MXPA04011352A - Alum pellets. - Google Patents

Abstract

Compositions including pellets of alum, a smectite mineral material and optionally sodium or calcium carbonate that can be delivered to a phosphate impoundment located at the bottom of a body of water at the bottom. The pellets of alum, smectite mineral material and optionally sodium or calcium carbonate are dropped through the body of water so that the alum is released when the pellet reaches the bottom of the impoundment thereby treating the phosphates.

Description

ALUMINUM GRANULES FIELD OF THE INVENTION Irrigation in Le invenei-ó-R is usually the production of alum granules, an industrial material that carries smectite ore such as bentonite (montmorillonite), attapulgite, saponite, hectorite, sepiolite and Fullers earth and optionally sodium or calcium carbonate that can be supplied to concentrated or dammed phosphate that is found in the lower part of several bodies of water. Most particularly, the aluminum granules, a smectite mineral material, as described above and optionally sodium or calcium carbonate, can be administered to a wider range of locations in bodies of water, including known sites such as "inter phase of sediment water" which is an area that can generally be defined as the top 15.24 cm of sediment combined with the deeper 15.24 cm of water. Even more particularly, the alum granules, a smectite mineral material, as described above, and optionally sodium or calcium carbonate are dripped through the body of water so that the alum is released when the granule reaches the location desired in the water, thus treating the brownish-brown-red-white-green tea - while consuming less alum.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The solutions of metal sulfate and salt Acids, such as the solutions of aluminum sulphate (Al2S04 · 14H20), commonly known and referred to as "alum", have long been used to remove color and suspended particles, as well as contaminants. organic and microbiological Alum is readily available and when diluted with surface water, it can function as an emulsion, coagulant, flocculant and precipitant fracturing agent. As a coagulant, alum removes the primary nutrient for blue-green algae in the water. This function is important because. these algae remove oxygen from the water (known as biochemical oxygen demand or BOD) and therefore pose a danger to fishing. The alum also forms a precipitate or floccu, that is, a lump, with the impurities of the water. The lump grows in size and attracts suspended and "colloidal" particles as well as organic compounds present in it. over time and can be removed by well-known techniques such as through decanting or filtration.As one of the most difficult problems in controlling water pollution is the growth of algae.As noted jfc above, algal organisms exert A BOD in the water and the algal BOD can often "exceed the oxygen resources of the water. ¾ algal growths can also cause unpleasant tastes and odors in water supplies. The loose phosphate ions provide a supply of necessary nutrients to the algae. IF the phosphate supply could be removed, the algae would not survive or flourish on. the water column and a problem would be corrected. Water pollution control. An additional difficulty associated with the treatment of phosphates in water is that the '* -' majority of phosphates (50-90%). they are concentrated in the sediment inferium - water from an accumulation and the current application techniques involving alum, mainly treat the phosphates that are closest to the surface of the body of water. In addition, the a-ctxra-re-s-techniques have been e-f-e-to-1-a -s-c-i-or-n - -G-a-snapshot of phosphates. As a result, the body of existing products and techniques does not work as effectively in a number of water systems, especially deep and high-energy systems, and in systems that require more than just the instant phosphate portion. In the above case, the alum is cleaned to remove the target waters before it can function. In the last *** case, alum is used * poorly in the application. Also, alum can leave an unwanted white cloudiness in the water for a prolonged period. Therefore, there is a need for simple compositions, forms and methods for treating the accumulations of phosphate in bodies of water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION · < In one embodiment, a phosphate accumulation is treated with a composition that includes alum and an element of the smectite mineral family as the two main components. As used in the present invention, the term "alum" should be used p-aT a - referirs¾ to ~ i smi-f-a-t- © de a i u n io (A12S04 · 14 H20). Among the metalliferous minerals that carry smectite, or industrial minerals, is the bentonite. Bentonite is the metal ore enriched in smectite called montmorillonite. As used in the present invention, the term "smectite mineral material" should be used to refer to bentonite, attapulgite, saponite, hectorite, 'sepiolita and land of Fullers. This "*" modality also optionally includes sodium carbonate or calcium carbonate According to a second embodiment, the alum and the smectite mineral material are preferably covered or coated by techniques well known to those skilled in the art, with one or more natural organic byproducts such as corn starch, sugar-based resins, and -various derivatives of natural products such as chemical families of resins and starches.The suitable resins and coatings include guar gum, alginates, poly-inyl alcohol, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides, and other similar polymers well known to those skilled in the art. The cOm O "srcl oTre ~ s of these fashion 1 i-eties tends to remove phosphates from water systems made by man and natural. Phosphates are a primary nutrient for aquatic flora / fauna such as blue-green algae that produce silty and unsightly green clouds and undesirable ooze in the waters. When removing the phosphates, the algae are deprived of food and therefore do not proliferate in the water column. Each component of the compositions of the present embodiment serves as a function in the product having as objective the optimum sorption and therefore the removal of phosphates. Alum is a water treatment product that is used to remove phosphates and other compounds such as dissolved organic products, suspended sediment, and metals from a body of | g. E 1 purpose: principal of the alum