IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,520,994
Granted Patent B2
US 7,520,994 · App. 11/777,082 · Granted Apr 21, 2009

Method to remove agent from liquid phase

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,520,994
App. No.
11/777,082
Granted
Apr 21, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method to remove a polluting agent or contaminant, including but not limited to mercury, from the liquid phase of a process system using an adsorbent. In one exemplary embodiment, a magnetic or non-magnetic support with a chemisorbing or physisorbing sorbent is suspended in the liquid phase of a process system, under conditions in which the polluting agent binds to the adsorbent. The pollutant-bearing adsorbent may then be separated from the process system by either physical or magnetic means. The polluting agent may then disassociated from the adsorbent so the adsorbent is regenerated and capable of repeated use.

Claims (17)

1. A method to remove a polluting agent from a liquid, comprising the steps of:

placing an adsorbent in contact with the liquid, said adsorbent comprising a sorbent material attached to a support, wherein said support is a filter matrix, under conditions where the polluting agent binds to the adsorbent;

separating the adsorbent from the liquid; and

removing the polluting agent from the adsorbent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent is a chemical moity reactive with the polluting agent.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent is attached to the support by a strong chemical bond.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

reusing the adsorbent.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adsorbent is suspended in the liquid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter matrix is soluble in a dissolving agent.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the adsorbent is not soluble in the dissolving agent.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of:

dissolving the filter matrix so as to recover the adsorbent.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support is non-magnetic.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support is magnetic.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the adsorbent with magnetic support is suspended in the liquid in a discrete magnetic containment field.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rate of removal of the polluting agent from the liquid is monitored.

Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 6080715100 · Jul 12, 2006
Related Publication 20080011683A1 · Jan 17, 2008