Method of treating mine drainage
First Claim
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1. A method of treating mine drainage water comprising:
- (a) adding an oxidizing agent to the mine drainage water;
(b) precipitating and settling the metals in their hydroxide form; and
(c) adding a scale control agent to the clarified water.
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Abstract
A method of treating mine drainage water including the step of adding a scale control agent to the mine drainage water and, optionally, adding an oxidizing agent to the mine drainage water and/or precipitating and settling the metals in their hydroxide form from the water. The treated water may be safely returned to the environment.
63 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of treating mine drainage water comprising:
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(a) adding an oxidizing agent to the mine drainage water;
(b) precipitating and settling the metals in their hydroxide form; and
(c) adding a scale control agent to the clarified water. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for treating mine drainage having a pH greater than 5.5, calcium hardness greater than 100 mg/l as calcium carbonate, alkalinity greater than 100 mg/l as calcium carbonate and greater than 0.5 ppm iron, as a combination of ferric and ferrous iron ions and their corresponding salts, comprising the steps, in any order, of:
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adding hydrogen peroxide to the drainage water at an active level of from 0.1 mg/l to 500 mg/l;
transferring the water to a suitable settling location;
separating solids from the water;
precipitating and settling the iron and iron salts to provide a clarified water;
adding one or more scale control agents selected from the group consisting of a poly(acrylic acid), hydrolyzed poly(maleic anhydride), a copolymer comprising acrylic acid and 2-acrylamide-methyl propane sulfonic acid, sulfonated polyphosphino carboxylic acid, phosphonocarboxylic acid (sulfonated) copolymer, acrylic acid-sulfophenylmethallyl ether copolymer, maleric anhydride-ethyl acrylate-vinyl acetate copolymer, 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid, 1-hydroxy ethylidene 1,1-diphosphonic acid, amino tri(methylene phosphonic acid), orthophosphate, polyphosphates, polyether polyamino methylene phosphonates, N,N-bis(phosphonomethyl)-2-amino-1-propanol and their corresponding salts; and
discharging the treated water to a waterway. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of treating mine drainage water comprising:
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(a) providing mine drainage water having a pH of from 4.5 to 10;
calcium hardness greater than 100 mg/l of Ca+2 as calcium carbonate;
alkalinity greater than 100 mg/l as calcium carbonate; and
greater than 0.5 mg/l of one or more metal ions or metal salts selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, barium, selenium, silver, chromium, aluminum, manganese, nickel, cobalt, uranium, and antimony;
(b) adding an oxidizing agent to the mine drainage water; and
(c) adding a scale control agent to the mine drainage water. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of treating mine drainage water comprising:
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(a) providing mine drainage water having a pH of from 4.5 to 10;
calcium hardness greater than 100 mg/l of Ca+2 as calcium carbonate;
alkalinity greater than 100 mg/l as calcium carbonate; and
greater than 0.5 mg/l of one or more metal ions or metal salts selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, barium, selenium, silver, chromium, aluminum, manganese, nickel, cobalt, uranium, and antimony; and
(b) adding a scale control agent to the mine drainage water. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42)
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41. A method of controlling odor in mine drainage water comprising:
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(a) providing mine drainage water comprising at least 0.01 mg/l of H2S; and
(b) adding an oxidizing agent to the mine drainage water.
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Specification