Use of an adsorbent material comprising at least two particular zeolites for the treatment of water

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of an adsorbent material for the treatment of water, said adsorbent material comprising: A) at least one zeolite chosen from LTA-type zeolites and FAU-type zeolites having an Si / Al molar ratio of between 1 and 3, endpoints included; B) at least one zeolite chosen from FAU-type zeolites having an Si / Al molar ratio of between 3 and 30, endpoints excluded, MFI-type zeolites and *BEA-type zeolites; and C) at least one agglomeration binder. The invention also relates to the method for the treatment of water using said adsorbent material.

Description

USE OF AN ADSORBENT MATERIAL COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SPECIFIC ZEOLITHS FOR WATER TREATMENT

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of water treatment, and more particularly to the field of quaternary water treatment. The present invention also relates to the use of specific zeolitic adsorbents for quaternary water treatment, as well as the process of treating water using said specific zeolitic adsorbents.

[0002] Depending on the nature and quantities of impurities present in the water, it is now common practice to classify water treatment processes, for the purpose of purification, according to the following three categories: 1- Primary water treatment aims to separate suspended solids (SS) present in polluted water, such as wastewater; this primary treatment generally uses one or more of the techniques of flocculation, coagulation, decantation, flotation with injection of chemical reagents according to the level of purification required. 2- Secondary treatments use biological treatment processes that take advantage of the properties of certain bacteria, with or without the use of chemical reagents, to eliminate pollutants such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus dissolved in contaminated water, including wastewater. 3- Tertiary treatments, often referred to as the final stage, target the elimination of remaining dissolved solids in the purified and disinfected water, for reuse of the water for other purposes.

[0003] To meet increasingly stringent specifications for the purity of treated water, a fourth category of treatment is beginning to be developed: quaternary treatments. These quaternary treatments use one or more known ultrapurification technologies, such as ozonation, UV treatment, and (photo)catalytic degradation for so-called oxidation treatments, but also ultrafiltration and / or adsorption technologies, for example on activated carbon, diatomaceous earth, clays, zeolites, and others.

[0004] Natural zeolite adsorbents are already commonly used today for water treatment. These natural adsorbents are most often chabazite and clinoptilolite zeolites. However, these adsorbents are frequently impure, with unacceptable effectiveness in many situations, and are therefore not widely used. suitable for finishing treatments or for applications where high degrees of purity are required.

[0005] However, it is becoming increasingly common for quaternary treatments to be implemented to treat soiled or polluted water with not one impurity, but two, three, or even many different impurities, in nature (physical or chemical) and in quantity.

[0006] When feasible, for example when dealing with two well-identified impurities, it is already known to have separate and specific zeolite adsorbent beds for each impurity, or even to mix two different zeolite adsorbents in the same adsorption bed. Unfortunately, the number and nature of the impurities are not always known, or extensive, lengthy, and costly analyses are required, making it difficult to determine the number of adsorbent beds needed, the type of zeolites to use, and the order in which the treatments should be carried out.

[0007] The work of Mr. Henley in “Global water treatment trends and issues”, MD Henley & Associates, Denver, CO, United States (Chapter 29, (2022), 635-655, https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / B978-0-12-822896-8.00003-0) presents the problems related to water treatment and proposes some solutions.

[0008] The article “Zeolite Application in Wastewater Treatment” (LF de Magalhâes et al., Adsorption Science & Technology, Hindawi, Volume 2022, Article ID 4544104, 26 pages, https: / / doi.org / 10.1155 / 2022 / 4544104) provides an overview of zeolites that can be used for the removal of various pollutants present in water.

[0009] Recent work by JJ Licato et al. in “Zeolite Composite Materials for the Simultaneous Removal of Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products, and Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances in Water Treatment”, (https: / / doi.org / 10.1021 / acsestwater.2c00024), ACS EST Water 2022, 2, 1046-1055, highlights the difficulties encountered in predicting the natures of zeolites to be used to effectively adsorb pharmaceuticals and PFAs dissolved in water.

[0010] Despite all these documents enriching the knowledge of the person in the trade, there remains today a need for a versatile adsorbent material, that is to say, one capable of adsorbing more than two, advantageously more than three, or even more than four different impurities present in a liquid or gaseous matrix.

