Abstract: This invention relates to the regeneration of cation exchanger resin containing adsorbed magnesium ions, and the recovery of the magnesium as a crystalline precipitate. The regeneration uses moderate to high concentration aqueous H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, and the recovered precipitate comprises one or more co-crystallization compounds of MgSO.sub.4 and H.sub.2 SO.sub.4.

Abstract: The present invention is for a method of regenerating diluted brine containing hardness from a water softening process. The process includes the steps of contacting the diluted brine with a weak acid ion exchange resin to remove the hardness from the brine and evaporating part of the water from the brine using heat from a production casing gas. The production casing gas comes from a producing oil well of a steam injection secondary oil recovery process. The regenerated brine can then be used to regenerate further quantities of strong acid resin which are used to soften water. The softened water can be used for making steam for use in a steam injection secondary oil recovery process.

Abstract: A process for the partial desalination of water with a combination of weakly acid cation exchangers in free acid form and basic anion exchangers in hydrogen carbonate form, both present in aqueous suspensions, and subsequent regeneration of the charged ion exchanger material. The partial desalination is effected with a combination or mixture of a weakly acid cation exchanger material and a basic anion exchanger material. Depending on the combination or mixing ratio of the two exchangers, non-equivalent quantities of neutral salt cations and anions are removed from the water. The regeneration of both exchangers together is effected exclusively with the aid of CO.sub.2.

Abstract: A fluid treating apparatus and method are provided which employ finely subdivided surface active particles arranged in loose bed form and confined within a treating tank by means which prevent the escape of such particles but which permits fluid flow therethrough at a high rate with a minimum pressure drop. In an important embodiment, the apparatus and method of this invention are particularly directed to the treatment of water with fine mesh ion cation exchange resin particles of below 50 mesh size, and preferably 100 to 200 mesh or smaller, measured on a dry basis.

Abstract: A process for the production of sodium chlorate comprising electrolyzing an aqueous sodium chloride solution in a diaphragmless sodium chlorate cell, characterized in that an aqueous sodium chloride solution containing, as impurities, calcium, magnesium, barium and the like is contacted with a chelating ion exchange resin to remove the impurities and the resulting saline solution is supplied into a diaphragmless sodium chlorate cell, thereby enabling sodium chlorate to be produced at a stable electrolytic voltage.

Abstract: This invention concerns new ion selective compositions comprising insoluble alumino silicates deposited in a porous substrate and to methods for preparing such compositions. These materials are found to be useful for the detection, extraction and concentration of certain ions, particularly lithium, cesium, beryllium, strontium, lanthanum, manganese and nickel.

Abstract: An automated plant for the regeneration of exhausted cation exchange material and exhausted anion exchange material involves the use of novel pretreatment and separation procedures, the use of novel regeneration processes, neutralization of waste chemicals and the use of novel cylinder recharging procedures. Electronic process controls are used to effect automatic operation.

Abstract: A water softener control includes a cell of sampling resin which received periodic samples of water which has passed through a major portion of the softening bed. The sampling resin changes volume when it becomes exhausted and the change in volume is employed to initiate regeneration of the softening bed. At the start of the regeneration cycle, regenerative fluid is delivered directly to the sampling resin as well as to the softening bed. The delivery to the sampling resin is through a control valve which is piloted by pressures at a venturi injector which is used to withdraw regenerative fluid from a brine tank. A vacuum operated control valve which is responsive to the closing of an air check valve in the connection between the injector and the brine tank may be employed to positively close the connection from the sampling cell to the injector when the supply of regenerative fluid is exhausted.

Abstract: Either commercial yellow phosphorus or a phosphorus sludge is reacted with a slurry of calcium hydroxide in aqueous sodium hydroxide to form a sodium hypophosphite solution containing calcium and hydroxide ions. The solution is neutralized with phosphoric acid or an acid phosphate salt with the co-production of an insoluble calcium phosphate. The neutral solution is contacted with an ion exchange resin charged with sodium ions to remove any remaining calcium ions.

Abstract: Ion exchange medium in a water softening system is regenerated cyclically, in response to both a preset timer and a metering device responsive to the degree of hardness of the untreated water and the degree of exhaustion of the ion exchange medium, by slowly feeding regenerating medium, prepared during the softening phase by the metering device, counter current to flow during softening at a rate so as not to disturb the exchange medium and to prevent substantial mixing of the regenerating medium with the water being displaced.

Abstract: Removal of Ca.sup.++ values from MgCl.sub.2 brine is accomplished by use of a crystalline zeolite structure of the empirical formula Na.sub.12 [(AlO.sub.2).sub.12 (SiO.sub.2).sub.12 ].nH.sub.2 O, where nH.sub.2 O represents waters of hydration.

