US 12,227,441 B2
Mineral recovery enhanced desalination (MRED) process for desalination and recovery of commodity minerals
Bruce Thomson, Albuquerque, NM (US); Kerry Howe, Albuquerque, NM (US); Ayush R Shahi, Englewood, CO (US); and Sugam Tandukar, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to UNM Rainforest Innovations, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by UNM Rainforest Innovations, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Apr. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/301,617.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/007,620, filed on Apr. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0317026 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. C02F 9/00 (2023.01); C01D 3/06 (2006.01); C01F 5/14 (2006.01); C02F 1/20 (2023.01); C02F 1/42 (2023.01); C02F 1/44 (2023.01); C02F 1/52 (2023.01); C02F 101/10 (2006.01); C02F 101/12 (2006.01); C02F 103/08 (2006.01); C02F 103/18 (2006.01); C04B 11/26 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 9/00 (2013.01) [C01D 3/06 (2013.01); C01F 5/14 (2013.01); C04B 11/264 (2013.01); C02F 1/20 (2013.01); C02F 1/42 (2013.01); C02F 2001/425 (2013.01); C02F 1/442 (2013.01); C02F 1/52 (2013.01); C02F 2101/101 (2013.01); C02F 2101/12 (2013.01); C02F 2103/08 (2013.01); C02F 2103/18 (2013.01); C02F 2303/16 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for treating brackish or saline water comprising, performing, in sequence, the unit operations of low pH degasification; high pH precipitation; ion exchange, nanofiltration, and desalination to produce high quality desalinated water; wherein
commodity materials are selectively obtained from at least one of the high pH precipitation, ion exchange, and nanofiltration unit operations;
wherein the commodity material comprises sodium chloride salt brine and using the sodium chloride salt brine to regenerate an ion exchange column in the ion exchange unit operation; and
low pH de gasification occurs at a pH of less than 5;
high pH precipitation occurs at a pH greater than 10.5; and
high quality desalinated water is water with total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of less than 500 mg/L.