Sequential Introduction Patents (Class 210/726)
  • Patent number: 12037308
    Abstract: A MEG recovery process is described, in which a MEG stream is processed by performing a divalent treatment to reduce dissolved divalent cations in the portion of the stream; performing a sulfate treatment to reduce dissolved sulfate ions in the stream, the sulfate treatment comprising adding an underdose of one or more calcium halides, one or more lower calcium carboxylates, or a mixture thereof to a treatment stream; and precipitating calcium sulfate from the treatment stream; performing a solids removal treatment to reduce solids in the stream; and returning the treated stream, depleted in divalent cations, sulfate ions, and solids, to the MEG recovery process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Brian Edward Messenger
  • Patent number: 10875796
    Abstract: The invention is directed to methods of neutralizing acid drainage from particulate mining waste, comprising consolidating the particulate mining waste to form a consolidated waste solid; adding a hydrophobizing material into the consolidated waste solid, and incorporating into the consolidated waste solid a controlled release base formulation, wherein the controlled release base formulation comprises a particulate base and a controlled release system, and wherein the controlled release base formulation responds to a decrease in pH from acid drainage to release the particulate base, thereby neutralizing the acid drainage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Soane Mining, LLC
    Inventors: David S. Soane, James Nathan Ashcraft, Allison Greene
  • Patent number: 10745300
    Abstract: An electrochemical water treatment apparatus includes a treatment chamber formed by at least one wall and having an opening formed along the side for substantially the length of the treatment chamber, with a mounting plate applied to the opening. A set of cathodes and anodes are mounted to the mounting plate and positioned inside the chamber, each of the anodes having at least one cathode positioned on each of the two sides of the respective anode. At least two anode bus bars and two cathode bus bars are provided, each bus bar connectable to the power supply and connected to the respective electrodes near a respective end of the electrodes. An inlet adapter has a smaller cross sectional area at the first end connected to the treatment chamber inlet end, and a larger cross sectional area at the opposite end connected to the source of water to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Bioionix, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Hale, Jeremy Vogel
  • Patent number: 9932244
    Abstract: The invention relates to the proppants and proppant substrates treated with active compounds that reduce the presence of contaminants in fluids, methods of using those materials, as well as methods of making those materials. The invention further provides that the contaminated fluids are associated with wells, including oil and gas wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: THE FRAZER AND CRUICKSHANK
    Inventors: Missy Hayes, Gina Sacco, Nancy S. Sherwood
  • Patent number: 9822296
    Abstract: The invention relates to the proppants and proppant substrates treated with active compounds that reduce the presence of contaminants in fluids, methods of using those materials, as well as methods of making those materials. The invention further provides that the contaminated fluids are associated with wells, including oil and gas wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: THE FRAZER AND CRUICKSHANK LIVING TRUST
    Inventors: Missy Hayes, Gina Sacco, Nancy Sherwood
  • Publication number: 20150122740
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems and methods of fluid treatment systems. Fluid treatment systems and methods thereof may be operable to remove contaminants and optionally reduce hardness. A fluid treatment system may comprise a feed stream configured to provide a contaminated fluid, a concentrate tank configured to receive the contaminated fluid from the feed stream, a filtration unit configured to receive the contaminated fluid from the concentrate tank, and a permeate stream operable to receive a treated fluid from the filtration unit. A concentrate tank may be operable to reduce hardness of the contaminated fluid. A filtration unit may be operable to filter contaminants from the contaminated fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony L. Powell, Brian E. Butters
  • Patent number: 8945394
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for removing fine particulate matter from a fluid, comprising a separator that separates an inflow fluid stream into an overflow fluid path and an underflow fluid path, where the underflow fluid path is treated with a tethering material that attaches to the coarse particulate matter to form tether-bearing anchor particles and where the overflow fluid path is treated with an activating material so that the activating material interacts with the fine particulate matter to form activated particles. After these treatments, the underflow fluid path containing the tether-bearing anchor particles is commingled with the overflow fluid path containing the activated particles, so that a removable complex is produced that can be removed in a settling facility, thereby removing the fine particulate matter from the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Soane Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick D. Kincaid, Robert P. Mahoney, David Soane