Abstract: Adsorbed calcium is selectively removed from cation exchange resins in the presence of adsorbed magnesium by eluting the resin with aqueous sulfuric acid saturated with CaSO.sub.4 and undersaturated with MgSO.sub.4 to obtain a solution supersaturated with CaSO.sub.4 from which the CaSO.sub.4 can be readily precipitated. The magnesium is subsequently removed from the resin by eluting with aqueous sulfuric acid, such as 20-70% H.sub.2 SO.sub.4. The method is advantageously used in the regeneration of cation exchange resins, such as the loaded resins used for treatment of phosphate rock-derived phosphoric acid.

Abstract: Ammonium ions are selectively removed from aqueous solutions containing calcium cations by cation exchange with natural or synthetic zeolites of the phillipsitegismondite type, which possess unusual capacity and selectivity for the ammonium ion.

Abstract: Off-gas produced by a blast furnace is treated by scrubbing and cooling the gas with water and then settling solids from the liquid effluent. The liquid effluent is cooled following settling, and a major portion of the cooled effluent is recirculated for another pass through the scrubbing and cooling steps. The remainder of the effluent is chemically treated, and heavy metals are precipitated and settled as sludge. The clarified effluent is filtered and then treated with a cation exchange resin in a sodium cycle. A substantial part of the ion-exchange-treated effluent is returned to the scrubbing and cooling steps, and another substantial part is discharged as blowdown. Return of water which is of adequate quality to prevent scaling significantly reduces the make-up requirements. By discharging the ion-exchange-treated effluent to blowdown while ammonium ions are being removed from solution by a given charge of ion-exchange resin, the standards for maximum blowdown discharge of ammonia are satisfied.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for water softening using less than approximately 20 micron diameter fine mesh magnetized ion exchange particles in columnar operation. The particles are formed by encapsulating a core of magnetic material in ion exchange resin. The particles are magnetized and disposed in a column where they attach to magnetic mesh retention means such as stainless steel wool. The design of the column permits use of the fine mesh ion exchange particles and their properties of rapid exchange rates and efficient utilization of resin capacity while avoiding prior art problems of plugging, fouling, and excessive pressure drop.

Abstract: A non-water dispersible water-softening bead is disclosed having from 80 to 90% sodium alumino silicate and from 10 to 20% low density polyethylene. The bead has a diameter of between 200 and 1000 microns and a calcium capacity of at least 200 mg calcium carbonate/g. The sodium alumino silicate has a silica to aluminum oxide molar ratio of between 2:1 and 4:1 and a sodium oxide to aluminum oxide molar ratio of between 0.8:1 and 1.2:1.

Abstract: Method of and a multilayered filter for softening and filtering water. The water to be softened and filtered flows through a first layer of particles of activated carbon, a second layer of beads of an organic ion cation exchange resin, a third layer of granules of sodium aluminium silocate, and a fourth layer of grains of filter sand which layers are arranged vertically in a tank. The filter comprises the four above identified layers of filter materials.

Abstract: High-pressure boiler feedwater is polished and softened with a cation ion-exchange resin, and the resin is regenerated with a readily ionizable salt of an amine-type corrosion inhibitor.

Abstract: Flexible graphite layer material containing at least one metal moylbdate with a solubility in water of 10.sup.-2 to 10.sup.-4 g/100 ml to inhibit corrosion. The corrosion inhibitor may be incorporated by first immersing the graphite layer material in a solution of an alkali metal molybdate, drying, and then immersing in a solution of very soluble metal salt in which the metal when combined with molybdate to form metal molybdate has the defined solubility. The graphite layer material is then dried and contains the desired molybdate corrosion inhibitor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for removing large volumes of contaminants or for recovering valuable minerals present in trace amounts or greater quantities by ion exchange treatment of phosphoric acid liquids or the like as they flow through a resin bed wherein ions in the liquid are sorbed into the resin by an ion exchange mechanism. The resin bed is folded, moving bed which exhibits all of the advantages of a packed ion exchange resin bed. Laminar flows are developed at times in the moving bed system, while the moving bed used is of a "folded" type having a maximum height approximately one-third that of conventional, unfolded countercurrent units. The ion exchange treatment occurs within a loading vessel resin bed, the beads in the feed portion of which become exhausted and sequentially move out of the loading vessel for subsequent regeneration and rinsing, followed by eventual return to the loading vessel.

