Method for treating water to be treated in ultrapure water production, method for producing ultrapure water, multi-layered bed resin tower and ultrapure water production apparatus used in ultrapure water production.

Abstract

To provide a method of treating water to be treated, capable of preventing deterioration of the quality of water to be treated flowing in a bilayer type resin tower.SOLUTION: The method of treating water to be treated comprises steps of forming a first packed layer 41 that comes in contact with water to be treated and includes first resin particles 41A in a cylindrical tower body 31, arranging a water-permeable partition member 50 formed of a material flexible to the extent of being able to elastically deform according to the weight of second resin particles 42A different from the first resin particles 41A, on the first packed layer 41 in a condition of not being restricted by the tower body 31, and forming a second packed layer 42 including the second resin particles 42A on the partition member 50. The water to be treated is made to flow inside the tower body 31 from upside to downside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for treating treated water, a method for producing ultrapure water, a multi-layer resin column, and an ultrapure water production apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as resin columns installed in a primary pure water production section or a secondary pure water production section of an ultrapure water production apparatus, ion exchange resin columns such as those in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known. Inside the ion exchange resin column, a packed bed filled with resin particles that adsorb specific ion components is provided as a bed. As the bed disposed inside one resin column, there are a single-layer bed using only one packed bed and a multi-layer bed in which two or more packed beds are stacked along the vertical direction.

[0003] When producing ultrapure water, the treated water flows through the ion exchange resin column from the upper side to the lower side. The treated water that has passed through the packed bed inside the ion exchange resin column is finally treated into ultrapure water by passing through predetermined treatment equipment installed in the subsequent stage of the ion exchange resin column. Note that when producing ultrapure water, the treated water may flow through the ion exchange resin column from the lower side to the upper side. In that case, special measures are taken so that the resin layer is not disturbed.

[0004] On the other hand, with treatment such as ion exchange, the adsorption performance of the ion components of the resin particles decreases. Further, as the adsorption performance of the ion components of the resin particles decreases, the resin particles shrink or expand. As a method for recovering the decreased adsorption performance of the ion components, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, at the end of the water flow of the treated water, a regeneration liquid containing a chemical such as hydrochloric acid or caustic soda is circulated from the lower side to the upper side in the column, and the packed bed is brought into contact with the regeneration liquid to backwash and regenerate the adsorption performance (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "regeneration method").

[0005] Generally, during backwashing or regeneration, the resin is unfolded (floats and creates convection) by the upward water flow. Therefore, it is unavoidable that the resin layer will be somewhat disturbed after treatment. Furthermore, this disturbance of the resin layer causes deterioration of the treated water quality. On the other hand, resin towers that do not perform such regeneration treatment are called "non-regenerative" towers, and in this case, disturbance of the resin layer due to backwashing or regeneration does not occur, and thus the deterioration of water quality caused by these operations does not occur.

[0006] Examples of multi-layered resin tower designs can be found in Patent Documents 1 to 3. Patent Document 1 describes a method where two floors are directly stacked. While this method has a simple structure, the mixing of the two layers is always a problem. The possibility of mixing is particularly high during backwashing and regeneration. Normally, mixing is avoided by using an ion exchange resin with fine particles and / or low specific gravity in the upper layer and a resin with larger particles and / or high specific gravity in the lower layer, but it is difficult to keep the two layers completely separate. There is also the problem of the tower becoming taller.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Documents 2 and 3 describe installing a fixed perforated plate between two floors. This is essentially the same as a two-tower system with a single floor. In this case, there is no risk of the two floors mixing, but there are problems such as the tower height becoming excessively high and the tower structure becoming complex.

[0008] Furthermore, while single-bed resin towers do not have inter-layer mixing problems, disturbance of the resin layer during backwashing or regeneration can still be a problem. Therefore, a packed-bed system is sometimes adopted as a countermeasure. This system minimizes gaps inside the ion exchange resin tower, suppressing disturbance of the resin layer during backwashing or regeneration. However, it cannot remove foreign matter mixed into the resin layer during backwashing, raising concerns about insufficient regeneration.

[0009] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes a packed bed of ion exchange resin located at the bottom of the interior of an ion exchange resin tower, with a packed bed of inert resin particles located on top of the ion exchange resin packed bed. A permeable mesh disc is placed on top of the inert resin particle packed bed, and a packed bed of glass beads is placed on top of the mesh disc. The glass bead packed bed acts as a retaining layer, holding down the inert resin particle packed bed as the regeneration liquid rises through the tower. According to Patent Document 4, even when the regeneration liquid is passed through the ion exchange resin that has shrunk or expanded during the regeneration process, the mesh disc suppresses the disturbance of the packed bed caused by the expansion (fluidization) of the lower part of the ion exchange resin packed bed.

[0010] Furthermore, in Patent Document 5, similar to Patent Document 4, a packed bed of ion exchange resin is arranged on the lower side inside the ion exchange resin tower, and a packed bed of inert resin particles is arranged on top of the packed bed of ion exchange resin. A water-permeable movable plate is placed on top of the packed bed of inert resin particles. On top of the movable plate, a retaining water is placed to hold down the packed bed of inert resin particles as the regeneration liquid rises inside the tower. According to Patent Document 5, similar to Patent Document 4, even when the regeneration liquid is passed through the ion exchange resin that has shrunk or expanded during the regeneration process, the disturbance of the packed bed caused by the expansion (fluidization) of the lower part of the packed bed of ion exchange resin is suppressed by the movable plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-192354 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-210095 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-202440 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-080749 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-080750 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] When water was actually passed through a non-regenerative, multi-layered bed ion exchange resin tower of an ultrapure water production facility at a certain site, a problem of extremely poor water quality was observed. Upon further detailed inspection of the resin tower at this site, it was found that the resin layer was disordered as shown in the first packed bed 41 in Figure 11. Further investigation into the cause revealed that the following phenomenon was occurring.

[0013] After a first packed layer 41 and a second packed layer 42 containing resin particles that have not come into contact with water are placed inside the resin tower, when water is first passed through the placed packed layers (hereinafter referred to as the water filling process in this application), the air present between the resin particles in the lower first packed layer 41 inside the tower combines to generate bubbles. The generated bubbles rise through the layers of the lower first packed layer 41. When the rising bubbles reach the boundary between the lower first packed layer 41 and the upper second packed layer 42 inside the tower and continue to rise to the upper layers, the bubbles rise accompanied by the first resin particles 41A of the lower first packed layer 41, so that the first resin particles 41A of the lower layer and the second resin particles 42A of the upper second packed layer 42 mix. Alternatively, the resin layer of the upper second packed layer 42 becomes partially thinner (state b in Figure 11). In some cases, the resin layer of the second filling layer 42 disappears (state a in Figure 11).