  • Patent number: 8945402
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention disclosed is an apparatus for separating a solid material from a mixture containing oil, water, clay, sand, soil and drill cuttings. The apparatus comprise a series of processing cells and wash tanks. Hydrocyclonic devices are also used to further purify the solid mixture for disposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Inventor: Larry Saik
  • Publication number: 20150001160
    Abstract: A multi stage process for the progressive removal of protein and isolating streams containing cellulose fibers and oil from a waste stream containing Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles is disclosed. Targeted polymers are added to the source and separated streams prior to passing the streams through separation equipment including a rotary screen, a multi disk press, a dissolved air floatation device and optionally a centrifuge in which the waste stream is separated into a stream containing predominantly protein, a stream containing predominantly oil and a stream that contains predominantly cellulose and hemicellulose fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventor: Aicardo Roa-Espinosa
  • Publication number: 20140377166
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of removing particulate matter from a wastewater stream, comprising providing an activating agent capable of being affixed to the particulate matter in the wastewater stream; affixing the activating agent to the particulate matter to form activated particles residing in the wastewater stream; processing the activated particles in a thickener device to produce a population of thickened flocs in the fluid stream, wherein the thickened flocs comprise the particulate matter; contacting the thickened flocs with a re-activating agent to form re-activated particles comprising the particulate matter; providing a population of tether-bearing anchor particles, wherein the tether-bearing anchor particles have an affinity for the re-activated particles; attaching the tether-bearing anchor particles to the re-activated particles to form removable complexes that comprise the particulate matter, and removing the removable complexes, thereby removing the particulate matter from the wastewater stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: David S. Soane, Nathan Ashcraft, Manuel Esquivel
  • Publication number: 20140360945
    Abstract: A process for removing polyvalent metal ions from a fluid includes disposing a precipitation composition comprising a precipitating agent in an environment; contacting, with the precipitation composition, a fluid comprising a produced water, a flowback water, or a combination thereof, a plurality of polyvalent metal cations being present in the fluid; forming a plurality of precipitate particles comprising the polyvalent metal cations from the fluid and a polyvalent anion from the precipitating agent; contacting the precipitant particles with a flocculant, a coagulant, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, to form an aggregate comprising the precipitate particles; and separating the aggregate from the fluid to remove the polyvalent metal ions from the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Brandon M. Vittur
  • Patent number: 8894865
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to processes for extracting iron and/or calcium from geothermal brines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company
    Inventors: John L. Featherstone, George Furmanski
  • Patent number: 8894864
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a controlled method of minimizing radioactive sludge generation in treatment of wastewater from an oil and/or gas well. The method comprises measuring a concentration of a radioactive material in wastewater to be treated and measuring a concentration of barium in the wastewater to be treated. The method further comprises adding a calculated quantity of sulfate to the wastewater to be treated sufficient to precipitate a quantity of barium sufficient to reduce the concentration of the radioactive material to a level such that sludge precipitated in a secondary precipitation has a radiation level below a defined radiation level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Evoqua Water Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Stanley R. Karrs, Richard A. Altman
  • Patent number: 8894733
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for recycling a cerium oxide abrasive. The method may include adding a strong alkali solution to a slurry waste of the cerium oxide abrasive, adding sodium fluoride to the slurry waste, and separating a cerium oxide particle included in the slurry waste from other kinds of particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Jae Moon, Sang-Oeb Na, Hyung-Young Oh
