Amorphous Sodium Aluminate

1 . A method for producing an amorphous sodium aluminate, the method comprising:

providing a solution of sodium hydroxide;

adding aluminum oxide trihydrate, a carbonate and a gluconate to the sodium hydroxide solution to form a second solution; and

heating the second solution to a temperature sufficient to form the sodium aluminate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a bicarbonate to the second solution.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate is sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, or combinations thereof.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate comprises greater than 0 wt % to about 0.1 wt % of the second solution.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gluconate comprises about 0.01 wt % to about 0.25 wt % of the second solution.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbonate is sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, or combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbonate comprises about 0.02 wt % to about 1.0 wt % of the second solution.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding water to the second solution before or after the heating.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding potassium hydroxide to the solution of sodium hydroxide or to the second solution before or after the heating.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second solution is heated to near, at or above a boiling point of the second solution.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating of the second solution is between about 230° F. to about 255° F.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium aluminate has a sodium oxide to aluminum oxide ratio of about 1.190:1 to about 1.622:1.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium aluminate comprises about 17.5 wt % to about 22.0 wt % sodium oxide.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium aluminate comprises about 19.4 wt % to about 29.0 wt % aluminum oxide.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sodium aluminate comprises about 0.02 wt % to about 1.0 wt % sodium carbonate, about 0.01 wt % to about 0.25 wt % sodium gluconate, and about 0.02 wt % to about 0.1 wt % sodium bicarbonate.

16 . An amorphous sodium aluminate produced according to the method of claim 1 .

17 . A method for producing a stable, low concentration sodium aluminate, the method comprising:

producing the sodium aluminate according to the method of claim 1 having a designated percent concentration; and

adding the sodium aluminate to a solution of water to form a sodium aluminate solution to produce a lower concentration sodium aluminate, the lower concentration sodium aluminate having a lower percent concentration than the sodium aluminate with the designated percent concentration.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising adding sodium hydroxide and/or potassium hydroxide to the sodium aluminate solution.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the sodium aluminate has a concentration of about 47% sodium aluminate and the lower concentration sodium aluminate has a concentration ranging from about 38% to about 45% sodium aluminate.

20 . A method for producing polyaluminum chlorides (PAC) suitable for use as coagulants in water treatment, the method comprising:

producing the sodium aluminate according to the method of claim 1 ;

adding the sodium aluminate to a solution of water to form a sodium aluminate solution; and

mixing the sodium aluminate solution with a solution comprising basic aluminum chloride to produce a solution of the PAC.

21 . A method for producing polyaluminum chlorosulfates (PACS) suitable for use as coagulants in water treatment, the method comprising:

producing the sodium aluminate according to the method of claim 1 ;

adding the sodium aluminate to a solution of water to form a sodium aluminate solution; and

mixing the sodium aluminate solution with a solution comprising basic aluminum chlorosulate to produce a solution of the PACS.