[0014] This leads to a decrease in the uniformity of the treatment capacity for the water being treated as it flows through the multi-layer bed, resulting in a problem of degraded water quality. Specifically, if there is turbulence as shown in state a in Figure 11, for example, if the second packed bed 42 is made of a reducing resin, the peroxides contained in the water being treated come into direct contact with the ion exchange resin of the first packed bed 41, generating oxygen. As a result, the oxygen concentration (DO) of the treated water increases. Also, if there is turbulence as shown in state b in Figure 11, the height of the ion exchange resin layer in the second packed bed 42 directly above state b in Figure 11 is lower. If water flow continues, the ion exchange resin in the second packed bed 42 directly above state b in Figure 11 becomes inactive, and the peroxides pass through the second packed bed 42 directly above state b in Figure 11 and come into contact with the ion exchange resin of the first packed bed 41. As a result, the oxygen concentration (DO) of the treated water increases.

[0015] As a means of preventing mixing of packed beds in a single-layer resin tower, one possible method is to place a partition member, such as the mesh disc described in Patent Document 4 or the movable plate described in Patent Document 5, at the boundary between adjacent packed beds in the vertical direction. However, since the mesh disc described in Patent Document 4 is a retaining member used during regeneration processing, its placement at the boundary between adjacent packed beds inside a non-regenerative multi-layer resin tower has not been considered. Furthermore, its effectiveness during normal water treatment, especially when filling with water after resin filling, has not been considered. In addition, there is the problem that the tower will become taller because an inert resin layer or glass bead layer is required.

[0016] Furthermore, the movable plate described in Patent Document 5 is similar to the above, but because the plate itself requires height, it has the problem of making the tower taller. Generally, resin towers have the weakness of requiring height, which is always a problem when installing ultrapure water systems. In particular, in Patent Documents 4 and 5, the tower becomes more than 25% taller than the diameter, which limits the installation location of resin towers and becomes a major problem when installing ultrapure water systems.

[0017] In addition, Patent Document 4 requires a ring to be provided on the outer edge of the mesh to fix a guide plate that allows the mesh disk to move up and down while maintaining a horizontal position. This can lead to increased weight as a partitioning member and higher manufacturing costs. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 requires a rod-shaped connector to be fixed to the outer edge of the mesh plate to allow the movable plate to move up and down while maintaining a horizontal position. This can lead to increased weight as a partitioning member and higher manufacturing costs, similar to the case of Patent Document 4.

[0018] Furthermore, in a multi-layered resin tower, if a component such as the mesh disc described in Patent Document 1 or the movable plate described in Patent Document 2 is temporarily placed as a partition member at the boundary between packed beds, a space may be formed between the partition member and the resin layer, which could be a cause of problems. Specifically, in the ultrapure water production process, the resin particles contract or expand due to the flow of the water being treated, creating the aforementioned space, which, like turbulence in the resin layer, could cause deterioration of water quality.

[0019] Here, the ion exchange resin at the very top of the lower packed bed is in contact with the underside of the partition member. When water flows through, the ion exchange resin in the lower bed shrinks, but the shrinkage does not occur perfectly uniformly. If there are areas where the shrinkage is particularly severe, a gap will be created between the top of the resin layer and the partition member in those areas.

[0020] As a result, a gap is created between the uppermost surface of the lower packed bed and the lower surface of the partition member. Hereafter, this gap between the upper surface of the lower packed bed and the lower surface of the partition member will also be simply referred to as the "gap on the lower side of the partition member." If the volume of this gap increases, the area of ​​the water channel (in other words, "channel") through which the treated water passes through the packed bed expands, which can lead to a deterioration of water quality.

[0021] The present invention has been made paying attention to the above problems, and by suppressing the mixing of a plurality of ion exchange resins in a multi-layer bed resin tower, it is possible to prevent a deterioration in the quality of the water to be treated flowing through the multi-layer bed resin tower. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating water to be treated, a method for producing ultrapure water using this method for treating water to be treated, a multi-layer bed resin tower, and an ultrapure water production apparatus including this multi-layer bed resin tower.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0022] The method for treating water to be treated according to the first aspect forms a first packed bed containing first resin particles that come into contact with the water to be treated inside a cylindrical tower body, and is a water-permeable partition member. A partition member formed of a material having flexibility such that it can be elastically deformed according to the weight of second resin particles different from the first resin particles is disposed in an unconstrained state with respect to the tower body above the first packed bed, and a second packed bed containing the second resin particles is formed above the partition member, and the water to be treated is caused to flow from the upper side to the lower side inside the tower body.

[0023] In the first aspect, since the water-permeable partition member is disposed at the boundary between the first packed bed and the second packed bed inside the tower body, it is possible to prevent mixing between the first packed bed and the second packed bed due to bubbles during water filling.

[0024] When the ion exchange resin in the first packed bed shrinks during water flow, a space is generated between the ion exchange resin at the uppermost surface of the first packed bed and the partition member. Then, the second resin particles directly above that space move to fill that space. Since the partition member is elastically deformable, it deforms toward the lower first packed bed accordingly. For this reason, the disturbance of the first packed bed caused by an increase in the volume of the gap is suppressed, and as a result, a decrease in the uniformity of the treatment capacity of the multi-layer bed resin tower can be suppressed.

[0025] Therefore, according to the first aspect, it is possible to prevent a deterioration in the quality of the water to be treated flowing through the multi-layer bed resin tower.

[0026] In the second embodiment, the first resin particles or the second resin particles are ion exchange resins and are used in a non-regenerative manner.

[0027] In the second embodiment, the adsorption performance of ionic components is used in a non-regenerative system. Here, the treatment capacity recovered in the non-regenerative system is usually higher than the treatment capacity recovered in the regenerative system. Therefore, the water quality of ultrapure water can be further improved.

[0028] In the third embodiment, the partition member having a frame member on its outer edge is arranged.

[0029] In the third embodiment, the frame member makes it difficult for the partition member to peel off, and therefore, mixing of the first filling layer and the second filling layer can be suppressed more effectively.

[0030] In the fourth embodiment, a partition member assembly is formed in which a plurality of partition members are connected so that they can be overlapped and unfolded within the same plane, and the partition member assembly in the state in which the plurality of partition members are overlapped is transported to the inside of the tower body, the transported plurality of partition members are unfolded inside the tower body, and the unfolded partition member assembly is placed on the first filling layer.