is to sorb the phosphates of the water or sediments. Generally, alum is commercially available from General Chemical Corporation. The smectite ore material, preferably the bentonite, works to 1) optimize the synchronization of the solution of the 5n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ) - reg-ttia-r-ei-pH- dél water that is being treated at a neutral pH level, and 3) optimize or control the density of the composition to be able to calculate more accurately the residence time in the column of 10 water. In general, Bentonite is commercially available from Bentonite Performance Minerals. The compositions of alum and smectite mineral material uncoated generally They retain approximately 90% of their integrity or shape for up to about 2 minutes. The compositions of alum and smectite mineral material that have been coated with accessory additives such as water-soluble resins, 20 natural polymers and macro-ropy products derived from grain and agricultural industries-they dissolve in water at a much slower rate than the compositions. not coated. Specifically, the compositions The coated ones generally retain approximately 90% of their integrity or shape up to approximately 24 hours. The concentration of the "accessory" additives is preferably less than five percent by weight of the total composition, and, depending on the other composition, preferably compositions include a regulating agent. of selected pH of sodium carbonate (Na2C03) or calcium carbonate (Ca2CC >;3) . In addition to regulating the pH of the body of water, the pH regulating agent also improves the density of the composition to be used in water systems ... of higher energy - greater flow - according to a modality Referring, the composition includes 30-99% by weight of alum and I- of 1-70% of a smectite mineral material.According to another preferred embodiment, the composition further includes 0-5% of resins soluble in natural water and by-products as a coating According to another additional preferred embodiment, the composition further includes 0-30% of a pH regulating agent selected from sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate The compositions of the present embodiment they are manufactured and produced according to techniques well known to those skilled in the art.Preferably, the compositions of the present embodiment are produced in the form of spheroid spheres: flattened at the poles, cylinders for cubes and three-dimensional ectangles whose size "bone" 0 ~ r63 cm to 6 ~ Q ÷ 9-cm-in-di-áme-t- or -? -? -? - m¿-, or preference, the compositions of the present form are produced in the form of tablets, granules, extruded noodles, briquettes or tapes by means of equipment well known to those skilled in the art. the technique, such. as extruders, tablets, briqueteadoras or agloraer adores. In the process of forming said tablets, extracted noodles, briquettes or ribbons, each component of the compositions is provided in the form of powder or granules and the components are mixed. Preferably, the components of the raw material are mixed in the proportions that were previously observed and physically mixed at the desired levels in tanks or similar units with a capacity of 20. to 200 tons, by means of propellers and blades for a certain time, preferably from 5 minutes to 6 hours · in batch mode,. or by continuous feeding measured on a common belt or on an extruder, palletizer, tablet or agglomerator For example, a typical extruder is in the form of a rectangular tube elongated with at least one or optionally two propellers oriented in parallel, at ground that: physically: = c 1 n-the-rnterial ^ s eJi-un.a. jn_e_z_cl_a_ a form of the c-bmpos ión 'and then passes, the composition through • a restricted opening to form elongated noodles or cylindrical granules Conventional tabletizers and parietizers take the mixed materials from a tank, storage and compress the mixture through die plates that converge into spherical or spherical shapes of the order of 0.63 cm. At 2.54 cm in diameter, the commercial agglomerates turn the% mixtures as a powder (having a particle size in the range of 44 p.m. to 100 p.sup. ?? and non-compressively combining the mixture into spheroids. eference, the composition has a moisture content of 1 to 15 weight percent. Preferably, the compositions manufactured in accordance with the aforementioned processes can be coated with accessory additives such as resins, water-soluble, natural polymers and mromo-molecular derived products from industries destined for grains and agriculture, according to techniques well known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that other well-known manufacturing techniques can be used for the compoto-s-de-ira.-p- -e-s-e-n-t-e-moda-l-i-d-a-d-r- - The composition of the present method has utility in the following water treatment markets: polishing agent for municipal water treatment, construction / commercial engineering, agricultural products (such as pig farms, cattle, sheep, oyster farms) , aquaculture (fish farms and hatcheries, such as for shrimp, salmon and trout), natural lake and river systems and basins, recreational and amusement centers (golf course ponds, amusement parks and aquatic centers), administration of industrial wastewater, and mining and exploration (slag ponds and discharge systems). The composition of the present embodiment is a alum-based sorbent-e that is released over time from phosphates in water. The vast majority of phosphate-laden water systems contain a minority of suspended or dissolved phosphates in the water column, as compared to the sediment water interface. As used in the present invention, the term "sediment water interface" should be used to refer to ~~ 5 a ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ · Sediment combined with the deepest 15.24 centimeters of water. In the vast majority of water systems such as lakes, rivers, ponds or ditches, 10 Most of the total phosphates are located at the interface of the sediment water. Powdered alum tends to remain in suspension by removing the suspended phosphates, the material '"organic, and other sediment, but rarely reaches $ 15, the area of the objective problem that needs such treatment. Preferably, the density of individual tablets of the composition of the present embodiment ranges from 1.0 to 2.0 g / cm3. It is also preferred that the individual granules 20 of the composition