Abstract: The removal of arsenic, from aqueous liquids by adsorption on alumina, is facilitated by selecting the alumina adsorbent to have a particle size below about 200 micrometers, forming a slurry of the alumina and aqueous liquid and agitating the slurry. It has been found that alumina can be selected to have a particle size sufficiently small, or preferably a combination of both particle size sufficiently small and pore size and number sufficiently large, to achieve 50 ppb or less arsenic within about 2 hours treatment. The alumina with adsorbed arsenic is separated from the slurry by steps preferably comprising microfiltration. A precipitation pretreatment can be combined with the slurry treatment e.g. to handle more concentrated solutions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 3, 1994
Date of Patent:
September 17, 1996
Assignee:
Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by The Secretary of State for the Environment
Inventors:
Konstantin Volchek, Saviz Mortazavi, Harry Whittaker