Metal scavenging polymers and uses thereof

1. A method of removing one or more metals from a medium containing said metals which comprises the steps of: (a) treating said medium containing metals with a composition comprising a polymer derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, and wherein said acrylic-x has the following formula:

wherein X═OH and salts thereof or NHR 2 and wherein R 1 and R 2 is H or an alkyl or an group, wherein the molecular weight of said polymer is between 500 to 200,000, and wherein said polymer is modified to contain a functional group capable of scavenging said medium containing one or more metals; and (b) collecting said metals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said functional group is a dithiocarbamate salt group and wherein said polymer has between 5 to 100 mole % of said dithiocarbamate salt group.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acrylic-x is acrylic acid or salts thereof and the alkylamine is pentaethylenehexamine or tetraethylenepetamine or diethylenetriamine or triethylenetetraamine or ethylenediamine, and wherein the molar ratio between acrylic-x and alkylamine is from 0.85 to 1.5; and wherein the molecular weight of said polymer is from 1,500 to 8,000; and wherein the polymer is modified to contain more than 55 mole percent dithiocarbamic acid or salts thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acrylic-x is acrylamide and the alkylamine is pentaethylenehexamine or tetraethylenepetamine or diethylenetriamine or triethylenetetraamine or ethylenediamine, and wherein the molar ratio between acrylic-x and alkylamine is from 0.85 to 1.5; and wherein the molecular weight of said polymer is from 1,500 to 8,000; and wherein the polymer is modified to contain more than 55 mole percent dithiocarbamic acid or salts thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said medium is a process stream containing water.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of: copper, nickel, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, silver, iron, manganese, palladium, platinum, strontium, selenium, arsenic, cobalt, gold, and any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an additional treatment of said process stream with a complexing amount of a water soluble ethylene dichloride ammonia polymer having a molecular weight of from 500 to 100,000 which contains 5 to 50 mole % of dithiocarbamate salt groups to form a complex of these metals.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said medium is a heat generating system flue gas stream.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising: applying an oxidizing agent to the flue gas; optionally wherein said oxidizing agent oxidizes a target species at a temperature of 500° C. or greater; optionally wherein said target species is elemental mercury or derivatives thereof; and optionally wherein said oxidizing agent is at least one of the following: a thermolabile molecular halogen, calcium bromide, or a halogen containing compound.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said polymer treatment occurs at a temperature at or below 300° C.

11. A method of removing one or more metals from a medium containing said metals which comprises the steps of: (a) treating said medium containing metals with a composition comprising a polymer derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, wherein said acrylic-x has the following formula:

wherein X═OR and wherein R is an alkyl or aryl group, wherein R 1 is H or an alkyl or an aryl group, and wherein the molecular weight of said polymer is between 1,000 to 16,000, and wherein said polymer is modified to contain a functional group capable of scavenging said medium containing one or more metals; and collecting said metals.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said functional group is a dithiocarbamate salt group and optionally wherein said polymer has between 5 to 100 mole % of said dithiocarbamate salt group.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the acrylic-x is an acrylic ester and the alkylamine is pentaethylenehexamine or tetraethylenepetamine or diethylenetriamine or triethylenetetraamine or ethylenediamine, and wherein the molar ratio between acrylic-x and alkylamine is from 0.85 to 1.5; and wherein the molecular weight of said polymer is from 1,500 to 8000; and wherein the polymer is modified to contain more than 55 mole percent dithiocarbamic acid or salts thereof.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said medium is a process stream containing water.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metals are selected from the group consisting of: copper, nickel, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, silver, iron, manganese, palladium, platinum, strontium, selenium, arsenic, cobalt, gold, and any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising an additional treatment of said process stream with a complexing amount of a water soluble ethylene dichloride ammonia polymer having a molecular weight of from 500 to 100,000 which contains 5 to 50 mole % of dithiocarbamate salt groups to form a complex of these metals.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said medium is a heat generating system flue gas stream.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising: applying an oxidizing agent to the flue gas; optionally wherein said oxidizing agent oxides a target species at a temperature of 500° C. or greater; optionally wherein said target species is elemental mercury or derivatives thereof and optionally wherein said oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of: a thermolabile molecular halogen, calcium bromide, a halogen containing compound, and any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said polymer treatment occurs at a temperature at or below 300° C.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the acrylic ester is selected from the group consisting of: methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, and ethyl methacrylate, propyl acrylate, propyl methacrylate, and any combination thereof.