[0011] Indeed, it would be desirable to have a single zeolitic adsorbent material capable of adsorbing different impurities, and in particular a zeolitic adsorbent material possessing multiple and different adsorption characteristics. capable of adsorbing both small molecules and larger molecules, hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules, organic and inorganic molecules, or molecules that can be oxidized or reduced.

[0012] Therefore, it would be desirable to have a versatile zeolitic adsorbent material usable for quaternary water treatment, capable of adsorbing a large number of different impurities of several types, without it being necessary to identify beforehand the different impurities present in the water to be purified.

[0013] More specifically, one objective of the invention is to eliminate micropollutants resistant to existing conventional quaternary treatments, such as ozonation, catalytic oxidation, adsorption on carbons or ion exchange resins, membrane filtration, and others, by a treatment on a single bed of so-called "versatile" zeolitic adsorbent material combining several active materials for the removal, treatment, of said pollutants.

[0014] With such a versatile zeolitic adsorbent material, it would therefore be possible to consider quaternary treatment, or even purification, of water, for example, drinking water entering cities (water treatment plants, purification), or wastewater, to name just a few illustrative examples. Such a versatile zeolitic adsorbent material should be effective without requiring complete and precise identification of all the impurities to be removed, often defined by families of molecules and their derivatives and / or metabolites, for example, mercury ions / organomercury compounds, though this example is not exhaustive.

[0015] Thus, a first objective of the present invention is to propose the use of a versatile zeolitic adsorbent material for water treatment, preferably for quaternary water treatment, said versatile zeolitic adsorbent material allowing the removal of a large number of impurities, more specifically more than two impurities, or even more than three impurities, and this, concomitantly, without it being necessary to proceed with a mixture of several different adsorbent materials and / or without it being necessary to implement several superimposed beds of adsorbents or installed in a series of columns of different adsorbents, and without it being essential to resort to a qualitative and / or quantitative analysis of the impurities to be removed.

[0016] Another objective is to propose a versatile adsorbent material capable of removing micropollutants resistant to existing conventional quaternary treatments such as ozonation, catalytic oxidation, adsorption on carbon or exchange resins. ion filtration, membrane filtration, and other methods, by treatment on a single bed of versatile adsorbent material for the treatment of said pollutants.

[0017] Another objective is to provide a versatile and effective adsorbent material for removing a wide variety of impurities, without requiring adjustments or modifications to the nature of said versatile adsorbent material depending on the impurities to be removed. The ultimate goal is to provide a universal, versatile adsorbent material. Further objectives will be detailed in the description of the present invention that follows.

[0018] The inventors have now discovered that the aforementioned objectives can be achieved in whole or at least in part, through the present invention which relates to the use of a versatile zeolite adsorbent material, which material comprises at least two zeolites and possibly other adsorbent materials.

[0019] Thus, according to a first aspect, the present invention relates to the use, for water treatment, of an adsorbent material comprising: A) at least one zeolite chosen from LTA type zeolites and FAU type zeolites, FAU type zeolites having a Si / Al molar ratio between 1 and 3, inclusive, B) at least one zeolite chosen from among FAU type zeolites with a Si / Al molar ratio between 3 and 30, excluding limits, MFI type zeolites and *BEA type zeolites, and C) at least one agglomeration binder.

[0020] Water treatment refers to the removal of impurities present in water, and more specifically, quaternary water treatment as described above. The impurities, pollutants, or contaminants that can be removed through the use of the adsorbent material according to the invention are specifically those contaminants that can be eliminated by quaternary water treatment.Such contaminants are well known to those skilled in the art and include, by way of non-limiting examples, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and metabolites of these contaminants, including pesticide metabolites, but also among the perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), especially short-chain PFAs, but also branched ethers such as, by way of non-limiting examples, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether, ter-amyl methyl ether, nitrosamines, phenols, heavy metals, and others, to name only the most commonly encountered contaminants.

[0021] Contaminants in water treated using the present invention can thus be easily and effectively removed, which means in particular that the levels of impurities to be eliminated and after use of the adsorbent material according to the invention are advantageously zero or at least below the detection limits of said impurities.

[0022] Among FAU type zeolites with a Si / AI molar ratio between 1 and 3 inclusive, LSX, MSX, X and Y zeolites are preferred, preferably chosen from among X and Y zeolites.

[0023] Among LTA type zeolites, 4A and 5A zeolites are preferred.

