invention, it would fall within the scope of the present invention.

This technology employs ultra-filtered continuous current, with a variable sinusoidal- type wave geometry, damped sawtooth pulse, square wave pulse, and an electromagnetic wave signal of the radio spectrum, which are applied through a couple of electrodes. All this, combined, is able to boost the precipitation reactions.

In addition, there must be a preferential pH range for said precipitation, which must be between pH 4 and pH 12. However, if the process is carried out at any of the ranges of the pH scale, good results will be obtained. Subsequently, there is an isokinetic coagulation stage of the precipitated particles, wherein this coagulation is electrically assisted. The voltage applied, corresponding to electric and magnetic fields, is also within a range, which must be between one and one hundred volts, whereas the current’s intensity employed must be between 10mA and 3A. As mentioned above, the voltage and the electromagnetic signal are applied through i ve 400 9 / ¢ 6 7 ik 2879-2008 electrodes that are submerged in the solution to be treated. The material used to construct said electrodes varies, depending on the quality of the water. These materials may be: lead, platinum, aluminum, copper, coal, gold, tin, zinc, iron, titanium, boron, nickel, or diamond.

The entire procedure to form insolubles is carried out in a single apparatus, which includes different elements, namely: - A reactor containing 1 pair of electrodes having a different configuration and made of a different material, inserted at a side of the reactor, one opposite the other, connected to a power supply and a magnetic induction source, which is outside of the apparatus. - A second pair of electrodes having a different configuration and made of a : different construction material, inserted within the reactor, one opposite the other and adjacent to the first pair of electrodes, connected to a frequency generator that is located outside of the reactor. - A spiral-shaped conducting element that is located outside of the reactor and connected to a power supply and a magnetic induction source, where, through this element flows current that generate specific magnetic fields. - Injection of photonized air produced by a blowing pump and a photon emitter that enters the reactor through a capillary located next to the electrode that is connected to the negative pole of the power supply, in order for the capillary to be as close as to the reactor’s bottom as possible.

B i : 2 0 0 g / 0 6 7 32 2879-2008 - An electric and magnetic field generator and an adjustable frequency generator located outside of the reactor. - A speed-adjustable paddle stirring means that is located at the center of the reactor.

In addition, the execution of all these processes may be carried out in other facilities with more than one apparatus.

The process of forming precipitates includes specific pressure and temperature values, which are within a range of 1 to 10 bars and 0 to 90°C ranges, respectively.

This is due to the fact that the precipitation process is based on the concentration, which implies a displacement of the balance constant, which allows oversaturation.

The effect of temperature affects the reaction’s kinetics, increasing the precipitation process, because molecular collisions accelerate and, as a result thereof, the kinetic constant rises. The application of external pressure leads to the same result. A clear example thereof is jarosite precipitation, which formation is not possible under normal conditions, for which reason the application of these variables is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 shows the components of the invention and its connections therewith.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The process is carried out in a single step, in an apparatus including a reactor (1) having a pair of electrodes (2 and 3) connected to a power supply and a source

: rd 0 09 1067 32 2879-2008 magnetic induction (4), and a second pair of electrodes (5 and 6) connected to a frequency generator (7). A current of pressurized photonized air containing ozone and oxidant-free radicals enters the reactor from an air pump (9) that circulates air through a photon generator (10). Also, a spiral-shaped conducting element (11) surrounds the exterior of the reactor, through which circulates a current that generates specific magnetic fields. Said element is connected to a power supply and source of magnetic induction (4) that generates current. Everything is stirred with a mechanical or magnetic stirring device (8), and a chemical reagent adding the ions that are not present in the aqueous solution and that are necessary to complete the desired insoluble compounds is added. In most cases, the calcium and hydroxy! ions are insufficient, for which reason lime is preferably used as a single reagent.