  • Patent number: 8834726
    Abstract: A method of treating a wastewater is provided and can be used, for example, to treat a gas well hydrofracture wastewater. The method can involve precipitating barium as barium sulfate, precipitating calcium and strontium as calcium carbonate and strontium carbonate, precipitating magnesium hydroxide, and filtering out the metal compounds to form a recycle water. The recycle water produced from the method is also provided, as is a method for using the recycle water as a gas well hydrofracture water. In some embodiments, discharge water from a coal mine, and/or water from an abandoned coal mine, is used as a source of sulfate ions to precipitate barium as barium sulfate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: ProChemTech International, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Edward Keister
  • Patent number: 8834725
    Abstract: A process for treating acid mine drainage containing heavy metals and soluble contaminants is provided. In one embodiment, at least a metal cation is added to the acid mine drainage at a pre-select pH to form insoluble heavy metal complexes. In one embodiment, the metal cation is a trivalent metal ion, e.g., ferric iron such as in ferric sulfate. In another embodiment, a divalent metal ion such as in ferrous sulfate is used. After the removal of the heavy metal complexes, the effluent water is treated with at least a phosphate additive to remove remaining soluble contaminants, thus producing a treated water stream with reduced levels of contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Rahul Shankar Bhaduri, Alexander Kuperman, Michael Dubrovsky
  • Publication number: 20140238942
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of purifying a residue from an industrial process using calcium ions to obtain a purified brine, comprising: (a) mixing the residue comprising sulfate salts from the industrial process with calcium salts; (b) separating insoluble species and/or precipitates from the suspension from (a); (c) adding one or more selected from C02, carbonates, bicarbonates, hydrogen carbonates or fluorinated salts into the filtrate from (b) to remove excess calcium ions; and (d) separating precipitates from the suspension from (c) to obtain a purified brine. Strontium and/or barium salts, which typically exist in the residue, may also be removed from the residue by using the present process. According to the present method, calcium ions are effectively removed from the brine. Thus, a deposition of calcium ions on devices, which are used in the further processes such as crystallization or electrolysis, can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: SOLVAY SA
    Inventors: Frédéric Nicolas, Francis Grosjean, Emeline Gravier, Jean-Yves Seguin
  • Publication number: 20140238941
    Abstract: A mixing chamber system for removal of contaminants from a liquid, and related systems and methods, are provided. The mixing chamber system includes a length of pipe having a hollow interior. A plurality of perforated discs are stationarily positioned within the hollow interior in at least a portion of the length of pipe, wherein each of the plurality of perforated discs has a curved profile, wherein a middle portion of each of the plurality of perforated discs is offset from a radial edge of each of the plurality of perforated discs, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventor: Frederick J. Haydock
  • Patent number: 8801937
    Abstract: A process for treatment of water containing an azole-type anticorrosive for copper, includes adding ferrous ions to the water containing the azole-type anticorrosive for copper and having a pH of 4-8, thereby precipitating an insoluble iron-azole complex, and separating the insoluble iron-azole complex. An amount of the ferrous ions added is 0.5 to 5.0 times, by molar ratio, an amount of the azole-type anticorrosive for copper in the water containing the azole-type anticorrosive for copper. After the insoluble iron-azole complex is separated, remaining total organic carbon (TOC) components are subjected to an ozone treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Yasuike, Atsushi Nemoto
  • Publication number: 20140190898
    Abstract: Potable drinking water is plagued with widespread arsenic contamination, particularly in developing communities. Ferric ions were introduced to interact with arsenate based on the strong affinity of arsenate for ferric hydroxides, followed by mucilage addition. The mucilage coagulated and flocculated the ferric-arsenate complex and formed visible flocs that settled at the bottom of the tubes. The system showed 75-96% arsenate removal in 1 hour, while longer retention times showed 100% removal. The role of the mucilage was demonstrated by untreated solutions showing no concentration difference and remaining stable for more than 15 days. This mucilage-based technology has the potential to be a relatively inexpensive, environmentally sustainable alternative to synthetic polymer flocculants for removing arsenic from drinking water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: Norma A. Alcantar, Dawn I. Fox
  • Publication number: 20140166587