[0031] In the fourth embodiment, the partition member connector can be folded compactly, so that, for example, it can pass through a work hole provided in the tower body even if the work hole is relatively small in diameter. Therefore, installation work can be easily carried out.

[0032] The fifth embodiment of the method for producing ultrapure water involves producing ultrapure water using water treated by any of the water treatment methods of the first to fourth embodiments.

[0033] In the fifth embodiment, ultrapure water can be produced while preventing a deterioration in water quality.

[0034] The multi-layered resin tower according to the sixth embodiment comprises a cylindrical tower body, a first packed layer containing first resin particles that are filled inside the tower body and come into contact with the water to be treated, a second packed layer containing second resin particles different from the first resin particles and filled inside the tower body above the first packed layer, and a permeable partition member that is positioned at the boundary between the first packed layer and the second packed layer in an unrestrained state relative to the tower body and is made of a material that is flexible enough to be elastically deformable according to the weight of the second resin particles.

[0035] In the sixth embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent a deterioration in the water quality of the treated water flowing through the multi-layered resin tower.

[0036] An ultrapure water production apparatus according to the seventh embodiment comprises: a pre-treatment unit in which raw water is pre-treated; a primary pure water production unit in which the raw water treated by the pre-treatment unit is filtered; a secondary pure water production unit in which ultrapure water is produced by increasing the purity of the primary pure water treated by the primary pure water production unit; and a multi-layered floor type resin tower according to the sixth embodiment provided in at least one of the pre-treatment unit, the primary pure water production unit, and the secondary pure water production unit.

[0037] In the seventh embodiment, as in the fifth embodiment, ultrapure water can be produced while preventing a deterioration in water quality. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a deterioration in the water quality of the treated water flowing through a multi-layered resin tower. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram illustrating the ultrapure water production apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view illustrating a multi-layered resin tower according to this embodiment, with a portion of it broken off. [Figure 3]This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the first and second packed layers separated by a partition member inside the multi-layered resin tower according to this embodiment, before the resin particles shrink. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view illustrating the partition member according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5(A) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the ion exchange resin in the multi-layered bed resin tower according to this embodiment when no water is flowing through it; Figure 5(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the ion exchange resin inside the resin tower when water is being added to the resin tower; and Figure 5(C) is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the ion exchange resin inside the resin tower when the water-adding process in Figure 5(B) has progressed further. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the first and second packed layers separated by a partition member inside the multi-layered resin tower according to this embodiment, after the resin particles have shrunk. [Figure 7] Figure 7(A) is a photograph illustrating the state of the first and second packed layers separated by a partition member inside the multi-layered resin tower according to the embodiment, before the water to be treated flows through it, and Figure 7(B) is a photograph illustrating the state of the first and second packed layers separated by a partition member inside the multi-layered resin tower according to the embodiment, after the water to be treated flows through it. [Figure 8] Figure 8(A) is a photograph illustrating the state of the first and second packed beds separated by a partition member inside the multi-layered floor resin tower according to the first comparative example, before the water to be treated flows through it, and Figure 8(B) is a photograph illustrating the state of the first and second packed beds separated by a partition member inside the multi-layered floor resin tower according to the first comparative example, after the water to be treated flows through it. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the first and second packed layers separated by a partition member inside a multi-layered resin tower according to the second comparative example, after the resin particles have shrunk. [Figure 10]Figure 10(A) is a plan view illustrating the state in which multiple partition members of the partition member connector according to the modified example are unfolded, Figure 10(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9B-9B in Figure 10(A), and Figure 10(C) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which multiple partition members of the partition member connector according to the modified example are superimposed. [Figure 11] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a resin tower illustrating the state of the ion exchange resin inside a multi-layered bed resin tower according to the first comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described below. In the following drawings, identical and similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the ratio of thickness of each device and component, etc., may differ from reality. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined by referring to the following explanation. Furthermore, there are parts where the relationships and ratios of dimensions differ between drawings.

[0041] <Ultrapure water production equipment> As shown in Figure 1, the ultrapure water production apparatus 10 according to this embodiment comprises a pre-processing unit 12, a primary pure water production unit 14, a tank 16, and a secondary pure water production unit 18.

[0042] (Preprocessing) The pre-treatment unit 12 receives raw water such as city water, well water, or industrial water. In this embodiment, the pre-treatment unit 12 generates pre-treated water by removing suspended solids from the introduced raw water. The pre-treatment unit can be configured as appropriate according to the quality of the raw water, as long as it is equipment that pre-treats the raw water.

[0043] In the present invention, the pre-treatment unit can be any equipment that pre-treats the raw water, and can be configured as appropriate according to the quality of the raw water. For example, the pre-treatment unit 12 may include a sand filter or a microfilter, and may also have a heat exchanger or the like to adjust the temperature of the water to be treated as needed.

[0044] (Primary pure water production department) In the primary pure water production unit 14, the raw water, i.e., pre-treated water, that has been treated by the pre-treatment unit 12 is filtered. The primary pure water production unit 14 produces primary pure water by removing organic components, ionic components, dissolved gases, etc., from the pre-treated water, and supplies the produced primary pure water to the tank 16.

[0045] Although not shown in the diagram, the primary pure water production unit 14 is equipped with, for example, an activated carbon unit (AC), a two-bed, three-tower type unit (2B3T), a reverse osmosis membrane unit (RO), an ultraviolet oxidation unit (TOC-UV), a mixed-bed ion exchange unit (MB), and a degasser (DG).

[0046] An activated carbon device is an activated carbon tower equipped with activated carbon, such as coconut shell activated carbon. The activated carbon device removes organic matter contained in the water to be treated by adsorbing it onto the activated carbon. A two-bed, three-tower type device is an integrated device in which a first ion exchange device, a decarbonation device, and a second ion exchange device are arranged in series.

[0047] The first ion exchange apparatus is a cation exchange resin tower, for example, a regenerative single-bed or regenerative multi-bed type, in which cation exchange resin is housed within the resin tower. The decarboxylation apparatus removes carbonic acid components from the water treated by the first ion exchange apparatus. The second ion exchange apparatus is an anion exchange resin tower, for example, a regenerative single-bed or regenerative multi-bed type, in which anion exchange resin is housed within the resin tower.

[0048] A reverse osmosis membrane system removes impurities and salts from the water being treated by a two-bed, three-column system using a reverse osmosis membrane (RO membrane). An ultraviolet oxidation system decomposes and removes trace amounts of organic matter from the water by irradiating the water that has passed through the reverse osmosis membrane system with ultraviolet light. An ion exchange system is, for example, a mixed-bed ion exchange resin column in which cation exchange resin and anion exchange resin are housed in a resin column.