[0024] Among zeolites with a Si / AI molar ratio strictly greater than 3, preference is given to those chosen from FAU type zeolites with a Si / AI molar ratio strictly greater than 3 and less than or equal to 30, MFI type zeolites and *BEA type zeolites.

[0025] Among FAU type zeolites with a Si / Al molar ratio between 3 and 30, ratios between 4 and 30 are preferred, preferably between 4 and 20, even better between 5 and 15, and advantageously between 5 and 8, and in particular FAU-Y type zeolites that have undergone one or more desalumination treatments according to any method well known to the person skilled in the art.

[0026] Among MFI type zeolites, preferred are MFI zeolites with a Si / AI ratio between 10 and 50, preferably 12 to 40 inclusive, and also MFIs with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800, preferably 100 to 300 inclusive, as well as purely silicic MFIs, for example Silicalite-1.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the adsorbent material usable within the scope of the present invention may further comprise one or more of the adsorbent species selected from: • porous materials based on carbon, such as activated carbons and carbon molecular sieves; • diatomaceous earth; • metal oxides, typically transition metal oxides, including mixed oxides, for example zinc, iron, titanium, copper, zirconium, manganese, silver oxides and their combinations; • zeolites of the CHA, HEU, MOR, MEL, LTL type; • zeotypes such as, for example, aluminophosphates, titanosilicates, porous organic and / or organometallic materials, including MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks) such as ZIFs (Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks), COFs (Covalent Organic Frameworks), and others; and • mesoporous silicas, such as for example those chosen from SBA, MCM, in particular MCM-41.

[0028] In the present invention, it must be understood that all the terms mentioned concerning "zeolites" and "porous materials" encompass the hierarchically porosity homologues of said zeolites and porous materials, that is to say, the homologues having pores at several scales: micropores (less than 2 nm), mesopores (2 nm to 50 nm) and sometimes macropores (more than 50 nm).

[0029] It should also be understood that the zeolites present in the versatile adsorbent material usable within the framework of the present invention include related zeolites, i.e. zeolites which have similar structures and contain other chemical elements, such as iron, zinc and titanium, in addition to the aluminum and silicon which constitute the framework of the zeolitic structure.

[0030] The versatile adsorbent material suitable for use of the present invention generally and most often comprises one or more metals, which may be present in the form of cations, in particular in the form of exchangeable cations or present in metallic form or in the form of oxides, and in this case most often in clusters.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the zeolites included in the multipurpose adsorbent material comprise one or more cations most often chosen from among hydronium, sodium, calcium, lithium, barium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, silver, titanium, manganese, cobalt, and mixtures of two or more of them.

[0032] In general, versatile adsorbent materials are preferred for which the mass ratio component A) / component B) is between 1 / 9 and 9 / 1, preferably between 1 / 6 and 6 / 1, for example between 1 / 2 and 2 / 1, these ratios being understood inclusive.

[0033] Component C) of the multipurpose adsorbent material of the invention is an agglomerating binder that enables the cohesion of components A) and B) to make the multipurpose adsorbent material manageable. The agglomerating binder can be of any type well known to those skilled in the art of adsorbent materials, particularly zeolitic adsorbent materials. Non-limiting examples of agglomerating binders include natural, synthetic, or artificial clays, and in particular clays selected from kaolin, kaolinite, nacrite, dickite, halloysite, attapulgite, sepiolite, montmorillonite, bentonite, illite, and metakaolin, as well as mixtures of two or more of these in any proportion. Clays usable as an agglomerating binder for the multipurpose adsorbent material of the invention can also be delaminated clays.

[0034] The binders usable within the framework of the present invention may also include aluminas, silica including silica sols, silicates, and others, as well as mixtures of two or more of these agglomeration binders.

[0035] The agglomeration binder C) of the multipurpose adsorbent material of the invention can be zeolithized, in whole or at least in part. For zeolithization techniques, reference may be made in particular to the work of DW Breck "Zeolite Molecular Sieves", a Wiley Interscience Publication, (1974), pp. 731 ff.

[0036] The quantity of component C), which is preferably an agglomeration binder, is most often between 0.1% and 60% by weight, preferably between 0.1% and 40% by weight, preferably again between 0.1% and 20% by weight, inclusive of terminals, relative to the total weight of the multipurpose adsorbent material.