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems for removing particulate matter from a fluid, comprising a particle functionalized by attachment of at least one activating group or amine functional group, wherein the modified particle complexes with the particulate matter within the fluid to form a removable complex therein. The particulate matter has preferably been contacted, complexed or reacted with a tethering agent. The system is particularly advantageous to removing particulate matter from a tailing solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Soane Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Michael C. Berg, John H. Dise, Robert P. Mahoney, Kevin T. Petersen, David S. Soane, Kristoffer K. Stokes, William Ware, JR., Atul C. Thakrar
  • Patent number: 8702992
    Abstract: A continuous flow reactor, including a cylindrical coagulation crystallizer, a funnel type protective baffle for static settling, and a conical static settler. A lower end surface of the cylindrical coagulation crystallizer is connected with an upper end surface of the conical static settler, and the funnel type protective baffle for static settling is connected with an inner wall of the cylindrical coagulation crystallizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nanjing University
    Inventors: Hongqiang Ren, Qiucheng Li, Tao Zhang, Lili Ding, Ke Xu, Xinkun Ren
  • Publication number: 20140054231
    Abstract: A process for dewatering oil sands tailings is provided, comprising providing a tailings feed having a solids content in the range of about 10 wt % to about 45 wt %; adding a flocculant to the tailings feed and mixing the tailings feed and flocculant to form flocs; and centrifuging the flocculated tailings feed to produce a centrate having a solids content of less than about 3 wt % and a cake having a solids content of at least about 50 wt %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of Syncrude Project
    Inventors: JONATHAN SPENCE, BARRY BARA, JIM LORENTZ, RANDY MIKULA, JIWON LEE, RICHARD DANIEL LAHAIE
  • Patent number: 8617400
    Abstract: A method for treating wastewater using a ballasted flocculation technique includes continuously measuring the concentration of suspended solids, organic matter or other impurities in the water to be treated prior to directing the water to be treated to a flocculation tank. Based on this measurement, the amount of ballast necessary to obtain treated water of a predetermined quality is then calculated. In the flocculation tank, ballast and a flocculating reagent are added to the water to form a water-floc mixture. The water-floc mixture is directed to a settling tank where a sludge-ballast mixture is settled. The sludge-ballast mixture is directed to a mixing tank and then to a separator to separate the ballast from the sludge. The separated ballast is directed to the flocculation tank. The separated sludge is directed to the mixing tank when the level of sludge-ballast mixture in the mixing tank is lower than a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
    Inventors: Philippe Sauvignet, Claus Dahl, Valey Ursel, Celine Levecq, Jean-Francois Beaudet
  • Patent number: 8614173
    Abstract: A water treatment method according to the present invention comprises adding an amphoteric polymer flocculant to polluted water to flocculate suspended solids so that the polluted water becomes treated water, and filtering the treated water. An inorganic flocculent can be added to the treated water after flocculation treatment before filtering the treated water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Dia-Nitrix Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Tanabe
  • Patent number: 8580917
    Abstract: The invention relates to block polymers, for example, arborescent copolymer compounds, and to methods of making and purifying such compounds. In one embodiment, the invention relates to arborescent polymer compounds that contain one or more styrene polymeric blocks in combination with one or more isobutylene polymeric blocks. In another embodiment, the invention relates to methods for purifying arborescent polymer compounds that contain at least one styrene polymeric block in combination with at least one isobutylene polymeric block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Judit E Puskas
  • Patent number: 8557124
    Abstract: A process for treating impure water includes adding magnesium hydroxide and/or ammonium hydroxide to the water. This neutralizes the impure water and reacts with dissolved metals in the water. The metals are precipitated as metal hydroxides/oxides, which are removed from the water. Thereafter barium hydroxide is added to the water. The barium hydroxide reacts with dissolved sulphates to produce barium sulphate and, when magnesium hydroxide is used, with dissolved magnesium, to produce magnesium hydroxide. Barium sulphate and, when present, magnesium hydroxide are removed from the water. When ammonium hydroxide is used, ammonia is stripped from the water. Carbon dioxide is then added to the water. The carbon dioxide reacts with dissolved calcium in the water. The calcium is precipitated as calcium carbonate, which is removed from the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Tshwane University of Technology
