Catalyst – solid sorbent – or support therefor: product or process – Solid sorbent – Free carbon containing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-01
2002-05-28
Wood, Elizabeth D. (Department: 1755)
Catalyst, solid sorbent, or support therefor: product or process
Solid sorbent
Free carbon containing
C502S159000, C502S401000, C502S402000, C502S417000, C502S418000, C502S419000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06395678
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to beads, methods of making beads, and methods of using beads to remove metal and other ionic contaminants dissolved in aqueous solutions. The beads preferably include activated carbon and a binder and the activated carbon, and preferably the binder, are capable of sorbing dissolved metal ions.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
The removal of metal contaminants from aqueous wastes such as acid mine drainage/water and industrial waste water such as metal finishing waste water and municipal waste water, is an important environmental and economic issue. Some of the metal ions are toxic and some are valuable. In the chemical area of toxic metal recovery from dilute aqueous steams, the techniques of recovery have most commonly been by chemical precipitation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, solvent extraction (liquid ion exchange), and chemical reduction. (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,245). However, these procedures are characterized by the disadvantages of incomplete metal removal, high reagent and energy requirements, and generation of toxic sludge or other waste products that must be disposed of, and these disadvantages are particularly conspicuous at the low metal concentrations often encountered in waste waters, where federally-mandated cleanup standards dictate that effluents discharged to public waters generally contain less than 1 mg/L of metals such as copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, mercury and manganese.
Thus there exists a need for a more effective metal ion sorbent immobilized in a matrix in a mechanical shape such as a bead and for an effective, less-hazardous method of making such beads using binders or matrix materials which do not involve hazardous materials. Preferably the binder or matrix material itself is capable of sorbing The sorbent should be able to remove contaminants from both wastewater and potable water. There is a further need for a process which makes beads which are uniformly spheroidal. Non-spheroidal beads tend to pack asymmetrically, tending to cause water flowing there-through to flow in certain channels, rather than uniformly over all the beads. Among the objects of the present invention are to answer these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A bead is provided which comprises activated carbon and a binder, the binder preferably being poly(carboxylic acid) effectively crosslinked with a crosslinking agent. The activated carbon is effectively immobilized in the bead. The bead is capable of sorbing a metal or other ions dissolved in a dilute aqueous solution at a concentration of less than 10 ppm, said metal or ion being selected from the group consisting of lead, copper, silver, chromium, cobalt, uranium, mercury, nickel, arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, iron, manganese, and zinc. A method of making a metal-ion-sorbing bead is also provided. The method comprises:
(a) combining, activated carbon, such as bituminous coal-based powdered carbon, and binder solution into a mixture, the binder solution comprising poly(carboxylic acid) and a crosslinking agent;
(b) forming the mixture into a first bead;
(c) heating said first bead to effectively crosslink the poly(carboxylic acid) with the crosslinking agent to form an effectively crosslinked binder.
A method of using the bead for removing a metal or metalloid from a dilute aqueous solution is also provided.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3289847 (1966-12-01), Rothemund
patent: 3375933 (1968-04-01), Rodman
patent: 3420709 (1969-01-01), Barrett, Jr. et al.
patent: 3914901 (1975-10-01), Muldner
patent: 3925192 (1975-12-01), Randall et al.
patent: 3948791 (1976-04-01), Tominaga et al.
patent: 3950251 (1976-04-01), Hiller
patent: 4013585 (1977-03-01), Terajima et al.
patent: 4032457 (1977-06-01), Matchett
patent: 4033729 (1977-07-01), Capes et al.
patent: 4067821 (1978-01-01), Votapek et al.
patent: 4081402 (1978-03-01), Levy et al.
patent: 4218280 (1980-08-01), Philipp et al.
patent: 4234420 (1980-11-01), Turbeville
patent: 4239865 (1980-12-01), Tarao et al.
patent: 4293333 (1981-10-01), Drobot
patent: 4293334 (1981-10-01), Drobot
patent: 4352883 (1982-10-01), Lim
patent: 4357780 (1982-11-01), Ball
patent: 4414776 (1983-11-01), Ball
patent: 4427775 (1984-01-01), Chen et al.
patent: 4459149 (1984-07-01), Moran et al.
patent: 4563425 (1986-01-01), Yoshioka et al.