[0037] The versatile adsorbent material usable within the framework of the present invention can be prepared according to all classic methods well known to those skilled in the art for preparing adsorbent materials and in particular agglomerated adsorbent materials, such as those described in patent EP2152402.

[0038] In one embodiment, the process for preparing the multipurpose adsorbent material suitable for use with the present invention comprises at least one step of mixing components A), B) and the other porous material(s) mentioned above, then at least one step of mixing and agglomerating, or directly agglomerating the previously obtained mixture, with the agglomeration binder C), then optionally at least one shaping step if desired or desired and finally at least one activation step.

[0039] All these steps are well known to those skilled in the art. The mixture of components A), B), and possibly the other porous material(s), is generally and most often a mixture of solids, in the form of powders or crystals. The mixture can be prepared using any method known per se, according to methods well known to those skilled in the art and described in scientific literature, patents, and on the internet.

[0040] The process for preparing the multipurpose adsorbent material may further include one or more impregnation and / or ion exchange steps to effect a change in polarity, and / or one or more degradation steps by acid, base, or chelating treatment to impart specific adsorption properties to the material based on affinity / polarity, sterility / exclusion, and other factors. In addition, the multipurpose adsorbent material defined above may exhibit highly desirable catalytic properties, particularly under the influence of the metal(s) contained within it.

[0041] It may indeed be advantageous, desirable or even necessary to carry out one or more impregnation or exchange operations (absorption type), particularly with the aim of modifying the polarity, and / or one or more degradation steps by acid, basic or chelating treatment, in order to give the agglomerate particular catalytic or adsorption properties by affinity / polarity, sterility / exclusion.

[0042] The chemical impregnation and / or exchange treatment can be carried out before or after the agglomeration step with the agglomeration binder, on at least one of the porous materials used or on the mixture of one or more, or even all of the porous materials included in the multipurpose adsorbent material of the invention.

[0043] It must be understood that the different zeolites present in the multipurpose adsorbent material for water treatment may contain one or more cations chosen from among the hydronium cation, alkali metal cations (preferably sodium, potassium), alkaline earth metal cations (preferably Mg, Ca), and transition metal cations (preferably Zn, Fe, Cu).

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the zeolitic adsorbent material comprises an MFI type zeolite, the latter is advantageously chosen from the group of MFI type zeolites comprising one or more cations chosen from Na, Li, Ca, hydroniums.

[0045] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the zeolite adsorbent material comprises a type 4A zeolite and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 12 and 50, or alternatively a type 4A zeolite, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 12 and 50 and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina-type or clay-type binder.

[0046] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the zeolite adsorbent material comprises a type 4A zeolite and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, or alternatively a type 4A zeolite, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina-type or clay-type binder.

[0047] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the zeolite adsorbent material comprises a type 4A zeolite and a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio greater than 3, or a type 4A zeolite, a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio greater than 3 and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 12 and 50, or a type 4A zeolite, a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio greater than 3, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 12 and 50 and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder.

[0048] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the zeolite adsorbent material comprises a type 4A zeolite and a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio greater than 3, or alternatively a type 4A zeolite, a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio greater than 3 and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, or alternatively a type 4A zeolite, a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio greater than 3, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina-type or clay-type binder.

[0049] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the zeolite adsorbent material comprises a FAU NaX or FAU NaY type zeolite with a Si / AI ratio < 3 and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 12 and 50, or a FAU NaX or FAU NaY type zeolite with a Si / AI ratio < 3, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 12 and 50 and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder.

[0050] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the zeolite adsorbent material comprises a FAU NaX or FAU NaY type zeolite with a Si / AI ratio < 3 and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, or a FAU NaX or FAU NaY type zeolite with a Si / AI ratio < 3, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder.

[0051] After mixing the various solid components, the versatile adsorbent material is shaped according to any method well known to those skilled in the art and, for example and without limitation, through shaping processes by extrusion, pelletizing, agitation and collisions, allowing the desired shapes and sizes to be achieved.

[0052] Thus, the versatile adsorbent material of the present invention can be in all forms well known to those skilled in the art and for example in the form of solids such as beads, yarns, solid or hollow extrudates, trilobes, quadrilobes, tablets, pellets, granules, film-coated solids, core-shell, and others.

[0053] The versatile adsorbent material, whether in the form of beads, extrudates or other, most often and generally has an average volumetric diameter, or an average length (largest dimension when not spherical), between 0.05 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 0.1 mm and 10 mm, and even more preferably between 0.2 mm and 10 mm.