The invention will now be described by way of the following non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLE 1:

If we take, for example, the application of the sea water desalinization process, the mechanism employed is as follows:

Firstly, an air mixture that passes through photons is applied, and then it is directly applied on the sea water. The resulting reactions are: 30s + H,0 ETE Hoge, THE Hon

The reaction above is applied until the pH > 9.8 units. The electric field is applied through aluminum electrodes causing a second electrolytic reaction that is:

} 2879-2008

A0eE52i78 4 36

The aluminum reacts with the OH ions forming the first nucleation based in the following reaction:

Pe

AIT 4 30H eZ (0H),

Once the aluminum hydroxide nuclei are formed, the calcium hydroxide is dosed and a 1.8MHz length wave radio frequency is applied, and then the following sulphate, chloride and phosphate precipitation reaction is formed: 60072 +3507 + 210K — ZT a A12(50.): (0H Ne 5 ATa™T 4+ 2007 + 2410H), + 35,04 20,0 EEE aC 5Ca~% + 30073 + OH es re (PO) OH fonic copper may be alternatively formed by applying, along with the formation of ionic aluminum, in a pair of copper electrodes to firstly form the reaction:

Cutlery? + 26 , The nitrate is captured from the medium based on the following reactions: 5

Cum 4 2807 SCu(VEL;

Cu™ + 0H sCu(0H),

With the above, and in the previous means of radio frequency and field, the following reaction is formed: 40051 4 2000 4 20H oC 000,), 3C (05);

The chlorides, sulphates, phosphates and nitrates have been precipitated. The removal of anions brings with it the removal of aluminum, copper and calcium. Each precipitate formed has a great capacity to absorb heavy metals.

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These insolubles as formed are generally micro-precipitates that must grow. In order to boost growth, flocculation is caused by adding a polymer and then by separating by settling and then by filtering.

The following chart shows the operational conditions and dosage at which the experience was carried out using sea water from San Antonio, 5th Region. 13 Total energy 31 Watts-h : 413 KW-h/m’®

The following chart shows the efficiencies reached when removing the salts from the seawater. The chart contains a raw column, which indicates the quality of seawater.

The treated column shows the value reached following sand and coal flocculation and filtering. The % removal column shows the validity obtained.

Element’ “Unit. Raw. Treated % Rémoval i 2879-2008

Example 2:

Another example of the application of salt precipitation is the insolubilization of sulphates in mining waters.

To this effect, a water sample, taken at Collahuasi Mine, with an initial content of 5,200 mg/L of sulphates.

The compound employed was precipitation, just as that of sodium jarosite.

MTAL(50:)- (0H)

The M element may be sodium or potassium. To this effect, the following mechanism was employed.

Firstly, an air mixture passing through photons is applied, and then it is directly applied on seawater. The resulting reactions are: 1 fp om BoRToREC 0 HzaEt 592 + Hy 00 ———20H %———204

The reaction above is applied until the pH > 9.8 units. The electric field is applied through aluminum electrodes causing a second electrolytic reaction that is: 500,505 4 36°

2879-2008

AIF 4 BOH ead (OH),

In the balance aluminum hydroxide nuclei are formed, and then they precipitate as jarosite in the medium with radio frequency and electric field. = . REFaIc .

M+ 2410), +2507 + 4170S LAL (50.0: (0H) ]

The operational conditions are: 1 Aluminum 6 amperes

Intensity 9 Total energy 649 Watts-h 865 KW-vm’

The results obtained are:

Element” Unit Raw Treated ~% Removal

In this manner, different insoluble elements with which salts may be reduced may be configured.

Claims

: 2878-2008 Claims Ti e_

1. An apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds from salts contained in an aqueous solution to be treated, the apparatus including:- . a) A reactor including a pair of electrodes having a different configuration and made of a different material, inserted at a side of the reactor, one opposite the other, connected to a power supply and a magnetic induction source, which is outside of the apparatus; b) A second pair of electrodes having a different configuration and made of a different construction material, inserted within the reactor, one opposite the other and adjacent to the first pair of electrodes, connected to a frequency generator that is located outside of the reactor; ! c) A spiral-shaped conducting element that is located outside of the reactor and connected to a power supply and a magnetic induction source, where, through this element flows current that generate specific magnetic fields; d) A blowing pump and a photon emitter for producing photonized air and injecting it into the reactor through a capillary located next to the electrode that is connected to the negative pole of the power supply, in order for the capillary to be as close as to the reactor’s bottom as possible; e) An electric and magnetic field generator and an adjustable frequency generator, located outside of the reactor; and f) A speed-adjustable paddle stirring means that is located at the center of the reactor.

