	US 12,145,856 B2
	Purification of ores using boronic acid-functional compounds
Ryan Travis Chester, Connolly (AU); and John D. Kildea, Baldivis (AU)
Assigned to Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Feb. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/669,568.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/148,649, filed on Feb. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0259061 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. C01F 7/06 (2022.01)

CPC C01F 7/06 (2013.01)

9 Claims

1. A method of increasing the yield of alumina from a bauxite ore, the process comprising:

combining the bauxite ore with water to form a bauxite slurry,

adding an effective amount of boronic acid functional polymer to the bauxite slurry to form a treated slurry; and

processing the treated slurry to yield an alumina product,

wherein the method excludes adding compounds having 1,2-diol or 1,3-diol moieties to the bauxite slurry or the treated slurry; and

wherein an effective amount of the boronic acid functional polymer is the amount of the boronic acid functional polymer added to the bauxite slurry to obtain a yield of alumina that is at least 0.5% higher by weight than the yield of alumina obtained from the corresponding untreated slurry processed according to the same process as the treated slurry.

8. A method comprising combining a composition with a bauxite ore, the composition comprising a boronic acid functional polymer and water and excluding polysaccharides.