[0049] The degassing device is, for example, a membrane degassing device or a vacuum degassing device used to remove gaseous components such as oxygen contained in the water to be treated after passing through the ion exchange device. The primary pure water produced by the primary pure water production unit 14 has, for example, a total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of 5 μg C / L or less and a resistivity of 17 MΩ·cm or more.

[0050] (tank) Tank 16 stores primary pure water. Although not shown in the diagram, each component of the ultrapure water production system 10 is connected to a control device that controls the operation of that device. The control device allows the required amount of primary pure water to be supplied from Tank 16 to the secondary pure water production unit 18.

[0051] (Secondary pure water production department) The secondary pure water production unit 18 produces ultrapure water by increasing the purity of the primary pure water treated by the primary pure water production unit 14. Specifically, the secondary pure water production unit 18 produces secondary pure water by removing impurities from the primary pure water produced by the primary pure water production unit 14. The produced secondary pure water is supplied as ultrapure water to the point of use (POU), which is the location where the ultrapure water will be used. Any excess ultrapure water that has passed through the point of use (POU) is recovered by the tank 16.

[0052] Although not shown in the diagram, the secondary pure water production unit 18 is located downstream of the tank 16 and includes equipment such as a heat exchanger, an ultraviolet oxidation device (TOC-UV), a hydrogen peroxide removal device, a degassing membrane device, and a resin tower. The heat exchanger regulates the temperature of the primary pure water supplied from the tank 16. The ultraviolet oxidation device irradiates the primary pure water, whose temperature has been regulated by the heat exchanger, with ultraviolet light to decompose and remove trace amounts of organic matter in the water.

[0053] A hydrogen peroxide removal device is a device for decomposing and removing hydrogen peroxide in water. Examples of hydrogen peroxide removal devices include palladium-supported resin devices that decompose and remove hydrogen peroxide using palladium (Pd)-supported resin, and reducing resin devices in which a reducing resin having sulfite groups and / or bisulfite groups is filled into a basic anion exchange resin.

[0054] A degassing membrane device reduces the pressure on the secondary side of a gas-permeable membrane (i.e., the downstream side of the ultrapure water production process) to allow only dissolved gases in the water flowing on the primary side (i.e., the upstream side of the ultrapure water production process) to pass through to the secondary side and be removed.

[0055] The resin tower according to this embodiment is a multi-layered bed type ion exchange resin tower having a first packed bed and a second packed bed. Each bed located inside the resin tower acts as a polisher, adsorbing and removing trace amounts of cation or anion components from the water to be treated. Partition members according to this embodiment are arranged inside the resin tower.

[0056] In this embodiment, an example is given where the multi-layered resin tower is installed immediately before the ultrafiltration membrane device (UF) located at the final stage of the secondary pure water production unit 18, i.e., immediately before the point of use (POU). The resin tower according to the present invention can be placed at any location in equipment other than the secondary pure water production unit 18, such as the final stage of the primary pure water production unit 14. In the present invention, the multi-layered resin tower only needs to be installed at at least one of the locations of the pre-processing unit 12, the primary pure water production unit 14, and the secondary pure water production unit 18.

[0057] In the secondary pure water production section, for example, an ion exchange resin column according to the present invention may be placed downstream of the degassing membrane device, and an ultrafiltration membrane device (UF) may be placed downstream of the ion exchange resin column. The ultrafiltration membrane device produces ultrapure water (i.e., secondary pure water) by processing the water to be treated by the resin column, thereby removing fine particles, for example, with a particle size of 50 nm or more (more preferably 10 nm or more).

[0058] The ultrapure water produced by the ultrapure water production apparatus 10 according to this embodiment has the following characteristics: for example, the number of fine particles with a particle size of 50 nm or larger is 50 pcs. / L or less, the total organic carbon (TOC) concentration is 1 μg C / L or less, and the resistivity is 18 MΩ·cm or more. The iron (Fe) concentration is 0.05 μg / L or less, and the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration is 2 μg / L or less.

[0059] In this invention, the equipment or devices constituting the ultrapure water production apparatus can be configured as appropriate. For example, a tank for storing ultrapure water used at the use point POU and a wastewater recovery device connected to the tank may be provided. The ultrapure water as wastewater recovered by the wastewater recovery device may be sent as treated water to a predetermined device in the line of the pre-processing unit 12, thereby circulating again through the line of the ultrapure water production apparatus.

[0060] <Multi-layered resin tower> Next, the multi-layered resin tower according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 6. As shown in Figure 2, the multi-layered resin tower 25 according to this embodiment comprises a tower body 31, a first filling layer 41, a second filling layer 42, and a partition member 50.

[0061] (Tower structure) The tower body 31 is a cylindrical container and also the main body of the resin tower 25. In this invention, the shape of the tower body is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be a rectangular tube or other cylindrical shape. The diameter of the cylinder of the tower body 31 is, for example, about 300 mm to 2000 mm. An inlet pipe 32 is provided at the top of the tower body 31 of the resin tower 25. The inlet pipe 32 guides the water to be treated as inlet water to the inside of the tower body 31. An outlet pipe 34 is provided at the bottom of the tower body 31 of the resin tower 25. The outlet pipe 34 guides the water to be treated as outlet water to the outside of the tower body 31.

[0062] (First packed layer and second packed layer) As shown in Figure 3, the first packed layer 41 contains a plurality of first resin particles 41A. The second packed layer 42 contains a plurality of second resin particles 42A. The first packed layer 41 is packed in the lower part of the internal space inside the tower body 31, while the second packed layer 42 is packed inside the tower body 31 above the first packed layer 41.

[0063] (First resin particle) In this embodiment, the first resin particles 41A forming the first packed layer 41 are ion exchange resin particles that undergo a volume change by shrinking upon contact with the water to be treated. In this invention, the resin particles may expand. Furthermore, in this invention, the first resin particles 41A can be a strongly acidic ion exchange resin (SC), a strongly basic ion exchange resin (SA), a mixture of a strongly acidic ion exchange resin (SC) and a strongly basic ion exchange resin (SA), etc., as appropriate.

[0064] The particle size R1 of the first resin particles 41A in this embodiment is, for example, about 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm. The particle size R1 exemplified in Figure 3 is the size before the water to be treated flows through the first packed bed 41, that is, before the first resin particles 41A shrink. In this invention, the diameter of the first resin particles 41A is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. Also, in this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, all first resin particles 41A are exemplified as having the same particle size R1, but in reality, the particle sizes of the first resin particles 41A may differ.

