US 12,138,576 B2
Product for metal adsorption
Bo Wang, Union City, CA (US); and Dennis Parker, Victor, ID (US)
Assigned to Active Minerals International, LLC, Sparks, MD (US)
Filed by Active Minerals International, LLC, Sparks, MD (US)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/533,964.
Application 18/533,964 is a division of application No. 17/396,016, filed on Aug. 6, 2021, granted, now 11,883,772.
Prior Publication US 2024/0109018 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. B01D 53/04 (2006.01); C09D 183/08 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 53/04 (2013.01) [C09D 183/08 (2013.01); B01D 2253/11 (2013.01); B01D 2253/306 (2013.01); B01D 2257/602 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. A method for adsorbing at least one heavy metal in a liquid, the method comprising:
mixing for 1-60 minutes the liquid with a product comprising attapulgite that includes 9-14 wt. % moisture as measured at 104° C. wherein the attapulgite has been surface functionalized with a surface coating agent that includes one or more mercury affinity functional groups that chemically bond to the attapulgite surface; and
separating the product from the liquid to recover a resultant liquid that has a lower amount of mercury and/or lead than the liquid had prior to the mixing,
wherein the weight percentage of the components of the product includes: 91-99 wt. % attapulgite, and 1-9 wt. % surface coating agent that includes the one or more mercury affinity functional groups,
wherein the product has a surface area in the range of 115-145 m2/g as measured using the BET method,
wherein the heavy metal include es mercury and/or lead,
wherein a removal efficiency of the product for mercury is 60-100%, at a loading of 0.1-1.25 g of the product per liter of the liquid, and/or a removal efficiency of the product for lead is 40-70%, at a loading of 0.1-1.25 g of the product per liter of the liquid.