(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2008/0302728A1 Wang Et Al
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US 20080302728A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2008/0302728A1 Wang et al. (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 11, 2008 (54) SULFUR-IMPREGNATED ORGANOCLAY (22) Filed: Jun. 5, 2007 MERCURY AND/OR ARSENC ON REMOVAL MEDIA Publication Classification (51) Int. Cl. (75) Inventors: Zhen Wang, Hoffman Estates, IL CO2F I/28 (2006.01) (US); Robert Abraham, BOLD IS/00 (2006.01) Bolingbrook, IL (US) BOI 20/2 (2006.01) Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl. ............................ 210/688; 210/690: 502/80 MARSHALL, GERSTEIN & BORUN LLP 233 S. WACKER DRIVE, SUITE 6300, SEARS (57) ABSTRACT TOWER The use of a Sulfur-impregnated organoclay provides a mer CHICAGO, IL 60606 (US) cury or arsenic removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and mercury removal ability. The Hg/AS removal (73) Assignee: AMCOL International media described herein is prepared by impregnating an orga Corporation, Arlington Heights, IL nophilic clay with elemental (free state) sulfur. Alternatively, (US) the clay can be made organophilic by onium ion reaction prior to or simultaneously with impregnating the organoclay with (21) Appl. No.: 11/810,363 sulfur. Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 1 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 £GZ0Z990 seuunioApeg 0 | (udd) uoleiueauoo () fi Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 2 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 'Zaun6!-- sauun?oApag 090/09090?7090Z0||0 9| (Ludd) uoeueouoso () 5H Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 3 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 €3.Infil-H Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 4 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 5 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 SNS.SriSri SSSt F s N SS 63 N 61 56C 59 111 a 5B 11g - - - - - FIG. 5 Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 6 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 Patent Application Publication Dec. 11, 2008 Sheet 7 of 8 US 2008/0302728A1 FIG. 8 44 N 57 55 76 . ... 76 US 2008/0302728A1 Dec. 11, 2008 SULFUR-IMPREGNATED ORGANOCLAY types of mercury and arsenic, including organic mercury and MERCURY AND/OR ARSENC ON arsenic compounds, mercury metal (Zero Valent); arsenite and REMOVAL MEDIA arsenate compounds; arsenic ions (both III and V valent); and mercury ions (both I and II valent). When the organic-based FIELD OF THE INVENTION mercury and/or arsenic is involved, the adsorption mecha nism of partition could be involved in addition to chemical 0001. The present invention is directed to compositions: bonding. In addition, the Hg/AS removal media described methods of manufacturing the compositions; and methods of herein also is effective to remove oil, grease and other organic using the compositions for removing mercury (organic mer contaminant molecules. The media will be spent eventually cury, Hg, Hg"; and/or Hg") and/or arsenic (As and/or when all of the adsorption sites are saturated. The actual As") from water. The compositions, also identified hereinas media life will depend on the contaminated water composi “media', or “mercury removal media', or “arsenic removal tions and the field operation conditions. media', or “Hg/AS removal media', can be used to remove 0005 Greco U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,526 describes a clay mercury and/or arsenic from any water source and is particu based heavy metal removal media prepared by reacting a fatty larly useful for removal of mercury and/or arsenic from drink mercaptan, e.g., dodecylmercaptan, with a fatty alkyl-con ing water, industrial wastewater, contaminated groundwater, taining quaternary ammonium compound. As described, the contaminated sediment; offshore produced water, so that the mercaptan's hydrophobic fatty alkyl group associates in some produced water can be returned to the ocean; and for removal of mercury and/or arsenic from aqueous mining wastes. The manner with the fatty alkyl group of the quaternary ammo Hg/AS removal media comprises a homogeneous, preferably nium compound. extruded composition comprising a layered phyllosilicate, elemental Sulfur (free state Sulfur), and an organic phyllosili SUMMARY cate surface treating agent, preferably an onium cation, 0006. It has been found in accordance with the present resulting in an organoclay containing Sulfur. The Sulfur is invention that the use of a Sulfur-impregnated organoclay bonded to the phyllosilicate covalently, ionically, physically, provides a mercury and arsenic removal media having or by a combination of mechanisms. increased reactivity, stability, and mercury and arsenic removal ability. The Hg/AS removal media described herein is BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART prepared by impregnating an organophilic clay with elemen 0002 The technologies available for mercury and arsenic tal (free state) Sulfur. Alternatively, a clay can be made orga removal. Such as precipitation, coagulation/co-precipitation, nophilic