[0065] (Second resin particle) In this embodiment, the second resin particles 42A forming the second packed layer 42 are ion exchange resin particles that shrink upon contact with the water to be treated, similar to the first resin particles 41A. The type of second resin particles 42A is different from the type of first resin particles 41A.

[0066] As the second resin particles 42A, various types of strong acid ion exchange resins (SC), strong basic ion exchange resins for silica removal (SA), strong basic ion exchange resins (reducing resins) supported with sulfite groups and / or bisulfite groups, boron-selective resins (B) that also have boron-selective exchange groups such as N-glucamine groups, and precious metal catalyst-supported resins can be used as appropriate. The precious metal in the precious metal catalyst-supported resin can be, for example, palladium (Pd) or platinum (Pt).

[0067] The particle size R1 of the second resin particle 42A in this embodiment is approximately 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm, similar to the first resin particle 41A. The particle size R1 illustrated in Figure 3 is the size of the second resin particle 42A before shrinkage, similar to the first resin particle 41A. In this invention, the diameter of the second resin particle 42A is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. Also, although all second resin particles 42A are illustrated to have the same particle size R2, similar to the first resin particle 41A, in reality the particle sizes of the second resin particles 42A may differ.

[0068] The resin tower 25 according to this embodiment is typically composed of multiple parallel resin towers of the same size. In addition, a spare resin tower may be provided to avoid shutting down the ultrapure water production system during regeneration.

[0069] The resin tower 25 according to this embodiment is a non-regenerative resin tower. Therefore, if the ion exchange capacity of the first packed bed 41 or the second packed bed 42 decreases, the device is stopped and the packed bed is removed from the inside of the tower body 31. The removed packed bed can be reused by undergoing regeneration treatment at a location other than the ultrapure water production equipment, such as a factory. Alternatively, the removed packed bed may not be reused, and a new packed bed may be placed inside the resin tower 25 as the first packed bed 41 or the second packed bed 42.

[0070] Since the resin tower 25 of the present invention is non-regenerative, a deionizing device such as a regenerative ion exchange device is provided in the upstream stage to reduce the frequency of resin replacement. For example, when the resin tower 25 of the present invention is installed in the primary system, a deionizing device such as a reverse osmosis device, a regenerative ion exchange device, a 2B3T device, or an electro-regenerative ion exchange device (EDI) is installed in the upstream stage. When the resin tower 25 of the present invention is installed in the secondary system, the reverse osmosis device, regenerative ion exchange device, 2B3T device, electro-regenerative ion exchange device (EDI), etc., provided in the primary system take on this role.

[0071] This invention requires only the installation of a partition member during the filling of ion exchange resin, and the resin layer height does not change. Furthermore, since the partition member can be inserted into and removed from the manhole tower of existing equipment, it can be applied to existing single-layer or multi-layer resin towers without any modification. In the case of a single-layer tower, it can be adopted when changing to a multi-layer tower. Moreover, by using this invention, the limitations on the particle size and specific gravity of the ion exchange resin are eliminated, allowing for free selection of ion exchange resin. Therefore, for example, it becomes possible to select resins suitable for obtaining optimal water quality or low-cost resins without restrictions.

[0072] Furthermore, in the case of multi-layered floors, the lower layer is often filled with a general-purpose resin, that is, a resin that removes cations, anions, or both, while the upper layer is often filled with a resin that adds some special function, such as supplementing the function of the lower resin layer. As a result, the lower resin layer tends to be thicker, and the upper resin layer tends to be thinner. Therefore, when disturbance occurs in the resin layer, as is the problem of this application, the thin upper layer is particularly susceptible to the effects of the disturbance, and the function performed by the upper layer is often significantly reduced. This problem can be solved by using the present invention.

[0073] (Partitioning material) As shown in Figure 3, the partition member 50 is positioned at the boundary between the first filling layer 41 and the second filling layer 42. As shown in Figure 4, the partition member 50 is circular in plan view. The partition member 50 has a mesh portion 52 and a frame member 54.

[0074] (Mesh area) The mesh portion 52 is planar and located in the center of the circular partition member 50. The load of the second filling layer 42 is applied to the mesh portion 52 from above. As shown in Figure 6, the mesh portion 52 is made of a material that is flexible enough to be elastically deformable according to the weight of the multiple second resin particles 42A contained in the second filling layer 42.

[0075] In other words, the partition member 50 is configured to have elastic deformability and flexibility when the water to be treated is flowed with the second packed layer 42 placed on top of the mesh portion 52. In this embodiment, the mesh portion 52 is made of an organic material such as polyvinylidene chloride, which allows it to deform more flexibly in the vertical direction than if the mesh portion 52 were made of metal. Saran Net (product name) is preferred as the partition member.

[0076] Note that the particle size R2 of the first resin particle 41A illustrated in Figure 6 is the particle size after the water to be treated has flowed through the first packed bed 41, that is, after the first resin particle 41A has shrunk. Similarly, the particle size R2 of the second resin particle 42A is the particle size after the water to be treated has flowed through the first packed bed 41, that is, after the second resin particle 42A has shrunk. For example, in the present invention, the flexibility of the mesh portion can be set to be elastically deformable so that it protrudes downward by a height corresponding to a certain percentage of the thickness of the second packed bed.

[0077] The mesh portion 52 is configured such that the smallest second resin particle 42A having a particle size R2 after shrinkage is prevented from passing through the mesh. Specifically, in this embodiment, for example, the mesh of the mesh portion 52 is about 60, and the opening of the mesh portion 52 is about 0.3 mm or less. Furthermore, the weaving method of the mesh portion 52 is preferably plain weave from the viewpoint of lowering water passage resistance, but it may also be folded. Note that in this invention, the specifications of the mesh portion, including dimensions such as mesh, wire diameter, and opening, as well as the weaving method, can be changed as appropriate.

[0078] (Frame member) The frame member 54 is ring-shaped, as shown in Figure 4. The frame member 54 is provided on the outer edge of the partition member 50. The frame member 54 can be made from a metal material with relatively high corrosion resistance, such as titanium or stainless steel. It may also be made from a material other than metal, such as resin or animal hair. The frame member 54 is optional.

[0079] In this embodiment, the frame member 54 is positioned with a small gap between it and the inner wall surface of the tower body 31, allowing it to move up and down inside the tower body 31. Therefore, the partition member 50 is positioned in an unrestrained state relative to the tower body 31. An unrestrained state means that it is not fixed to the wall surface of the tower, etc. In this embodiment, the frame member 54 makes it difficult for the partition member 50 to bend over.

