Resin for precipitation of minerals and salts, methods of manufacture and uses thereof

1. A method of producing a scale-control resin comprising combining in an aqueous solution a hydrogen-functionalized weak-acid cation-exchange resin, a weak-acid anion mineral or salt having a multivalent cation, and a strong-acid salt having the same multivalent cation as the weak-acid anion mineral or salt, wherein ions are exchanged between the resin and the weak-acid anion mineral or salt by a catalyzed reaction to produce the scale-control resin that is multivalent cation-functionalized.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein during the catalyzed reaction the aqueous solution of the weak-acid cation-exchange resin, the weak-acid anion mineral or salt, and the strong-acid salt having the same multivalent cation as the weak-acid anion mineral or salt is heated.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein during the catalyzed reaction the aqueous solution of the weak-acid cation-exchange resin, the weak-acid anion mineral or salt, and the strong-acid salt having the same multivalent cation as the weak-acid anion mineral or salt is heated to a temperature between 50 and 100° C.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the combination of the aqueous solution of the weak-acid cation-exchange resin, the weak-acid anion mineral or salt, and the strong-acid salt having the same multivalent cation as the weak-acid anion mineral or salt is heated to a temperature between 70 and 90° C.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising drying the scale-control resin to a moisture content selected to increase the scale control efficiency of the scale-control resin.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the scale-control resin is dried to a moisture content of less than 50%.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the scale-control resin is dried to a moisture content of between 5 and 20%.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the weak-acid anion mineral or salt comprises calcium carbonate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the strong-acid salt comprises calcium chloride.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the weak-acid anion mineral or salt comprises aluminum hydroxycarbonate hydrate.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the strong-acid salt comprises aluminum sulfate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weak-acid anion mineral or salt comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of carbonate and bicarbonate.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the strong-acid salt comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of chloride, sulfate, nitrate, bromide, iodide and perchlorate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weak-acid anion mineral or salt is added in stoichiometric excess as compared to the cation-exchange capacity of the cation-exchange resin.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a less than stoichiometric quantity of the strong-acid salt as compared to the weak-acid anion mineral or salt is added to the aqueous solution.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein a less than stoichiometric quantity of the strong-acid salt as compared to the cation-exchange capacity of the cation-exchange resin is added to the aqueous solution.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the producing the scale-control resin is without the use of a strongly alkaline ingredient.

18. A method for precipitating an ionic substance in a liquid comprising

contacting a scale-control resin produced by the method recited in claim 1 with the liquid and

precipitating the ionic substance in the liquid through an exchange of multivalent cations between the scale-control resin and the liquid, wherein the precipitated ionic substance remains as a stable particle in the liquid.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising periodically heat-treating the scale-control resin.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the heat-treating includes rinsing the scale-control resin with hot water.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein an immersion heater and timer are used to perform the periodic heat treatment of the scale-control resin.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising removing multivalent ions from the liquid.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the removal of multivalent ions is downstream from the scale-control resin.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the removal of multivalent ions includes reverse osmosis.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the removal of multivalent ions includes water softening.

26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising a second removal of multivalent ions from the liquid.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein approximately 70% of the multivalent cations are precipitated using the scale-control resin prior to the additional removal of multivalent ions from the liquid.

28. A method of controlling scale formation in equipment from a liquid for the equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

producing a scale-control resin by combining in an aqueous solution a hydrogen-functionalized weak-acid cation-exchange resin, a weak-acid anion mineral or salt having a multivalent cation, and a strong-acid salt having the same multivalent cation as the weak-acid anion mineral or salt, wherein ions are exchanged between the resin and the weak-acid anion mineral or salt by a catalyzed reaction to produce a scale-control resin that is multivalent cation-functionalized; and

contacting the liquid with the scale-control resin to precipitate scale-forming ions or minerals as stable particles that no longer have a significant tendency to attach to downstream surfaces in the equipment.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein during the step of producing the scale-control resin creating a reaction mixture so that the catalyzed reaction is driven to completion through reaction of hydronium ions with the weak-acid anion mineral or salt that suppresses the hydronium ions in the reaction mixture.

30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising a step of allowing carbon dioxide gas to leave the reaction mixture.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein during the step of producing a scale-control resin the scale-control resin is converted to a multivalent activated form from an original hydrogen ion form through an initial reaction of hydronium ion with the strong-acid salt and where the weak-acid anion mineral or salt suppresses accumulation of the hydronium ions in the reaction mixture.

32. The method of claim 28 , wherein the producing the scale-control resin is without the use of a strongly alkaline ingredient.