    Inventors: Johannes Philippus Maree, Wynand Jacobus Louw
  • Patent number: 8512571
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for treating iron-contaminated water (e.g., mine drainage) using an innovative treatment approach identified herein as the Activated Iron Solids (AIS) Process. The AIS process is capable of oxidizing and removing iron as iron oxides from iron-contaminated waters (such as, mining-related discharge, groundwater, surface water and industrial waste streams) producing a clean effluent. The AIS process is performed in a single or multiple tank system in which high concentrations of AIS are suspended through mechanical mixing to maintain a catalytic surface chemistry environment that increases iron removal thousands times faster than would naturally occur and hundreds times faster than existing arts (e.g., aerobic pond passive treatment). The AIS process can utilize inexpensive alkaline material (such as, pulverized limestone) where initial mine drainage alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3) to ferrous iron (mg/L) ratio is less than approximately 1.7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Inventor: Jonathan M. Dietz
  • Publication number: 20130193078
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems for removing particulate matter from a fluid, comprising a particle functionalized by attachment of at least one activating group or amine functional group, wherein the modified particle complexes with the particulate matter within the fluid to form a removable complex therein. The particulate matter has preferably been contacted, complexed or reacted with a tethering agent. The system is particularly advantageous to removing particulate matter from a fluid waste stream following mining or ore processing operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: Soane Mining, LLC
    Inventor: Soane Mining, LLC
  • Patent number: 8480907
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the floatation-clarification of difficult water, in particular heavily polluted surface water, urban or industrial wastewater, rainwater or any type of water that floats with difficulty, particularly water which contains a high percentage of mineral matter or requires the injection of a flocculation aid and which originates from filters or membrane technologies such as ultrafiltration, said method comprising: a coagulation step (A1) in which a dose of coagulant (1) is injected into the water to be treated; a flocculation step (B) in which flocculant (2) is injected (B1) into the water after the coagulation step, in order to agglomerate the suspended particles in the form of flocs; and subsequently a floatation step (C) in which the flocculated water is mixed with an emulsion of air micro-bubbles in a floatation apparatus. A second coagulant injection step (A2) is performed downstream of the flocculant injection (B1) and upstream of the floatation (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Degremont
    Inventors: Patrick Vion, Céline Broutin, Christian Garriou
  • Publication number: 20130168325
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus for removing phosphorous from wastewater including: a first coagulation sedimentation unit including a first rapid mixing tank, a first flocculation tank and a first sedimentation tank; and a second coagulation sedimentation unit including a second rapid mixing tank, a second flocculation tank and a second sedimentation tank, and a method for removing phosphorous using the same. The first rapid mixing tank stirs wastewater and an inorganic coagulant with low basicity at high speed and the second rapid mixing tank stirs the treated water supplied from the first sedimentation tank and an inorganic coagulant with high basicity at high speed. As a result, removal of phosphorous from the wastewater is maximized and coagulation and sedimentation may be optimized through control of metal content in the inorganic coagulants added to the first rapid mixing tank and the second rapid mixing tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Kyung Guen Song, Seok Won Hong, Byung Ha Lee, Ho Young Cha
  • Patent number: 8470569
    Abstract: The present invention corresponds to a commercial production process of ferric sulfate whose plant can be installed scaled to the requirements of the process of application of the bio-produced ferric solution based on fayalite slag generated in copper smelting plants. No previous process has established as its method of industrial application the use of these smelter slags in the bio-production of ferric sulfate solutions at concentrations above 20 g/L, including a stage of acid-slag leaching in dynamic heaps with control of generated silica and subsequent precipitation of colloidal silica and other impurities in a stirred reactor in the invented process. The ferrous solution free of colloidal silica and other impurities is subjected to a process of bio-oxidization of the clean ferrous solution by microorganisms adapted to these metallurgical solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Biosigma S.A.
