Method for removing merury and/or arsenic from water using a silane coupling agent reacted organoclay
The use of a coupling agent containing a mercapto, disulfide, tretrasulfide and/or polysulfide end group provides a mercury removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and mercury removal ability. The mercury removal media described herein is prepared by reacting an organophilic clay containing onium ions with a mercapto, disulfide, tetrasulfide, and/or polysulfide end moiety. Alternatively, the clay can be made organophilic by onium ion reaction prior to or simultaneously with the coupling reaction of the mercapto- or sulfide- end group-containing coupling agent.
1. A method of removing mercury and/or arsenic from water comprising contacting the water with a silane coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate, wherein the silane coupling agent is chemically bonded to platelets of the organophilic phyllosilicate, and wherein the silane coupling agent contains a mercapto or sulfide group.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises:
50 to 99.5 wt. % of a layered organophilic phyllosilicate; and
0.5 to 50 wt. % of a silane coupling agent.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises a phyllosilicate and a phyllosilicate intercalant agent, and wherein the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises:
1-90 wt % of a phyllosilicate;
10-50 wt % of the intercalant agent; and
0.5-50 wt. % of the silane coupling agent.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the counting agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises:
35-83 wt. % of the phyllosilicate;
15-45 wt. % of the intercalant agent; and
2-20 wt. % of the silane coupling agent.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises:
50-77 wt. % of the phyllosilicat;
20-40 wt. % of the intercalant agent; and
2-12 wt. % of the silane coupling agent.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises:
59-71 wt. % of the phyllosilicate;
25-35 wt. % of the intercalant agent; and
5-9 wt. % of the silane coupling agent.
7. The method of claim 6 the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises:
65 wt. % of the layered-phyllosilicate;
28 wt. % of the intercalant agent; and
7 wt. % of the silane coupling agent.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate is prepared by extruding a mixture of the layered organophilic phyllosilicate and the silane coupling agent.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silane coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate has a particle size finer than 18 mesh, U.S. Sieve Series.
10. A method for removing mercury and/or arsenic from mercury and/or arsenic contaminated water comprising contacting the mercury and/or arsenic contaminated water with a removal media; the removal media comprising an intimate mixture of a layered organophilic phyllosilicate and a silane coupling agent containing a mercapto or sulfide group, wherein the silane coupling agent is chemically bonded to platelets of the organophilic phyllosilicate.
11. A method of regenerating contaminated water that contains organic contaminant molecules and mercury and/or arsenic, the method comprising:
absorbing the organic contaminant molecules from the contaminated water with an organoclay for removal of organic contaminants; and
absorbing the mercury and/or arsenic from the contaminated water with a coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate for removal of mercury or arsenic contaminants in which a silane coupling agent is chemically bonded to platelets of an organophilic phyllosilicate, and
wherein the coupling agent-reacted organophlic phyllosilicate comprises
50-99.5 wt. % of a layered organophilic phyllosilicate and 0.5-50 wt. % of the silane coupling agent that contains a mercapto or sulfide group.
12. A method of removing mercury and/or arsenic from mercury and/or arsenic contaminated water comprising:
flowing a mercury and/or arsenic contaminated water through a liquid permeable cartridge, the cartridge comprising a contaminant removal media that comprises a coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate in which a silane coupling agent is chemically bonded to platelets of a layered organophilic phyllosilicate;
wherein the coupling agent-reacted layered organophilic phyllosilicate comprises 1-90 wt % of a phyllosilicate, 10-50 wt % of an intercalant agent, and 0.5-50 wt. % of the silane coupling agent that contains a mercapto or sulfide group.