Integrated acid regeneration of ion exchange resins for industrial applications

• US 10,058,858 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Everson, Terrence P., Wen, Li, Tan, Lylien, Voss, Peter, Toetschinger, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Shahinian, Levon J
• Application Number:
  US15/427,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20170144145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 68 17 R, 134 941, 204632, 2101981, 210269, 210638, 210660, 210670
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/241 the dishes moving in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4217 Fittings for water supply, e.g. valves or plumbing means to connect to cold or warm water lines, aquastops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4229 Water softening arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/05 in the strongly acidic form
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/07 in the weakly acidic form
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/08 Use of material as cation exchangers; Treatment of material for improving the cation exchange properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/19 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/20 obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 47/15 for obtaining a solution having a fixed pH
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/06 containing cationic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/53 for cationic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/75 of water softeners
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/14 Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid; Regenerating cleaning liquidstreatment of water in general C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/425 using cation exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/00 Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/007 : Arrangements of water softeners

Abstract

Methods and systems for an integrated acid regeneration of ion exchange resins are disclosed for use in cleaning applications. Acid resins designed for use in a variety of cleaning application using a treated, softened, acidic water source are disclosed. Various methods of using the softened acidic water generated by acid regenerate-able ion exchange resins within a cleaning application, e.g. ware wash machine, are disclosed to beneficially reduce spotting, filming and scale buildup on treated surfaces, reduce and/or eliminate the need for polymers, threshold reagents and/or rinse aids, and using protons generated in the acidic water effluent for triggering events useful in various cleaning applications.

Claims

1. A method for treating hard water for use in a cleaning application using an acid regenerated ion exchange resin comprising:

contacting a hard water source for use in a dilution system or a ware wash machine with a water treatment composition, wherein the water treatment composition comprises at least one ion exchange resin, wherein the at least one ion exchange resin generates a treated water source by exchanging protons on said resin for dissolved cations including water hardness ions and total dissolved solids in said hard water source, wherein said ion exchange resin is an acid form or in an inert metal form, and wherein said ion exchange resin is regenerated using an acid;

generating the treated water source within a ware wash machine;

providing the treated water source to a wash chamber into which articles are placed for cleaning; and

combining said treated water source with a detergent or other cleaning composition to form a use solution for contacting said article or surface, wherein the treated water source is a softened, acidic and low total dissolved solids (TDS) water having a hardness level of less than about 2 grains and a pH less than about 6; and

wherein the method reduces total detergent consumption of the method and/or reduces use of polymers and threshold agents in said detergent.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ion exchange resin is a weak acid cation exchange resin selected from the group consisting of a cross-linked polyacrylic with carboxylic acid functional group, a cross-linked polymethacrylic with carboxylic acid functional group and mixtures of thereof, and/or a strong acid cation exchange resin selected from the group consisting of a polystyrene with sulfonic acid functional group, a polystyrene with sulfonic acid functional group and mixtures of thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said ion exchange resin is a layered bed system employing at least two of said cation exchange resins.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring pH and/or proton concentration and/or total dissolved solids within the water treatment composition, water source and/or treated water source, and triggering an event as a result of the obtained measurement.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a pH and/or proton concentration and/or total dissolved solids measurement is obtained from said treated water source or wherein a differential pH and/or proton concentration and/or total dissolved solids measurement is obtained from said water source and said treated water source.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the triggered event is selected from the group consisting of regenerating the resin of the water treatment component, varying a detergent or other chemistry addition to the treated water source and combinations thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the triggered event is regenerating the resin of the water treatment component and the regenerating the resin comprises providing an acid regenerant to the resin, displacing water hardness ions on the resin with protons from the acid regenerant, and generating a effluent water.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ware wash machine comprises:

an inlet for providing a water source;

a water treatment reservoir, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the water treatment reservoir;

a water treatment component housed within the water treatment reservoir;

an outlet, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the water treatment reservoir;

a chamber into which articles are placed for cleaning or a dilution system;

a treated water delivery line in fluid communication between the outlet and the chamber or dilution system, wherein said dilution system is in fluid communication with a wash tank;

a wash tank, wherein the wash tank is in fluid communication with a dispensing module that dispenses a wash agent into the wash tank;

a wash agent delivery line in fluid communication with the wash tank and the chamber; and

an acid delivery line in fluid communication with the water treatment reservoir, wherein an acid regenerant is delivered to the water treatment reservoir for regenerating the ion exchange resin.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ware wash machine further comprises at least one pump configured to pump the treated water source, the wash agent and/or additional cleaning and/or rinsing agents into the chamber.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ware wash machine further comprises a booster heater for heating the treated water source, the wash agent contained in a wash tank, a rinse agent and/or additional cleaning agents to at least a predetermined temperature.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising contacting an article or surface in the wash chamber with the treated water source.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method improves cleaning efficacy as measured by a reduction in spotting and filming and/or preventing scale build up on articles and surfaces in comparison to cleaning with detergents without using the treated water source.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising regenerating the ion exchange resin upon exhaustion using an acid regenerant.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the acid regenerant is inorganic acid.