    Inventors: Enrique Anselmo Roman Espinoza, Héctor Dario Jordan Gutierrez, Leandro Mauricio Padilla Iglesias, Pedro Antonio Morales Cerda, Ricardo Badilla Ohlbaum
  • Publication number: 20130153510
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for treating an aqueous stream having a first flow rate and containing solid matter exhibiting first settling properties, the method comprising adding a modifying agent to the aqueous stream at an addition rate sufficient to change the first settling properties of the aqueous stream to obtain a modified aqueous stream having solid matter exhibiting second settling properties different from the first settling properties; taking batchwise samples of the modified aqueous stream to a settling vessel having a volume; determining a settling property of the solid matter of the samples in the settling vessel; and conducting the modified aqueous stream to a separation unit in which solid matter is separated from the modified aqueous stream. The invention provides a convenient way of monitoring and/or controlling aqueous streams conducted for example to purification processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: KEMIRA OYJ
    Inventors: Kaj Jansson, Iiris Joensuu, Marjatta Piironen, Jukka-Pekka Sirviö, Tapio Yrjänäinen
  • Publication number: 20130134098
    Abstract: Methods for treating water to remove radium include contacting the water with a magnetic adsorbent comprising manganese oxide(s), and applying a magnetic field to separate the magnetic adsorbent from the water, whereby radium is removed from the water. The methods may additionally include regenerating the magnetic adsorbent, and contacting the water with regenerated magnetic adsorbent. Alternately, calcium and/or strontium may be precipitated as carbonate salts from lime-treated water containing radium and barium without precipitating a significant fraction of the barium or radium; and removing radium from calcium- and strontium-free water by precipitating the barium and radium as carbonate salts. The barium- and radium carbonate precipitate may be redissolved in hydrochloric acid and disposed of by deep-well injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William Leonard Kostedt, IV, James Manio Silva, Hope Matis, Vicki Herzl Watkins, Harish Radhakrishna Acharya
  • Patent number: 8388832
    Abstract: A process for the treatment of a tailings stream is provided. The tailings stream comprises water, sand and clay fines and is produced from bitumen extraction process of an oil sands ore. The process for treating the tailings stream comprises contacting a polysilicate microgel, a polyacrylamide and one or both of a multivalent metal compound and a low molecular weight cationic organic polymer with a tailings stream to flocculate sand and clay fines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Robert Harvey Moffett, Peter Andrin
  • Patent number: 8383764
    Abstract: The invention relates to block polymers, for example, arborescent copolymer compounds, and to methods of making and purifying such compounds. In one embodiment, the invention relates to arborescent polymer compounds that contain one or more styrene polymeric blocks in combination with one or more isobutylene polymeric blocks. In another embodiment, the invention relates to methods for purifying arborescent polymer compounds that contain at least one styrene polymeric block in combination with at least one isobutylene polymeric block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Judit E. Puskas
  • Patent number: 8313653
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to processes for extracting iron and/or calcium from geothermal brines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Midamerican Energy Holdings Company
    Inventors: John L. Featherstone, George Furmanski
  • Patent number: 8313655
    Abstract: A water reaction tank for reacting water containing suspended solids with a flocculant includes a housing having an input, an output, and a water flow path between the input and the output. The flow path has a mixing section and a reaction section. Sealable flocculant ports are provided for inserting a flocculant into the mixing section of the housing. Each of the mixing section and the reaction section contains baffles. The mixing section baffles encourage turbulent flow to increase contact with the flocculant, and the reaction section baffles encourage turbulent flow and increase the length of the water flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Clearflow Enviro Systems Group Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry Hanna
