Method of characterizing a sorbent
There is provided a method to characterize a sorbent. The method may provide a sorbent, suspend the sorbent in a fluid, stir the sorbent in the fluid, filter the sorbent from the fluid to isolate a filtrate, measure the electrical conductivity of the filtrate, and measure the alkalinity of the filtrate.
1 . A method of purifying a coolant that contains one or more conductive contaminants, comprising:
contacting the coolant with a sorbent to thereby cause the sorbent to adsorb the one or more conductive contaminants,
wherein the sorbent has a filtrate alkalinity of about 10 mg/L CaCO 3 to about 60 mg/L CaCO 3 and a filtrate electrical conductivity of less than about 650 μS, and
wherein the sorbent comprises activated carbon.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent has a filtrate alkalinity of about 30 mg/L CaCO 3 to about 50 mg/L CaCO 3 .
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent has a filtrate electrical conductivity of about 5 μS to about 200 μS.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon is formed from one or more of bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite coal, anthracite coal, wood, peat, nut shells, pits, coconut, babassu nut, macadamia nut, dende nut, peach pit, cherry pit, olive pit, walnut shell, wood, bagasse, rice hulls, corn husks, wheat hulls, polymers, resins, petroleum pitches, other carbonaceous material, or combinations thereof.
5 . A composition for purifying a coolant that contains one or more conductive contaminants, the composition comprising:
a sorbent that has a filtrate alkalinity of 10 mg/L CaCO 3 to about 60 mg/L CaCO 3 and a filtrate electrical conductivity of less than about 650 μS,
wherein the sorbent comprises activated carbon.
6 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein the activated carbon is formed from one or more of bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite coal, anthracite coal, wood, peat, nut shells, pits, coconut, babassu nut, macadamia nut, dende nut, peach pit, cherry pit, olive pit, walnut shell, wood, bagasse, rice hulls, corn husks, wheat hulls, polymers, resins, petroleum pitches, other carbonaceous material, or combinations thereof.
7 . A method for making a sorbent for purifying a coolant that contains one or more conductive contaminants, comprising:
providing a precursor sorbent material, and
performing at least one treatment method on the precursor sorbent material to thereby form a sorbent that has a filtrate alkalinity of 10 mg/L CaCO 3 to about 60 mg/L CaCO 3 and a filtrate electrical conductivity of less than about 650 μS,
wherein the sorbent comprises activated carbon.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the precursor sorbent material is formed from one or more of one or more of bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite coal, anthracite coal, wood, peat, nut shells, pits, coconut, babassu nut, macadamia nut, dende nut, peach pit, cherry pit, olive pit, walnut shell, wood, bagasse, rice hulls, corn husks, wheat hulls, polymers, resins, petroleum pitches, other carbonaceous material, or combinations thereof.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one treatment method comprises one or more of:
calcining,
drying,
processing under vacuum, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ammonia, methane, argon, or combinations thereof,
microwave assisted thermal processing,
impregnation with a metal or oxygen scavenger, or
combinations thereof.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sorbent has a filtrate alkalinity of about 30 mg/L CaCO 3 to about 50 mg/L CaCO 3 .
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sorbent has a filtrate electrical conductivity of about 5 μS to about 200 μS.