[0054] In an even more preferred embodiment, the versatile adsorbent material has an average volumetric diameter of between 0.3 mm and 5 mm, considering the smallest dimension of the agglomerate, and between 0.3 mm and 10 mm, considering the largest dimension of the agglomerate.

[0055] In one embodiment of the invention, the versatile adsorbent material advantageously has a size between 0.3 mm and 5 mm (considering the smallest dimension of the material) and between 0.3 mm and 10 mm (considering the largest dimension of the material).

[0056] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multipurpose adsorbent material described above most often exhibits the following mechanical properties: • either a bed crush resistance (REL) measured according to ASTM 7084-04 of between 1 MPa and 5 MPa, preferably between 1.5 MPa and 5 MPa, preferably even more preferably between 2 MPa and 5 MPa, for a material with a mean volume diameter (mvd) or length (largest dimension when the material is not spherical) of less than 1 mm, inclusive of terminals, • either a grain crush resistance, measured according to ASTM D 4179 (2011) and ASTM D 6175 (2013), of between 0.5 daN and 30 daN, preferably between 1 daN and 20 daN, preferably still between 2 daN and 10 daN, for a material of average volume diameter (dso) or length (largest dimension when the material is not spherical), greater than or equal to 1 mm, inclusive.

[0057] It is also preferred, within the scope of the present invention, that the multipurpose adsorbent material exhibits water resistance suitable for its intended uses, that is to say, good or even very good geometric and mechanical stability over time, particularly when the multipurpose adsorbent material is in contact with water. In the context of the present invention, the multipurpose adsorbent material exhibits suitable water resistance when it has a resistance to disintegration typically greater than 80%, preferably greater than 90%.

[0058] Resistance to disintegration is easily measured by a boiling test, which can be performed by immersing a 50 g sample of a known, multipurpose adsorbent material in 400 mL of boiling water for 5 minutes. The supernatant is then removed by decantation, and the multipurpose adsorbent material is gradually dried to 350°C (2-hour holding period). This cycle is repeated three times. Resistance to disintegration is obtained by sieving and weighing the material and is expressed as the mass percentage of sieves remaining within the original particle size range.

[0059] The versatile adsorbent material just defined finds applications in a wide range of fields thanks to its high adsorption capacity for multiple molecules and according to the invention, a particularly interesting use for water purification and more specifically for quaternary water treatment.

[0060] The use according to the present invention is particularly aimed at the treatment of drinking water at the entrance to cities (water treatment plants, purification), but also at the treatment of water from wastewater.

[0061] The invention also relates to the process of treating contaminated water, said process comprising at least the following steps: a) possible pretreatment of said contaminated water, b) contacting with at least one versatile adsorbent material as defined above, and c) recovery of purified water at the end of the previous step.

[0062] Typical examples of contaminated waters that can be implemented in the process of the present invention include, but are not limited to, waters containing contaminants that could not be or have not been removed by quaternary treatment or other equivalent treatment known to those skilled in the art, such as ozonation, catalytic oxidation, adsorption on activated carbon, ion exchange resin treatments, ultrafiltration, and combinations of one or more of these methods.

[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the contaminated water is typically, but not limited to, wastewater which may have already undergone one or more treatments, such as, for example and without limitation, primary treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment, quaternary treatment, and combinations of two or more of them, and in particular one or more pre-purification treatments, for example filtration.

[0064] Wastewater most often and generally refers to domestic wastewater (such as sewage, greywater, and other types), industrial wastewater, mining wastewater, agricultural wastewater, and other types of wastewater. Contaminated water that can be treated by the process of the invention can be surface water as well as groundwater, particularly natural surface or underground water.

[0065] The contaminants of water treated using the present invention or the process of the present invention can be any type of contaminant well known to those skilled in the art, and for example, contaminants selected from, by way of non-limiting examples, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and metabolites of these contaminants, in particular pesticide metabolites, but also from among perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), in particular short-chain PFAs, but also the branched ethers such as, by way of non-limiting examples, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether, ter-amyl methyl ether, nitrosamines, phenols, heavy metals, and others to name only the most commonly encountered contaminants.