  • Patent number: 8262914
    Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for treating a wastewater stream to produce an effluent having an acceptable level of turbidity. The invention comprises a controller operatively coupled to at least one turbidity meter for monitoring turbidity of the effluent stream. A plurality of chemical treatment additive pumps are provided for providing a plurality of additives to the wastewater stream. Furthermore, a method of sequentially testing the amount of each additive required to produce an effluent stream having an acceptable turbidity is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Reliance Automation, LLC
    Inventors: Theodore K. Mitzlaff, Jesse C. Fletcher
  • Publication number: 20120205318
    Abstract: Provided is a wastewater treatment technology (in particular, pretreatment technology) that, in comparison to existing technologies, can reduce the quantity of sludge generated as a result of processing wastewater that contains fluorine and silicon. Before adding a calcium compound to wastewater that contains fluorine and silicon and performing coagulation-sedimentation treatment on said wastewater, as a pretreatment, sodium hydroxide is added to the wastewater (first reaction tank 1), sodium silicofluoride is precipitated, and the precipitate sodium silicofluoride is removed via solid-liquid separation (first sedimentation tank 2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: KOBELCO ECO-SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Tanida, Hiroyuki Chifuku, Sousuke Onoda
  • Patent number: 8187470
    Abstract: Some mineral processing plants encounter difficulties in dewatering pulps using clarifier/thickener (C/T) equipment due to a layer of fine particles, air bubbles and chemicals formed at the top of the liquid in the thickener. Such layers are very stable and form a cap on the C/T. The dewatering performance of the C/T then deteriorates under these conditions, and a high percentage of solids is contained in the thickener overflow. A process for removing water from rock slurry containing a wide range of particle sizes in mineral processing operations has been developed. The process includes: (a) classifying the feed slurry into two size fractions, namely a coarse fraction and a fine fraction, (b) treating the fine fraction (and the coarse fraction if required) with a selected flocculant, and (3) thickening the flocculated slurry in sedimentation equipment to separate liquid from solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: ARR-MAZ Custom Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Guoxin Wang, Zhengxing Gu, Edward W. Gannon
  • Patent number: 8182697
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for treating selenium-containing wastewater, in which wastewater containing hexavalent selenium is subjected to reduction treatment, selenium can be effectively removed at a small amount of metal leached, and, preferably, sludge produced during treatment is white, thereby facilitating the disposal of the sludge. The selenium-containing wastewater is brought into contact with an alloy or a mixture of metallic titanium and a first metal other than metallic titanium to partially leach the first metal, thereby subjecting selenium in the wastewater to reduction treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Etou, Hiroyuki Asada, Yu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8153011
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating off coloring components from aqueous plant extracts in which magnesium ions (Mg2+) are added to the plant extract, at least one alkaline component is added to the plant extract, a precipitate is formed, and the precipitate formed is separated off from the plant extract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Bayer Cropscience AG
    Inventors: Friedrich Meuser, Ingo Bauer
  • Publication number: 20120061327
    Abstract: A water reaction tank for reacting water containing suspended solids with a flocculant includes a housing having an input, an output, and a water flow path between the input and the output. The flow path has a mixing section and a reaction section. Sealable flocculant ports are provided for inserting a flocculant into the mixing section of the housing. Each of the mixing section and the reaction section contains baffles. The mixing section baffles encourage turbulent flow to increase contact with the flocculant, and the reaction section baffles encourage turbulent flow and increase the length of the water flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC.