[0080] In Figure 4, for ease of viewing, a frame member 54 is shown as having a constant thickness along the vertical direction and being strip-shaped in plan view. However, in this embodiment, the thickness of the frame member 54 is substantially negligible. Specifically, for example, the frame member 54 can be made from a wire-like metal material having a thickness equivalent to that of the wire members constituting the mesh of the mesh portion 52. By setting the thickness of the frame member 54 to be thin, the weight and cost of the partition member 50 can be reduced. In this invention, the thickness of the frame member 54 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0081] In this embodiment, the partition member 50 is permeable to water by having openings in the mesh portion 52 and by being positioned with a small gap between the frame member 54 and the inner wall surface of the tower body 31 so as to allow vertical movement. In this invention, the permeability of the partition member 50 may be achieved by only one of the following: having openings in the mesh portion 52 and being positioned with a small gap between the frame member 54 and the inner wall surface of the tower body 31 so as to allow vertical movement. Alternatively, the permeability of the partition member 50 may be achieved by forming water passages other than openings, such as through holes.

[0082] <Method for treating water to be treated and method for producing ultrapure water> Next, the method for treating the water to be treated according to this embodiment will be described. First, a resin tower 25 according to this embodiment is prepared. Next, a first packed layer 41 is formed inside the tower body 31 of the resin tower 25. Next, a partition member 50 is placed on the first packed layer 41 in an unconstrained state relative to the tower body 31. Next, as shown in Figure 5(A), a second packed layer 42 is formed on the partition member 50. Then, after going through the water filling process shown in Figures 5(B) and 5(C), the water to be treated is circulated from the top to the bottom.

[0083] Figure 5(B) illustrates a state in which bubbles B are generated inside the water to be treated W accumulated inside the first packed bed 41. Figure 5(C) illustrates a state in which bubbles B rise inside the water to be treated W accumulated inside the first packed bed 41, a state in which bubbles B pass through the partition member 50, and a state in which bubbles B rise inside the second packed bed 42.

[0084] Furthermore, the resin tower 25 according to this embodiment is non-regenerative. Therefore, in the water treatment method according to this embodiment, if the adsorption performance of the ion exchange resin decreases, the first resin particles 41A or the second resin particles 42A are removed from the inside of the tower 31. Then, new resin can be filled in.

[0085] The above series of processes constitutes the treatment method for water to be treated according to this embodiment. Furthermore, by using the water to be treated by the treatment method according to this embodiment in the production line of the ultrapure water production apparatus 10, it becomes possible to produce high-purity ultrapure water.

[0086] Furthermore, in this invention, the method for treating the water to be treated is not limited to a method for producing ultrapure water, but any method in which treatment is carried out using resin particles inside the resin tower 25 is acceptable. Also, as long as the method in which treatment is carried out using resin particles inside the resin tower 25 is acceptable, the object to be treated is not limited to water, but any liquid, gas, or other fluid may be used. [Examples]

[0087] Next, a test example of the resin tower 25 according to this embodiment will be described as an example. A transparent acrylic tower body 31 was prepared. The inner diameter of the cylinder of the tower body 31 was approximately 50 mm.

[0088] Next, a first packed layer 41 was formed inside the column 31 by filling it with approximately 200 ml of a strongly basic anion exchange resin (product name: Duolite AGP, manufactured by Rohm and Haas) as the first resin particles 41A. Then, a partition member 50 made of Saran net with a mesh portion 52 of mesh 50 was placed on top of the first packed layer 41 inside the column 31.

[0089] Next, a second packed layer 42 was formed by filling approximately 200 ml of a strong acid cation exchange resin (product name: Diaion SKT10L, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) as a second resin particle 42A on top of the partition member 50 inside the tower body 31. Then, as shown in Figure 7(A), a multi-layered floor type resin tower 25 according to the embodiment was formed in which the second packed layer 42 was placed above the first packed layer 41 via the partition member 50.

[0090] In an ultrapure water production system, when water is first passed through the resin tower 25, air adhering to the surface of the first resin particles 41A in the first packed bed 41 is generated as bubbles. The bubbles generated in the first packed bed 41 rise through the water. When the rising bubbles reach the second packed bed 42, the first packed bed 41 and the second packed bed 42 mix. This also causes disorder in the arrangement of the multiple second resin particles 42A in the second packed bed 42. As a result, the water quality of the treated water flowing through the first packed bed 41 and the second packed bed 42 deteriorates.

[0091] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to facilitate observation of the movement of bubbles formed by air adhering to the surface of the first resin particles 41A, a certain amount of air was introduced from the bottom of the multi-layered resin tower 25 according to the embodiment. Then, test water was flowed from the bottom to the top at a flow rate of 3 [m / hour], allowing bubbles to pass inside the first packed bed 41. The temperature of the test water was 16°C. At this time, the ion exchange resin layer did not unfold, meaning that the resin did not convect due to the water flow.

[0092] In this embodiment, most of the air bubbles that passed through the inside of the first packed layer 41 were held by the mesh portion 52 of the partition member 50, thereby suppressing their movement to the upper second packed layer 42. As a result, as shown in Figure 7(B), in this embodiment, after the air bubbles passed through the inside of the first packed layer 41, the boundary between the first packed layer 41 and the second packed layer 42 could be clearly observed. In Figure 7(A), the position of the black horizontal line drawn on the adhesive member attached to the outer wall surface of the tower body 31 indicates the boundary between the first packed layer 41 and the second packed layer 42. In other words, the first packed layer 41 and the second packed layer 42 did not mix. Furthermore, there was no disturbance in the arrangement of the multiple second resin particles 42A in the second packed layer 42.

[0093] In Figure 7(B), the height of the boundary between the first packed layer 41 and the second packed layer 42 inside the tower body 31 is lower than the position of the black horizontal line drawn on the adhesive member. This is because, due to the passage of water, the air between the first resin particles 41A escaped to the outside of the resin layer as bubbles, resulting in the resin particles becoming more closely adjacent to each other than before the water was passed through, thus reducing the overall thickness of the first packed layer 41.

[0094] <Comparative Example 1> On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8(A), a resin tower having the same specifications as the resin tower 25 in the embodiment, except for the partition members, was prepared as a first comparative example, and the test example for the first comparative example was carried out using the resin tower of the first comparative example under the same test conditions as the test conditions for the embodiment.