of the present embodiment have a diameter ranging from 0.63 cm to 60.9 cm. More preferably, the composition of the present embodiment has a density and size for the compositions to settle rapidly through 25 the water column reaching the places where more is needed at the sediment water interface. The calculation of sedimentation in water systems is based on the Law of Sedimentation of 5 ST.oKes that describes the speed of sodi me n t i ui of one. particle based on particle density and water density This law is a proven scientific principle that is used in a number of industries and that 0 can be used to calculate sedimentation distances and water parameters. time for the composition of the present modality As noted above, the uncoated composition, according to the present modality, will retain approximately 90% of its 5% particle integrity for approximately 2 minutes , which translates to a minimum of 15.24 meters from the water column to the percentages of alum and smectite ore material previously indicated .0 In commercial terms, the average depth of the columns of The water that needs to be cleaned will be approximately 1.8 meters, so, in accordance with the Stokes Sedimentation Law, the uncoated product will reach the interface of the sediment water before of the arrival of a major solution. Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that -son- -posib-l-es ot-ras -mo ^ difieae-io-nes in 1-aS- exemplary id.ades, without materially departing from the teachings, and no edosas advantages that are described in the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that all such modifications be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (20)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore. so much, it ~ 5 ~ recTanra ~~~ COBO ?? G ??? GG ????????????????????????????????? RE IVIND I CAC I ONES 0 1.- A method for. the treatment of a 4 accumulation in a body of water that. it comprises: • ^ adding to the body of water a composition comprising alum and. a mineral material of "** e smect", characterized in that the composition is 5"in a selected form of a tablet, extruded noodles, granule, briquette or ribbon, and free alum from the composition as the composition becomes through the body of water. | 2 .- The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the smectite mineral material is selected from the group consisting of: bentonite, attapulgite, saponite, hectorite-, sepiolite and earth Fullers. "3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition retains approximately 90 percent of the integrity of its shape for approximately 2 minutes. 4. - The method of conformity with the L e v i nd i ca c i. Or. 1, so that 1-a-composition further comprises a pH regulator selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate. 5. - The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the • |||composition comprising alum and material of. Smectite is coated with a water-soluble resin material selected from corn starch, guar gum, alginates, polyvinyl alcohol, and partially hydrogenated polyacrylamides. 6. - The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the composition retains approximately 90 percent of the integrity of its form for approximately 24 hours., ·. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition in the form of a tablet, extruded noodle, granule, briquette or tape, has a diameter of 0.63 cm to 60.9 cm. 8. - The method according to the re iv indication 1, characterized in that the composition in the form of a tablet, extruded noodle, granule, briquette or tape, has a density ird ~ a "d- &- - -rQ- a- 2 ~ 0-g- / ~ em ^ 9. - A method for treating an accumulation of phosphate in a body of water comprising: adding to the body of water a composition comprising alum and a smectite mineral material, characterized in that the composition, is in a selected form of a tablet, noodle-extruded, granule, briquette or ribbon, and administering the composition to the interface of the sediment water by means of which the alum is released from the composition at the interface of the water of 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the smectite mineral material is selected from the group consisting of bentonite, attapulgite, saponite, hectorite, sepiolite, and Fullers earth. in accordance with Claim 9, characterized in that the composition retains approximately 90 percent of the integrity of its shape for approximately 2 minutes. 12. - The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the composition further comprises a pH regulator selected from the group consisting of carbonate of -5 sodium-y- - e-a-l-e ± -e -.- - 13. - The method according to the rei indication 9, characterized in that the composition comprising alum and smectite material is coated with a resin material 10 soluble in water selected from corn starch, guar gum, alginates, polyvinyl alcohol and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides. 14. - A composition for treating an accumulation of phosphate in a body of water that fifteen - . 15 -k comprises: a) alum; and b) a smectite mineral material, characterized in that the composition is in a selected form of a tablet, extruded noodle, granule, briquette or ribbon. 15. - The composition according to claim 14, characterized in that the smectite mineral material is selected from the group consisting of bentonite, attapulgite, saponite, hectorite, sepiolite and Fullers earth. 16. The composition according to claim 14, characterized in that it also comprises a pH regulator selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate. 17.- The composition in accordance with the - 5 - e-rv ± n-d ± ca-cdron 1 A-, e-a-r-a-e-te-ri-z-a-do po-r-q¾-e a-d-em-á-s- comprises a. soluble resin material; in. selected water of guar gum, alginates ,. polyvinyl alcohol and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides. 0 18.- The composition in accordance with the Claim 1, characterized in that the composition comprises from 30 to 99 percent by weight of alum and from 1 to 70 percent by weight of smectite mineral material. 15 AL ?, 19. The composition according to claim 16, characterized in that the composition further comprises from 0 to 30 weight percent of the pH regulator. ·· |, · 20.- The composition in accordance with the Claim 17, characterized in that the composition further comprises from 0 to 5 weight percent of water soluble resin.