Abstract: Ammonia or an amine such as morpholine is recovered from a resin bed comprising an alkali metal, e.g., sodium, and ammonium or amine salts of a strong acid cation exchange resin by contacting the cation resin with an aqueous solution of an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, e.g., calcium hydroxide, thereby exchanging the alkali metal and ammonium or amine cations with alkaline earth metal cations. The aqueous liquid containing the alkali metal and ammonia or amine is subsequently passed through a cation exchange resin which removes the alkali metal from the liquid. The recovery of ammonia or the amine by such method is particularly useful in condensate purification system associated with a power production facility wherein the recovered ammonia or amine can be employed to reduce corrosion in the power production facility and the strong acid resin, upon regeneration, can be used to remove alkali metal ions, particularly sodium, from the facility.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the purification of aqueous solutions of low molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds containing calcium or lead compounds or mixtures thereof. Methanol and a precipitant for calcium and/or lead ions in a quantity equivalent to the ions to be removed are added to the solutions. The deposits thus formed are removed and the residual solutions are treated with a cation exchanger followed by distillation of the low-boiling fractions. The distillation sump which essentially contains the low molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds is then treated with an anion exchanger.

Abstract: A silicatic complexing agent for alkaline earth ions comprising an acid activated mineral of the montmorillonite-beidellite series, said mineral charged with an alkali metal.

Abstract: Water containing dissolved compounds is preheated, and is then pressurized in stages of water pressure, while receiving a quantum of steam. Scale-forming compounds in the water are thermally precipitated, and clarified post-thermal water is formed. This is flash vaporized in stages corresponding to the stages of water pressure, and the flashed vapors are compressed to form each said quantum of steam. Alternately, the flashed vapors themselves comprise each said quantum of steam, by being induced into the water as it flows through an eductor means. Flash-cooled, post-thermal water, substantially devoid of scale-forming compounds, is employed as such, or more generally is evaporated to form fresh water and an end concentrate of dissolved compounds.

Abstract: Magnesium values are selectively recovered from salt brines, even salt brines which contain competing ions such as Li.sup.+, Ca.sup.++, and Sr.sup.++, by contacting the brine with an anion exchange resin which has dispersed therein a microcrystalline structure of the formula MgX.sub.2.2Al(OH).sub.3, where X is a halide.

Abstract: Improvement in the reduction of Mg, Ca, Na, K and Al in crude phosphoric acid using an ion exchange resin bed, comprising preclarifying the feed acid with flocculant polymer and placing a filter aid precoat on the resin bed. As part of the preclarification process, a compatible soluble sodium compound, such as sodium carbonate, is added to the feed acid to speed the flocculation process.

Abstract: A fluid treating apparatus and method are provided which employ finely subdivided surface active particles arranged in loose bed form and confined within a treating tank by means which prevent the escape of such particles but which permits fluid flow therethrough at a high rate with a minimum pressure drop. In an important embodiment, the apparatus and method of this invention are particularly directed to the treatment of water with fine mesh ion cation exchange resin particles of below 50 mesh size, and preferably 100 to 200 mesh or smaller, measured on a dry basis.

Abstract: Inorganic salts are removed from an unpotable water stream, particularly a salt-containing inland water stream. The stream is passed sequentially through anion and cation exchange beds. Periodically the anion exchange bed is regenerated with sodium hydroxide and the cation exchange bed with hydrochloric acid to form spent regenerant streams which are combined with hydrochloric acid in the presence of calcium ion to precipitate calcium salts of anions from the mixture. The soluble portion is then mixed with sodium hydroxide in the presence of carbonate ion to precipitate insoluble cations from the mixture as hydroxides or carbonates. The soluble portions, comprising essentially an aqueous sodium chloride stream, is separated into a more concentrated and less concentrated portion. The more concentrated stream is electrolyzed to provide a source of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide for the above steps, while the less concentrated stream is recovered as a source of potable water.

Abstract: A non-water dispersible water-softening bead is disclosed having from 80 to 90% sodium alumino silicate and from 10 to 20% low density polyethylene. The bead has a diameter of between 200 and 1000 microns and a calcium capacity of at least 200 mg calcium carbonate/g. The sodium alumino silicate has a silica to aluminum oxide molar ratio of between 2:1 and 4:1 and a sodium oxide to aluminum oxide molar ratio of between 0.8:1 and 1.2:1.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for removing large volumes of contaminants or for recovering valuable minerals present in trace amounts or greater quantities by ion exchange treatment of phosphoric acid liquids or the like as they flow through a resin bed wherein ions in the liquid are sorbed into the resin by an ion exchange mechanism. The resin bed is folded, moving bed which exhibits all of the advantages of a packed ion exchange resin bed. Laminar flows are developed at times in the moving bed system, while the moving bed used is of a "folded" type having a maximum height approximately one-third that of conventional, unfolded countercurrent units. The ion exchange treatment occurs within a loading vessel resin bed, the beads in the feed portion of which become exhausted and sequentially move out of the loading vessel for subsequent regeneration and rinsing, followed by eventual return to the loading vessel.