[0095] In the case of the first comparative example, as shown in Figure 8(B), the air bubbles that passed through the inside of the first packed layer 41 moved to the upper second packed layer 42, making it impossible to observe the boundary between the first packed layer 41 and the second packed layer 42. In other words, the first packed layer 41 and the second packed layer 42 mixed, and the arrangement of the multiple second resin particles 42A in the second packed layer 42 became disordered. In this example, the entire interface of the resin layers became disordered, and the state shown in Figure 11 could not be observed, which is thought to be because the test column used had a small diameter.

[0096] <Comparative Example 2> Furthermore, as a second comparative example, a resin tower was prepared in which a partition member 50Z having a mesh portion that does not have flexibility was provided, unlike the partition member 50 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, in the second comparative example, since the mesh portion does not have flexibility, even if the first resin particles 41A shrink on the lower side of the partition member 50Z, the mesh portion does not deform to fill the gap. For this reason, in the second comparative example, as water flow continues and the volume of the ion exchange resin changes, the volume of the gap G on the lower side of the partition member 50Z will continue to expand as the treated water flows. This gap not only causes deterioration of water quality, but if water flow continues, the partition member 50 will gradually become less able to maintain a horizontal position and may tilt or overturn.

[0097] When using the method of the present invention, when filling an ion exchange resin tower with new ion exchange resin and then filling it with water, bubbles generated in the lower first packed bed 41 rise and cross the first packed bed 41 and the second packed bed 42. The partition member 50 prevents the lower first resin particles 41A from moving to the upper second packed bed 42 as the bubbles rise. As a result, mixing of the lower first resin particles 41A and the upper resin particles caused by the rising bubbles is suppressed.

[0098] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(A), when water is first passed through, the spaces between the first resin particles 41A and the second resin particles 42A are not filled with water, so there is no buoyancy from the water. Also, as shown in Figures 5(B) and 5(C), when bubbles B rise in the water to be treated W, the upper part of the resin layer (first packed layer 41) is not filled with water, so it acts as a weight on the partition member 50, preventing the partition member 50 from tipping over.

[0099] Furthermore, following Figure 5(C), when water flow is started and the water to be treated W accumulates on the upper side of the partition member 50, the second resin particles 42A are constantly pressed against the partition member 50 by the water flow from above, so that state is maintained. Even if the water flow is stopped, the state can be maintained as long as backwashing from the bottom to the top as shown in Figure 5 is not performed.

[0100] <Other Embodiments> Although the present invention has been described by the embodiments disclosed below, the descriptions and drawings that constitute part of this disclosure are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0101] <Modified example: Partition member connector> In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, an example is given in which a single circular partition member 50 is arranged inside the tower body 31 in a plan view. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the modified partition member connector 60 in Figure 10(A), a single circular partition member connector 60 may be formed by connecting three partition members.

[0102] The modified partition member connector 60 comprises a first partition member 60A, a second partition member 60B, a third partition member 60C, a first connector 70, and a second connector 72. The diameter d of the partition member connector 60 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the tower body 31. In Figure 10(A), the first partition member 60A, the second partition member 60B, and the third partition member 60C each extend along the vertical direction.

[0103] The first partition member 60A has a mesh portion 62A and a frame member 64A provided on the outer edge of the mesh portion. The second partition member 60B has a mesh portion 62B and a frame member 64B provided on the outer edge of the mesh portion. The third partition member 60C has a mesh portion 62C and a frame member 64C provided on the outer edge of the mesh portion. Note that the structure of the mesh portion and the frame member of each partition member of the partition member connector 60 according to the modified example is the same as in the case of the partition member 50 exemplified in Figure 1, so a redundant explanation will be omitted.

[0104] The first partition member 60A is located in the center in the left-right direction of the partition member connector 60 in Figure 10(A). The first partition member 60A is a member that includes the center of the circle of the partition member connector 60. The outer edge of the first partition member 60A has a pair of straight sections that extend vertically in Figure 10(A), an upper arc section that connects the upper ends of the pair of straight sections, and a lower arc section that connects the lower ends of the pair of straight sections, with the center of the circle on either side. In Figure 10(A), the first partition member 60A is vertically symmetrical and horizontally symmetrical with respect to the center of the circle of the partition member connector 60.

[0105] The second partition member 60B is located to the left of the first partition member 60A in Figure 10(A). The outer edge of the second partition member 60B has a straight section that extends vertically parallel to the straight section on the left side of the first partition member 60A in Figure 10(A), with a gap between them, and an arc section that connects the upper and lower ends of the straight section on the left side of the straight section. In other words, the second partition member 60B is fan-shaped in plan view and is vertically symmetrical in Figure 10(A).

[0106] The third partition member 60C is located to the right of the first partition member 60A in Figure 10(A). The outer edge of the third partition member 60C has a straight section that extends vertically parallel to the straight section on the right side of the first partition member 60A in Figure 10(A), with a gap between them, and an arc section that connects the upper and lower ends of the straight section on the right side. In other words, the third partition member 60C is fan-shaped in plan view and is vertically symmetrical in Figure 10(A).

[0107] In Figure 10(A), the second partition member 60B and the third partition member 60C are arranged symmetrically. That is, the second partition member 60B and the third partition member 60C can be made into common parts, which is advantageous in terms of reducing manufacturing costs and storage space.

[0108] In the modified example, three partition members 50 are arranged such that the partition member connector 60 is vertically symmetrical and horizontally symmetrical. Note that in this invention, the number of "partition members" is not limited to three, and may consist of two or more members.

[0109] As shown in Figures 10(B) and 10(C), the first connector 70 is made of a flexible material that allows it to expand and contract. In a modified example, six first connectors 70 are arranged between the first partition member 60A and the second partition member 60B, and six are arranged between the first partition member 60A and the third partition member 60C, with gaps between them in the vertical direction. In this invention, the material, shape, and number of the first connectors are not limited to these and can be changed as appropriate.

[0110] The second connector 72 is strip-shaped in plan view, as shown in Figure 10(A). The second connector 72 is a mesh-like member made of a material having the same water permeability and flexibility as the mesh portion of the partition member 50 exemplified in Figure 3. Furthermore, the mesh of the second connector 72 is smaller than the diameter of the second resin particles 42A located on the upper side of the second connector 72 inside the tower body 31.

[0111] The second connectors 72 are positioned one each between the first partition member 60A and the second partition member 60B, and between the first partition member 60A and the third partition member 60C. Specifically, as shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the left-side second connector 72 has a width in the left-right direction that extends across both the outer edges of the first partition member 60A and the outer edges of the second partition member 60B, which are spaced apart from each other.