[0066] By contacting, we mean a static contact or contact under agitation, for a variable duration, generally and most often between 1 minute and several hours, or a dynamic contact for example by gravity flow, percolation, and other methods well known to man, the treatment by percolation being however preferred.

[0067] The process can be carried out at any temperature, as is well known to those skilled in the art. Most often and generally, the process is carried out at ambient temperature for obvious reasons of economy (either heating or cooling), but the process can be carried out at any temperature where the water and various effluents to be treated are in a liquid state, and advantageously at a temperature between 0°C and a temperature less than or equal to 110°C.

[0068] Thus the versatile adsorbent material can be easily used for the treatment and purification of wastewater and for example water treatment, for example drinking water treatment at the entrance of cities (water treatment plants, drinking water treatment), treatment of water from wastewater.

[0069] Thanks to its versatile adsorption properties, the material used in the present invention allows for the simultaneous treatment of numerous contaminants, thus avoiding the need to associate a specific type of contaminant with a particular adsorbent structure. This eliminates the need for a succession of different adsorbents or numerous successive or sequential treatments, the order of which is often difficult to determine and optimize. The versatile adsorbent material of the invention is therefore particularly well-suited to the treatment and purification of water containing various unspecified and / or unidentified impurities.

[0070] The versatile adsorbent material is therefore particularly interesting when the nature of said impurities (or contaminants) is not known or is known incompletely, thus simplifying, or even avoiding, preliminary steps of chemical analyses which are often complex and therefore long and costly.

[0071] In the process of the invention, the versatile adsorbent material can advantageously be used in one, or even two or more, adsorbent bed columns. The versatile adsorbent material can also be used in combination or in mixtures with other known adsorbents, for example, with activated carbons, either in two-layer adsorbent beds or in two adsorbent beds. In this series, activated carbon represents a first treatment, and the multipurpose adsorbent material described above represents a subsequent treatment. It is also possible for the process to be a multi-layer process, provided that at least one of the layers includes the multipurpose adsorbent material defined previously.

[0072] The present invention is illustrated by means of the following examples, which are not intended to limit the scope of protection sought, the scope of protection being defined by the claims annexed to this description.

[0073] The physical properties of the multipurpose adsorbent material of the invention are evaluated by methods known to those skilled in the art, the main ones of which are recalled below. Particle size of the multipurpose adsorbent material

[0074] The determination of the average volume diameter (or "average volume diameter") of the zeolitic adsorbent material of the process according to the invention is carried out by analyzing the particle size distribution of a sample of adsorbent material by imaging according to ISO 13322-2:2006, using a conveyor belt allowing the sample to pass in front of the camera lens.

[0075] The volume mean diameter is then calculated from the particle size distribution by applying ISO 9276-2:2001. In this document, the terms "volume mean diameter" or "size" are used for zeolitic adsorbent materials. The accuracy is on the order of 0.01 mm for the size range of adsorbent materials useful within the scope of the present invention. Identification of the components of the multipurpose adsorbent material:

[0076] The identification of the different components of the material of the invention, as well as the molar ratios Si / Al, are evaluated by X-ray diffraction analysis, known to those skilled in the art under the acronym DRX, supplemented by elemental chemical analysis by ICP and / or X-ray fluorescence, by solid-state NMR analysis, and SEM-EDX analysis.

[0077] The X-ray fluorescence chemical analysis technique is described in standard NF EN ISO 12677:2011 on a wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (WDXRF). Elemental chemical analysis by ICP is performed by high-frequency induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and described in standards NF EN ISO 21587-3 or NF EN ISO 21079-3. Composition examples

[0078] The following multipurpose adsorbent materials 1 to 6, usable within the scope of the present invention, are prepared as follows: the various components are introduced as dry powders, mixed dry in a kneading-type arm mixer. Water is then introduced into the mixture until a paste is formed. The paste is then extruded and cut to form extrudates 1.6 mm in diameter. The extrudates are then dried at 80°C for 8 hours and subsequently activated at 550°C for 2 hours. Unless otherwise stated, percentages are weight percentages, expressed on the anhydrous materials, i.e., after deducting the loss on ignition after heating at 950°C for 4 hours. Multipurpose adsorbent material 1: Multipurpose adsorbent material 2: Versatile adsorbent material 3: Versatile adsorbent material 4: Versatile adsorbent material 5: Versatile adsorbent material 6:

Claims

DEMANDS 1. Use, for water treatment, of an adsorbent material comprising: A) at least one zeolite chosen from LTA type zeolites and FAU type zeolites, FAU type zeolites having a Si / Al molar ratio between 1 and 3, inclusive, B) at least one zeolite chosen from among FAU type zeolites with a Si / Al molar ratio between 3 and 30, excluding limits, MFI type zeolites and *BEA type zeolites, and C) at least one agglomeration binder.