: 2879-2008

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power supply and the source \ of magnetic induction causes the application of an uitra-fitered continuous current voltage, with a variable sinusoidal-type wave geometry, damped sawtooth pulse, square wave pulse and an electromagnetic wave signal of the radio spectrum, which are applied through pairs of electrodes that, in combination or individually, are able to boost precipitation reactions, wherein these electrodes are contained in a device that connects them to electric and magnetic field generators and to frequency generators.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reactions taking place within the reactor are within a whole range of the pH scale, preferably between pH 4 and pH 12, depending on the balance constant, followed by an electrically assisted kinetic coagulation stage of the precipitated particles.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltages applied correspond to electric and magnetic fields having a voltage between one and one hundred volts, and a current intensity between 10 mA and 3A.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric and magnetic fields and/or frequencies are transmitted through different kinds of pairs of electrodes that are made of one of the elements selected from the group including: lead, platinum, aluminum, copper, coal, gold, tin, zinc, iron, titanium, boron, nickel, diamond; this first electrode working in tandem with another electrode of the same element, with other electrodes manufactured from elements listed above or alloys thereof.

: 2879-2008 -2099/96138

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the execution of all of the processes inside the reactor are within a temperature range between 0 and 90°C and within a pressure range between 1 and 10 bars.

7. A method for using an apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds including the steps of: a) providing a leaching reactor with a pair of electrodes having a different configuration and made of a different material, inserted at a side of the reactor, one opposite the other; b) providing a second pair of electrodes having a different configuration and made of a different construction material, inserted within the reactor, one opposite the other and adjacent to the first pair of electrodes; ¢) providing a power supply located outside of the reactor; d) providing a frequency generator located outside of the reactor; e) providing a photonized air injection system; f) providing an air pump and a capillary located adjacent to the electrode that is connected to the negative pole of the power supply; g) providing an electric and magnetic field generator and an adjustable frequency generator located outside of the reactor, h) providing a speed-adjustable paddle stirring means located at the center of the reactor; i) providing a spiral-shaped conducting element surrounding the outside of the reactor,

: 2879-2008 j) Introducing into the reactor a solution having insoluble chemical compounds; k) Injecting, by employing an air pump, the photonized air injector and the capillary, air containing ozone and free radicals into the reactor; ly Simultaneously, applying, by employing the frequency generator and a pair of electrodes, a frequency or a electromagnetic signal of the radio spectrum to a solution containing insoluble chemical compounds inside the reactor; m) Simultaneously, applying, by employing the power supply and another pair of electrodes, an electric voltage, consisting of pulsating continuous current, to the solution containing insoluble chemical compounds inside the reactor, n) Simultaneously, applying, by using the spiral-shaped conducting element, specific magnetic fields; 0) Simultaneously, stirring, by employing the paddle stirring means, the solution containing insoluble chemical compounds inside the reactor; p) Simultaneously, adding a chemical reagent adding ions that are not present in the aqueous solution and that are necessary to complete the desired insoluble compounds; and q) Adding a second contribution of ions to form new compounds with the salts contained in the aqueous solution.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the chemical reagent of step p) is preferably lime.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the ions added in step q) are selected from the group including: aluminum, calcium, iron, lead, and tin.

. 2879-2008

10.An apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds from salts contained in an aqueous solution to be treated according to the invention, as hereinbefore generally described.

11.An apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds from salts contained in an aqueous solution to be treated as specifically described with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

12.An apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds from salts contained in an aqueous solution to be treated including any new and inventive integer or combination of integers, substantially as herein described.

13.A method according to the invention for using an apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds, substantially as hereinbefore described or exemplified.

14.A method of using an apparatus for forming insoluble chemical compounds including any new and inventive integer or combination of integers, substantially as herein described. DATED AT PRETORIA THIS 28™ DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2009. : HAHN & HAHN INC. APPLICANT'S ATTORNEYS