[0112] Furthermore, the second connector 72 on the left side in Figure 10(B) is joined to the upper surface of the first partition member 60A and the upper surface of the second partition member 60B. In a modified example, the first partition member 60A and the second partition member 60B and the second connector 72 are joined by sewing. However, the present invention is not limited to this joining method, and any other method such as heat welding or joining with adhesive is permitted.

[0113] The water-permeable and flexible second connector 72 prevents mixing of the first filling layer 41 and the second filling layer 42 at the position between the first partition member 60A and the second partition member 60B, and reduces the gap formed between the second connector 72 and the first filling layer 41 on the lower side of the second connector 72. The right-hand second connector 72 in Figures 10(A) and 10(B) is arranged symmetrically to the left-hand second connector 72 and has the same configuration as the left-hand second connector 72.

[0114] As shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), in the partition member connector 60, the first partition member 60A, the second partition member 60B, and the third partition member 60C are connected in a way that they can be deployed in the same plane by the first connector 70 and the second connector 72. In this invention, when connecting multiple partition members, both the first connector 70 and the second connector 72 are not essential; the multiple partition members may be connected by only one of them.

[0115] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(C), in the modified partition member connector 60, the first partition member 60A, the second partition member 60B, and the third partition member 60C can be superimposed on each other by the first connector 70 and the second connector 72. In Figure 10(C), the second partition member 60B and the third partition member 60C are shown superimposed on the upper side of the first partition member 60A as an example, but in the present invention, the superimposed state is not limited to this. In the present invention, the second partition member 60B and the third partition member 60C may both be superimposed on the lower side of the first partition member 60A, or they may be superimposed on opposite sides of the first partition member 60A.

[0116] Furthermore, while the modified example exemplified a case where a frame member is provided for each of the three partition members, in the present invention, the frame member may be provided only on the outer edge of the portion of the multiple partition members that faces the inner wall surface of the tower body 31. That is, the frame member may not be provided on the straight portion of the outer edge of adjacent partition members, but only on the portion that constitutes the circular outer edge of the partition member connector 60 in the unfolded state. Since the frame member is not provided on the straight portion of the outer edge of adjacent partition members, the flexibility of the mesh portion can be ensured even in the portion where the frame member is not provided.

[0117] As an example of how to use the modified partition member connector 60, as shown in Figure 10(C), first, the partition member connector 60, in which multiple partition members are stacked, is transported to the inside of the tower body 31. Then, the transported multiple partition members are unfolded inside the tower body 31, and the unfolded partition member connector 60 is placed on the first packed layer 41.

[0118] Alternatively, the partition members may be made up of multiple components, brought into the tower as separate components, and then assembled inside the tower.

[0119] In this modified version, the partition member connector 60 can be folded compactly, so that, for example, even if the work opening provided in the tower body 31 is relatively small in diameter, it can be passed through the work opening.

[0120] Furthermore, the present invention can also be constructed by partially combining the configurations illustrated in Figures 1 to 11. As described above, the present invention includes various embodiments not described above, and the technical scope of the present invention is defined solely by the inventive features of the claims that are reasonable based on the above description. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 10 Ultrapure water production equipment 12 Pre-processing section 14 Primary pure water production department 16 tanks 18 Secondary pure water production department 25 Resin Tower 31 Tower 32 Inlet pipe 34 Outlet pipe 41 1st packed bed 41A First resin particle 42 2nd packed bed 42A Second resin particle 50 Partition members 50Z Partition Member 52 Mesh section 54 Frame members 60 Partition Member Connecting Body 60A, 60B, 60C Partition Members 62A, 62B, 62C Mesh section 64A, 64B, 64C Frame members 70 1st connector 72 Second connector B bubbles G Gap H water level POU Youth Point R1 particle size R2 particle size W: Water to be treated d diameter

Claims

1. A first packed layer containing first resin particles that come into contact with the water to be treated is formed inside the cylindrical tower body. A permeable partition member, made of a material with flexibility to such an extent that it can be elastically deformed according to the weight of second resin particles different from the first resin particles, is placed on the first filling layer in an unrestrained state relative to the tower body. A second filling layer containing second resin particles is formed on the partition member. A method for treating water to be treated for ultrapure water production, wherein the water to be treated is circulated from top to bottom inside the tower, The partition member having a frame member on its outer edge is arranged, A partition member assembly in which multiple partition members are connected so that they can be overlapped and unfolded within the same plane, and the partition member assembly in which the multiple partition members are overlapped is transported to the inside of the tower body. The multiple partition members that were transported are unfolded inside the tower body. The partition member connector in its unfolded state is placed on the first filling layer, characterized in that A method for treating water used in the production of ultrapure water.

2. The first resin particles or the second resin particles are ion exchange resins and are characterized by being used in a non-regenerative manner. A method for treating water to be treated for ultrapure water production according to claim 1.

3. The first resin particles are any of the following: a strongly acidic ion exchange resin, a strongly basic ion exchange resin, or a mixture of the strongly acidic ion exchange resin and the strongly basic ion exchange resin. The second resin particle is one of the following: a strongly acidic ion exchange resin, a strongly basic ion exchange resin, a boron-selective resin, or a precious metal catalyst-supported resin. A method for treating water to be treated in the production of ultrapure water, as described in claim 1 or 2.

4. The method for treating water to be treated in the production of ultrapure water according to claim 1 or 2 is used to produce ultrapure water, and the ultrapure water is produced using the treated water. A method for producing ultrapure water.

5. A cylindrical tower body, A first packed layer containing first resin particles that fills the inside of the tower body and comes into contact with the water to be treated, A second packed layer containing second resin particles different from the first resin particles is packed inside the tower body on the upper side of the first packed layer, A permeable partition member, which is positioned at the boundary between the first and second filling layers in an unconstrained manner relative to the tower body, and is made of a material that is flexible enough to be elastically deformable according to the weight of the second resin particles, Equipped with, The partition member has a frame member on its outer edge, A multi-layered, floor-type resin tower for ultrapure water production, characterized in that multiple partition members are connected in such a way that they can be overlapped and unfolded within the same plane to form a partition member assembly.

6. A pre-treatment unit in which raw water is pre-treated, A primary pure water production unit in which the raw water treated by the aforementioned pre-processing unit is filtered, A secondary pure water production unit that produces ultrapure water by increasing the purity of the primary pure water processed by the primary pure water production unit, A multi-layered, floor-type resin tower used for ultrapure water production according to claim 5, provided in at least one of the pre-processing unit, the primary pure water production unit, and the secondary pure water production unit, An ultrapure water production apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

Images