    Inventor: Jerry HANNA
  • Patent number: 8101087
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for removing elements is described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Global Materials Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Terrence P. Kane, Raymond Joseph Lovett, Steven Alan Bouse
  • Patent number: 8101085
    Abstract: Described is a process for treating an animal husbandry effluent slurry, such as hog manure, containing suspended solid particles. The process includes a) providing a liquid portion of the effluent, b) diluting the liquid to a Newtonian fluid, c) assuring the pH is under 10, d) adding to the fluid i) a soluble salt of alkaline earth metal (e.g. CaCl2) and ii) an insoluble basic salt of the same alkaline earth metal (e.g. CaCO3) to balance available cations and promote agglomeration of the suspended solid particles, e) adding a cationic coagulant to obtain a pre-treated destabilized colloid mixture with zero zeta potential value, and f) performing electroflotation to obtain a treated liquid and floated solids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
    Inventors: Simon Guertin, Daniel Massé, François Lamarche
  • Publication number: 20110233139
    Abstract: A process for treating impure water includes adding magnesium hydroxide and/or ammonium hydroxide to the water. This neutralizes the impure water and reacts with dissolved metals in the water. The metals are precipitated as metal hydroxides/oxides, which are removed from the water. Thereafter barium hydroxide is added to the water. The barium hydroxide reacts with dissolved sulphates to produce barium sulphate and, when magnesium hydroxide is used, with dissolved magnesium, to produce magnesium hydroxide. Barium sulphate and, when present, magnesium hydroxide are removed from the water. When ammonium hydroxide is used, ammonia is stripped from the water. Carbon dioxide is then added to the water. The carbon dioxide reacts with dissolved calcium in the water. The calcium is precipitated as calcium carbonate, which is removed from the water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: Tshwane University of Technology
    Inventors: Johannes Philippus Maree, Wynand Jacobus Louw
  • Patent number: 8017018
    Abstract: A phosphorus removal system is operable to remove phosphorus from an influent. The system includes a first section receiving the influent and discharging a first flow. A first coagulant inlet is positioned upstream of the first section and is in fluid communication with the influent to introduce a first coagulant selected to precipitate phosphorus. A second section receives the first flow and discharges a second flow, and a third section receives the second flow and discharges an effluent. A second coagulant inlet is positioned downstream of the first section and upstream of the third section to introduce a second coagulant selected to precipitate phosphorus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Allen Lawrence, Joseph E. Zuback
  • Patent number: 8012358
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes: (a) a mobile platform; (b) an input pump operatively connected to be capable of pumping a treatment stream through the system; (c) a centrifugal separator operatively connected downstream of the input pump to centrifugally treat the treatment stream; (d) a borate filter operatively connected downstream of the centrifugal separator to filter the treatment stream capable of removing at least some of a borate when the treatment stream is at a pH of 8 or above; and (e) a chemical-additive subsystem operatively connected to be capable of: (i) selectively adding one or more chemical agents to the treatment stream upstream of the centrifugal separator, wherein the chemical agents can be selected to be capable of precipitating dissolved ions selected from the group consisting of: sulfate, calcium, strontium, or barium, magnesium, iron; and (ii) selectively adding a chemical agent to the treatment stream upstream of the borate filter to increase the pH of the treatment stream to 8 o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Billy F. Slabaugh, Arron L. Karcher, Michael J. R. Segura, Randy S. Rosine, Max L. Phillippi, Donna L. Harris
  • Patent number: 7998439
    Abstract: A separation and recycling method for recycling uranium and fluoride from a waste liquid sequentially and separately is disclosed. The method comprises a uranium-recycling process and a fluoride-recycling process. In the uranium-recycling process, an alkali metal compound or monovalent cation and a coagulant aid are added into the waste liquid to promote the precipitation of uranium. In the fluoride-recycling process, an alkaline earth metal compound, a strong acid and a coagulant aid are added into the uranium-removed waste liquid to precipitate fluoride. By means of the method of the present invention, the uranium and fluoride contents of the uranium-removed and fluoride-removed waste liquid are compliant with the effluent standards of the environmental laws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research
    Inventors: Chen-Te Lin, Kuo-Hao Tsao, Ben-Li Pen