Granted Patent B2

US 12,434,192 · App. 18/458,741 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Inventors: Ahmed Saleh Mohammed Alamoudi (Al-Jubail, SA); Mohammed Farooque Ayumantakath (Al-Jubail, SA); Nikolay Voutchkov (Winter Springs, FL); Seungwon Ihm (Al-Khobar, SA); Christopher Michael Fellows (Al-Jubail, SA); Eslam Alwaznani (Al-Jubail, SA)

Assignee: SAUDI WATER AUTHORITY

B01D61/026B01D9/0059B01D9/02C01F5/34C01F11/468B01D2009/0086

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. A system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine, comprising:

a first nanofiltration seawater reverse osmosis (NF-SWRO) membrane unit configured to receive a divalent-ion rich stream and to reject sulfate while allowing divalent ions to pass into a first permeate stream;

a first concentration unit configured to receive the first permeate stream and produce solid calcium sulfate dihydrate and a magnesium-rich brine stream;

a second concentration unit configured to receive and concentrate the magnesium-rich brine stream to a saturation point of sodium chloride; and

a first crystallizing unit configured to receive the concentrated magnesium-rich brine stream and produce solid sodium chloride and a supernatant product stream.

2. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 1 , further comprising a third concentration unit configured to receive the supernatant product stream and produce a concentrated magnesium-rich bittern stream.

3. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 1 , further comprising a polishing unit configured to receive the first permeate stream and reduce a molar ratio of sodium to magnesium in the permeate stream to one or below.

4. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 3 , wherein the polishing unit is a second NF-SWRO unit.

5. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 3 , further comprising a clarifying unit configured to reduce sulfate in the magnesium-rich brine stream prior to entry of the magnesium-rich brine stream into the second concentration unit.

6. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 5 , wherein the clarifying unit is configured to reduce sulfate by use of a soluble salt of an alkaline earth metal to precipitate sulfate salt.

7. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 1 , further comprising a clarifying unit configured to reduce sulfate in the magnesium-rich brine stream prior to entry of the magnesium-rich brine stream into the second concentration unit.

8. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 7 , wherein the clarifying unit is configured to reduce sulfate by precipitating a sulfate salt using a soluble salt of an alkaline earth metal.

9. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 1 , wherein the first concentration unit is a combination membrane crystallizer/brine concentrator.

10. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 1 , wherein the first concentration unit is a membrane crystallizer.

11. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 1 , wherein the second concentration unit is a first solar concentration pond, a first thermal process, or a first membrane process.

12. The system for production of minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 2 , wherein the third concentration unit is a second solar concentration pond, a second thermal process, or a second membrane process.

13. A method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine, comprising the steps of:

rejecting sulfate from a divalent-ion rich stream in a first nanofiltration seawater reverse osmosis (NF-SWRO) unit;

producing solid calcium sulfate dihydrate and a magnesium-rich brine stream from the first permeate stream using a first concentration unit;

concentrating the magnesium-rich brine stream to a saturation point of sodium chloride in a second concentration unit; and

producing solid sodium chloride and a supernatant product stream from the concentrated magnesium-rich brine stream in a first crystallizing unit.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising producing a concentrated magnesium-rich bittern stream from the supernatant product stream in a third concentration unit.

15. The method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 13 , further comprising the step of reducing a molar ratio of sodium to magnesium in the permeate stream to one or below in a polishing unit.

16. The method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 15 , wherein the polishing unit is a second NF-SWRO unit.

17. The method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 15 , further comprising the step of reducing sulfate in the magnesium-rich brine stream in a clarifying unit prior to entry of the magnesium-rich brine stream into the second concentration unit.

18. The method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 17 , wherein the step of reducing sulfate in the magnesium-rich brine stream in a clarifying unit includes precipitating a sulfate salt using a soluble salt of an alkaline earth metal.

19. The method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 13 , further comprising the step of reducing sulfate in the magnesium-rich brine stream in a clarifying unit prior to entry of the magnesium-rich brine stream into the second concentration unit.

20. The method of producing minerals from divalent ion-containing brine of claim 19 , wherein the step of reducing sulfate in the magnesium-rich brine stream in a clarifying unit includes precipitating a sulfate salt using a soluble salt of an alkaline earth metal.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (133)