by treating the clay with a Surface-treating agent, activated carbon adsorption, ion-exchange and the like, are Such as a polymer capable of increasing the d-spacing of the not sufficiently effective for mercury and arsenic (arsenite clay platelets, or preferably, withonium ions prior to or simul and arsenate compounds) removal. This assignee's organo taneously with impregnating the resulting organoclay with clay has been proven effective on a variety of organic con sulfur. taminants in the last decade. See, for example, this assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,951; 6,398,966; 6,409,924; and 6,749, BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 757, incorporated herein by reference. A new Hg/AS filtration 0007 FIGS. 1 and 2 are graphs showing the mercury media, described herein, can be operated in a similar fashion, removal efficacy of the Hg/AS removal media described in the or together with the organoclay media, but is much more examples; effective for mercury or arsenic removal. 0003. The Hg/AS removal media described herein has a 0008 FIG. 3 is a graph showing the arsenic removal similar physical form to the organoclays used for organic results for the Hg/AS removal media of Example 6: contaminant removal and can be similarly packed in a canis 0009 FIG. 4 is a side view of an offshore oil well drilling ter or cartridge, as described in the above-listed patents. In platform generally showing the Hg/AS removal media held addition, the Hg/AS removal media described herein can be within a canister attached to an offshore oil well drilling deployed in single layer or multi-layer water-permeable mats, platform Support structure with an alternative placement of a as described in this assignee's published applications, Ser. Sump tank; Nos.10/718,128, filed Nov. 19, 2003 (Publication No. 2005 0010 FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a 01.013707 A1), Ser. No. 1 1/221,019, filed Sep. 7, 2005 (Pub vessel containing a plurality of Hg/AS removal media-con lication No. 2006/0000767 A1), Ser. No. 1 1/489,383, filed taining cartridges or canisters for efficient removal of mer Jul. 19, 2006, (Publication No. 2006-0286888A1), Ser. No. cury and arsenic contained in water; 1 1/599,080, filed Nov. 14, 2006 (Publication No. 2007 0011 FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a preferred embodi 0059542 A1); and Ser. No. 1 1/741,376, filed Apr. 27, 2007, all ment of a vessel containing a plurality of Hg/AS removal of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Fundamen media-containing cartridges or canisters; tally, the Hg/AS removal media is based on organoclay tech (0012 FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the header of the vessel nology but it has been Substantially modified using several shown in FIG. 6 and openings within the header for receiving unique chemistries to enhance adsorption of mercury and permeable conduits each of which can extend through a stack arsenic-containing compounds. The mechanism of mercury of cartridges or canisters as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6: adsorption is based upon chemical bonding, ionic bonding, 0013 FIG. 8 is a partially broken-away side view of an mechanical bonding, or a combination thereof. The mercury embodiment of a Hg/AS removal media-containing vessel, and/or arsenic will be bonded to the media's external and containing multiple, stacked cartridges (FIGS. 5 and 6); and internal Surfaces and the bonding process is non-reversible. 0014 FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a preferred embodi 0004. The Hg/AS removal media described herein is effec ment of a mercury removal media-containing cartridge tive on all sources of mercury and arsenic including organic shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. US 2008/0302728A1 Dec. 11, 2008 0015. It should be understood that the drawings are not since the clay is now hydrophobic, and dried in an oven to less necessarily to Scale and that the embodiments are sometimes than about 5% water, preferably bone dry. The onium ion illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic Surface modification agent compound or polymer can be representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, added as a solid with the addition to the layered material details which are not necessary for an understanding of the surface modification agent blend of preferably about 20% to present invention or which render other details difficult to about 40% water and/or organic solvent, more preferably at perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of least about 30% water or more, based on the dry weight of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the layered material. Preferably about 30% to about 40% water, particular embodiments illustrated herein. more preferably about 25-35% water, based on the dry weight of the layered material, is included in the onium ion interca DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED lating composition, so that less water is sorbed by the inter EMBODIMENT calate, thereby necessitating less drying energy after onium ion intercalation.