RESIN REGENERATION METHOD FOR REDUCING ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

• US 20160229711A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Purolite Corporation (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Purolite Corporation (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moylan, Stephen, Boodoo, Francis
• Application Number:
  US15/021,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229711A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/07 containing anionic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/57 for anionic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/422 using anionic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/30 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to regeneration of ion exchange resins and more particularly to regeneration using low concentrations of brine to remove organic contaminants from the resin.

Claims

1. A method of purifying feed water containing organic contaminants comprising:

passing a volume of the feed water through a vessel containing an anion exchange resin component; and

periodically regenerating the anion exchange resin component by removing organic contaminants from the resin by passing a volume of regenerant solution through the vessel,

wherein the regenerant solution comprises a concentration of total dissolved solids of about 0.25% to about 1%.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerant solution comprises a waste water stream isolated from a water purification process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the waste water stream is selected from the group consisting of a reject stream from a reverse osmosis membrane plant;

a reject stream from a forward osmosis membrane plant;

spent regenerant from an ion exchange process;

blowdown from evaporative cooling towers; and

concentrate from thermal, vacuum, or vapor recompression evaporators.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ion exchange process is a demineralization, dealkalization, nitrate removal, or ion exchange softening process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerant solution comprises naturally occurring water streams.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the naturally occurring water streams comprise brackish or produced water streams.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the anion exchange resin is a macroporous-type resin containing quaternary ammonium functionality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the resin comprises an acrylic matrix.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic contaminants comprise humic acids, fulvic acids, or tannins.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the organic contaminants comprise humic acids.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the organic contaminants comprise fulvic acids.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic contaminants are complexed with colloidal particulates.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the colloidal particulates comprise clay, silica, aluminum, iron, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the organic contaminants are substantially free of bound colloidal particulates.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerant solution comprises essentially of about 0.5% sodium chloride.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerant solution comprises about 0.5% sodium chloride.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerant solution comprises about 0.4% sodium chloride.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerant solution comprises less than about 0.25% sodium chloride.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the regeneration reduces a total organic carbon bound to the resin by at least 2% or more.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the regeneration reduces a total organic carbon bound to the resin by at least 5% or more.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the regeneration reduces a total organic carbon bound to the resin by at least 10% or more.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said purifying reduces a total organic carbon of the feed water by at least about 20% or more.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said purifying reduces a total organic carbon of the feed water by at least about 50% or more.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein said purifying reduces a total organic carbon of the feed water by at least about 95% or more.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed water comprises a total organic carbon of 1 ppm or greater.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the feed water comprises a total organic carbon of 6 ppm or greater.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said regenerating comprises passing the regenerant solution through the resin in the same direction as the feed water.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein said regenerating comprises passing the regenerant through the resin in the opposite direction as the feed water.

29. A method of regenerating an ion exchange resin in a membrane water treatment system comprising:

recovering water concentrated as a waste stream from the membrane treatment system, and

regenerating the resin in the membrane treatment system by flowing the waste stream through the resin,

wherein the waste steam comprises a concentration of total dissolved solids of about 0.25% to about 1%, and wherein the regenerating reduces a total organic carbon bound to the resin by at least 5% or more.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the regeneration reduces a total organic carbon bound to the resin by at least 10% or more.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the regeneration reduces a total organic carbon bound to the resin by at least 20% or more.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the membrane water treatment system comprises a reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, or nanofiltration purification system.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the membrane water treatment system comprises a reverse osmosis purification system.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the blowdown stream is a reject stream generated from a reverse osmosis membrane.