Composite Metal-Removing Composition for Water Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an effective method to remove metal contaminants, such as heavy metals, from various solutions to prevent adverse health effects and water-borne diseases, as existing methods are inadequate in efficiently reducing metal concentrations to safe levels.
Innovation Solution
A composition and method involving a substrate, an organic ion, and a metal-binding agent are used to contact a metal-containing solution, where the substrate can be natural or synthetic clay, zeolite, or polymer resin, the organic ion includes quaternary amines or imidazolium salts, and the metal-binding agent comprises mercaptans or carboxylic acids, reducing metal concentrations by greater than 75% through filtration or other separation techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional metal removal methods are used, then some metal removal is achieved, but the metal concentration cannot be reduced to safe levels efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite material comprising a substrate (natural or synthetic clay, zeolite, or polymer resin) combined with a metal-binding agent (mercaptan, carboxylic acid, or chelating agent) to create a highly effective metal removal composition. This composite structure allows the substrate to provide structural support and surface area while the metal-binding agent provides specific chemical binding sites for metal contaminants, achieving greater than 75% metal concentration reduction and ensuring safety of the treated solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the removal composition by selecting specific metal-binding agents with different binding mechanisms (mercaptans for soft metal ions, carboxylic acids for hard metal ions, chelating agents for multiple metal ions). This parameter optimization allows the composition to effectively reduce metal concentrations to safe levels by targeting specific metal contaminants with appropriate binding chemistries.
2Ease of manufacture
If a simple substrate is used, then the composition is easy to manufacture, but metal removal efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines simple, readily available substrates (natural clay, synthetic clay, zeolite, or polymer resin) with metal-binding agents to create a composite material that maintains ease of manufacture while dramatically improving metal removal efficiency. The substrate provides a readily available, easy-to-handle base material, while the added metal-binding agent enhances the chemical binding capability, achieving greater than 75% metal concentration reduction without complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality enhancement by coating or impregnating the substrate with metal-binding agents at specific locations or surfaces. This allows the bulk substrate to remain simple and easy to manufacture, while the surface or active regions are enhanced with metal-binding functionality, achieving high metal removal efficiency without requiring the entire material structure to be complex.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing metal removal methods are used, then some treatment is provided, but adverse health effects and water-borne diseases cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite material with enhanced metal-binding capability to achieve greater than 75% metal concentration reduction, effectively preventing adverse health effects and water-borne diseases. The combination of substrate and metal-binding agent creates a synergistic effect that provides the high removal efficiency needed to reduce metal contaminants to safe levels, addressing the harmful effects that simple substrates cannot prevent.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the removal efficiency parameter by selecting and optimizing metal-binding agents with high affinity and selectivity for specific metal contaminants. This parameter optimization enables the composition to reduce metal concentrations to levels that prevent adverse health effects and water-borne diseases, achieving the necessary manufacturing precision for public health protection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively reduces metal concentrations in solutions by greater than 75%, making the treated solution safer by removing contaminants like arsenic, lead, and iron, demonstrating its efficacy in improving water quality.
Implementation Method 1
a metal-binding agent, and recovering a solution having a lowered metal concentration
Implementation Method 2
contacting the metal-containing solution with a metal-removing composition comprising a substrate, an organic ion, and a metal binding agent
Implementation Method 3
an organic ion... The organic ion may comprise quaternary amines, imidazolium salts, phosphonium salts
Data Source
AI summary
A composition comprising a substrate, an organic ion, and a metal binding agent, wherein the substrate comprises a natural clay, a synthetic clay, a natural zeolite, a synthetic zeolite, a polymer resin, lignite, kaolinite, serpentine, illite, chlorite, smectite, montmorillonite, saponite, sepiolite, nontronite, beidellite, hectorite, fuller's earth, attapulgite, bentonite, analcime, chabazite, heulandite, natrolite, phillipsite, stilbite, diethyl aminoethyl, quaternary aminoethyl, or combinations thereof, wherein the organic ion comprises quaternary amines, imidazolium salts, phosphonium salts, tetra alkyl ammonium, bis-(hydrogenated tallow)-dimethyl-ammonium chloride, bis-(hydrogenated tallow)-benzyl-methyl-ammonium chloride, 4,5-dihydro-1-methyl-2-nortallow-alkyl-1-(2-tallow-amidoethyl)-imidazolium methyl sulfate, 1-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-(8-heptadecenyl)-imidazolium ethyl sulfate, or combinations thereof, and wherein the metal-binding agent comprises mercaptan, carboxylic acid, chelating agents, amines, esters, carboxylic acids, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, alkenes, alkynes, mercaptans, thiols, tert-dodecanethiol, nonanethiol, octanethiol, n-stearic acid, iso-stearic acid, palmitic acid, or combinations thereof.