patent: 4626416 (1986-12-01), DeVoe et al.
patent: 4664683 (1987-05-01), Degen et al.
patent: 4690894 (1987-09-01), Brierley et al.
patent: 4753728 (1988-06-01), VanderBilt et al.
patent: 4876287 (1989-10-01), Babcock et al.
patent: 4908137 (1990-03-01), Chen et al.
patent: 4909944 (1990-03-01), Jackson et al.
patent: 4992180 (1991-02-01), Onodera et al.
patent: 5017318 (1991-05-01), Vanderbilt et al.
patent: 5019311 (1991-05-01), Koslow
patent: 5024764 (1991-06-01), Holler
patent: 5064534 (1991-11-01), Busch et al.
patent: 5096946 (1992-03-01), Rainer
patent: 5108614 (1992-04-01), Ross et al.
patent: 5147722 (1992-09-01), Koslow
patent: 5189092 (1993-02-01), Koslow
patent: 5206206 (1993-04-01), Buelna et al.
patent: 5249948 (1993-10-01), Koslow
patent: 5279745 (1994-01-01), Jeffers et al.
patent: 5331037 (1994-07-01), Koslow
patent: 5354345 (1994-10-01), Nehls, Jr.
patent: 5371110 (1994-12-01), Philipp et al.
patent: 5527451 (1996-06-01), Hembree et al.
patent: 5534154 (1996-07-01), Gillham
patent: 5578547 (1996-11-01), Summers, Jr. et al.
patent: 5597489 (1997-01-01), Schneider et al.
patent: 5602071 (1997-02-01), Summers, Jr. et al.
patent: 5603987 (1997-02-01), Lisenko
patent: 5679248 (1997-10-01), Blaney
patent: 5997829 (1999-12-01), Sekine et al.
patent: 6077809 (2000-06-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 6133193 (2000-10-01), Kajikawa et al.
patent: 2150076 (1999-06-01), None
patent: WO 91/05859 (1991-05-01), None
KX Industries, L.P., MATRIKX +5 Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: First Quarter 1996, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., MATRIKX® 10 Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: First Quarter 1997, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., MATRIKX® CR1 Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: First Quarter 1997, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., MATRIKX Pbl Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: 1996, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., MATRIKX +CTO®/2 Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: Fourth Quarter 1996, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., UNI-LINKX The Universal In Line Filter Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: Fourth Quarter 1996, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., CERAMIKX™ All-Carbon, Sub-Micron Performance Brochure, p. 1-2, Date: First Quarter 1997, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P. conneKXions, vol. 2, No. 1, p. 1-4, Spring 1997, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., Matrikx™ Extruded Carbon Filters Brochure, p. 1-3, 1996, No Month.
KX Industries, L.P., MATRIKX 1 Extruded Activated Carbon Block Filter, p. 1-2, Date: Fourth Quarter 1996, No Month.
Jeffers, T.H., et al., Biosorption of Metal Contaminants Using Immobilized Biomass—A Laboratory Study, Report of Investigations 9340, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Mines (1992), No Month.
Jeffers, T.H., et al., “Wastewater remediation using bio-fix bead technology”, Environmental Issues and Waste Management in Energy and Mineral Production, (1992), pp. 1379-1387, No Month.
Bloom, P.R. and McBride, M.B., “Metal Ion Binding and Exchange with Hydrogen Ions in Acid-Washed Peat”, Soil Science Soc. Am. J., vol. 43 (1979), pp. 687-692, No Month.
Smith, E.F., et al., “Sulfuric Acid Treatment of Peat for Cation Exchange”,Journal WPCF, Apr. 1977, pp. 633-638.
BIO-FIX Water Treatment Systems brochure from Harrison Western Environmental Services, (1991), pp. 1-4, No Month.
Mars Mineral MMC Pin Mixer brochure for MMC Mars Mineral, Mars, Pennsylvania (1985), pp. 1-2, No Month.
Bennett Karen L.
Foster Scott A.
Summers, Jr. Bobby L.
Aero-Terra-Aqua Technologies Corporation
Pearne & Gordon LLP
Wood Elizabeth D.
LandOfFree
Bead and process for removing dissolved metal contaminants does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Bead and process for removing dissolved metal contaminants, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bead and process for removing dissolved metal contaminants will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2892756