2. Use according to claim 1, wherein FAU type zeolites with a Si / AI molar ratio between 1 and 3, inclusive, are selected from LSX, MSX, X and Y zeolites, preferably from X and Y zeolites.

3. Use according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein LTA type zeolites are selected from 4A and 5A zeolites.

4. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the zeolites of Si / Al molar ratio strictly greater than 3 are selected from FAU type zeolites of Si / Al molar ratio strictly greater than 3 and less than 30, preferably of a ratio between 4 and 30, preferably between 4 and 20, better still between 5 and 15, and advantageously between 5 and 8.

5. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the MFI type zeolites are selected from MFI zeolites with a Si / AI ratio of 10 to 50, preferably 12 to 40 inclusive, and also MFIs with a Si / AI ratio of 100 to 800, preferably 100 to 300 inclusive, as well as purely silicic MFIs, for example Silicalite-1.

6. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adsorbent material further comprises one or more of the adsorbent species selected from: • porous materials based on carbon, such as activated carbons and carbon molecular sieves; • diatomaceous earth; • metal oxides, typically transition metal oxides, including mixed oxides, for example zinc, iron, titanium, copper, zirconium, manganese, silver oxides and their combinations; • zeolites of the CHA, HEU, MOR, MEL, LTL type; • zeotypes such as, for example, aluminophosphates, titanosilicates, organic and / or organometallic porous materials, including MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks) such as ZIFs (Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks), COFs (Covalent Organic Frameworks); and • mesoporous silicas, such as for example those chosen from SBA, MCM, in particular MCM-41.

7. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the zeolites included in the adsorbent material comprise one or more cations selected from hydronium, sodium, calcium, lithium, barium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, silver, titanium, manganese, cobalt, and mixtures of two or more of them.

8. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adsorbent material comprises a mass ratio component A) / component B) of between 1 / 9 and 9 / 1, preferably between 1 / 6 and 6 / 1, for example between 1 / 2 and 2 / 1, inclusive.

9. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the quantity of component C) is between 0.1% and 60% by weight, preferably between 0.1% and 40% by weight, preferably again between 0.1% and 20% by weight, inclusive of terminals, relative to the total weight of the adsorbent material.

10. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the zeolitic adsorbent material comprises: - a type 4A zeolite and an MFI zeolite with a Si / Al ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder or - a type 4A zeolite, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder.

11. Use according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the zeolitic adsorbent material comprises - a zeolite of type 4A and a zeolite FAU Y with a Si / Al ratio between 3 and 30, excluding limits, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder, or - a type 4A zeolite, a FAU Y zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 3 and 30, excluding limits, and an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder, or - a zeolite of type 4A, a zeolite FAU Y with a Si / AI ratio between 3 and 30, excluding limits, a zeolite MFI with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, and a zeolite *BEA, agglomerated with an alumina or clay type binder.

12. Use according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the zeolitic adsorbent material comprises - a zeolite of the FAU NaX or FAU NaY type with a Si / Al ratio greater than or equal to 1 and strictly less than 3 and an MFI zeolite with a Si / Al ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, agglomerated with an alumina or clay-type binder, or - a zeolite of type FAU NaX or FAU NaY with a Si / AI ratio greater than or equal to 1 and strictly less than 3, an MFI zeolite with a Si / AI ratio between 100 and 800 or a Silicalite-1, and a *BEA zeolite, agglomerated with an alumina or clay type binder.

13. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, for the treatment of drinking water at the entrance to cities, but also for the treatment of water from wastewater.

14. A process for treating contaminated water comprising at least the following steps: a) optional pretreatment of said contaminated water, b) contacting with at least one adsorbent material as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12, and c) recovery of purified water at the end of the preceding step.

15. A process for treating contaminated water according to claim 14, wherein the contaminants are selected from hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and metabolites of these contaminants, perfluoroalkyls (PFAs), branched ethers, nitrosamines, phenols and heavy metals.

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