Polymer-functionalized magnetic particle embodiments for solute separation, and devices and systems for using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020384480-A1
Application number	US-202016741388-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2020
Priority date	Jun 5, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a polymer-functionalized particle for using in isolating and extracting solutes, such as rare earth metals, lithium, and the like. The polymer-functionalized particles exhibit strong resistance to agglomeration and degradation even in high ionic strength and/or temperature environments. A post-particle synthesis method for making the polymer-functionalized particle is disclosed, along with a magnetic separation device and that can be used in system embodiments to facilitate use and regeneration of the polymer-functionalized particles in solute extraction.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A polymer-functionalized particle, comprising:
a magnetic core; a shell surrounding the magnetic core, wherein the shell comprises a metal-organic framework material; and a polymer component that substantially surrounds the shell.

2 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic core comprises iron or an alloy thereof, nickel or an alloy thereof, an iron oxide or an alloy thereof, a nickel oxide or an alloy thereof, or any combination thereof.

3 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic core comprises iron oxide, cobalt, or nickel.

4 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , further comprising one or more ligand species associated with the shell.

5 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component comprises one or more functional groups that coordinates with the shell, wherein the functional groups are selected from sulfonate groups, ether groups, hydroxyl groups, carbonyl groups, amine groups, amide groups, or a combination thereof.

6 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component is a sulfonate-containing polymer or an amine-containing polymer.

7 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component is poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) sodium salt or poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) ammonium salt.

8 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component is a polyethyleneimine polymer having an average molecular weight ranging from 8,000 to 12,000.

9 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 8 , wherein the polyethyleneimine polymer comprises 25% primary amine groups, 25% secondary amine groups, and 50% tertiary amine groups.

10 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the metal-organic framework material comprises chromium, terephthalate, and benzoic acid, or a benzoic acid derivative.

11 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-functionalized particle exhibits colloidal stability in a solution having a pH ranging from 4 to 10, such that a hydrodyamic diameter of the polymer-functionalized particle, and/or an average hydrodynamic diameter of a plurality of polymer-functionalized particles, does not change by 45% or more as compared to a hydrodyamic diameter of an identical particle without the polymer component, and/or an average hydrodynamic diameter of a plurality of identical particles without the polymer component.

12 . A polymer-functionalized particle, comprising:
a jarosite material; and a polymer component associated with the jarosite material.

13 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 12 , wherein the jarosite material satisfies a formula AM 3 (OH) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 , wherein A is an ion having a +1 charge and wherein M is an ion having a +3 charge.

14 . The polymer-functionalized particle of claim 12 , wherein the jarosite material is (NH 4 )Fe 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6 and the polymer component is a sulfonate-containing polymer or an amine-containing polymer.

15 . A method for making the polymer-functionalized particle of claim 1 , comprising combining a polymer component solution and a pre-made particle comprising (i) a magnetic core and (ii) a shell comprising a metal-organic framework material that surrounds the magnetic core.

16 . A device, comprising:
a flow tube having a hollow interior; a collection component positioned within the hollow interior of the flow tube; a collection matrix material attached to a portion of the collection component; and an electromagnet comprising two magnets, wherein the flow tube is positioned between the two magnets.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the device comprises one or more additional flow tubes each having a hollow interior, wherein each additional flow tube also comprises a collection component within its hollow interior and a collection matrix material attached to a portion of the collection component and wherein all flow tubes are positioned parallel to one another and between the two magnets.

18 . A system, comprising:
a fluid feed zone comprising a feed source, one or more valves, and a residence tube component; a magnetic separation zone comprising one or more valves and two or more magnetic separation devices, wherein each magnetic separation device comprises (i) a flow tube having a hollow interior; (ii) a collection component positioned within the hollow interior of the flow tube; (iii) a collection matrix material attached to a portion of the collection component; and an electromagnet comprising two magnets, wherein the flow tube is positioned between the two magnets; a solute isolation zone, comprising a mixer, one or more separator components, and a filter; a magnetic particle regeneration zone, comprising an aqueous salt solution source, one or more mixers, a separator component, and one or more pumps; and a stripping fluid flow loop, comprising a stripping fluid source, one or more holding tanks, and a pump.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein (i) the fluid feed zone and the stripping fluid flow loop are fluidly coupled to the magnetic separation zone; (ii) the magnetic separation zone is fluidly coupled to the solute isolation zone; (iii) the solute isolation zone is fluidly coupled to the stripping fluid flow loop and a magnetic particle regeneration zone, which is fluidly coupled to the fluid feed zone.

20 . A method, comprising:
(i) introducing a feed fluid comprising a polymer-functionalized particle into a system according to claim 18 ; (ii) applying a magnetic field to at least one of the magnetic separation devices of the system as the feed fluid passes through one or more of the magnetic separation devices; (iii) turning off the magnetic field; (iv) passing a stripping fluid provided by the stripping fluid source through one or more of the magnetic separation devices; (v) separating the polymer-functionalized particles from any solutes freed from the polymer-functionalized particles by the stripping fluid; (vi) isolating the solutes; (vii) exposing the polymer-functionalized particles to an aqueous salt solution provided by the aqueous salt solution source to provide regenerated polymer-functionalized particles; and (viii) adding the regenerated polymer-functionalized particles to the feed fluid.

21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising repeating steps (ii) to (viii).

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the polymer-functionalized particle is (i) a jarosite particle functionalized with a polymer component; or (ii) a polymer-functionalized particle comprising a magnetic core, a shell surrounding the magnetic core comprising a metal-organic framework material, and a polymer component that substantially surrounds the shell.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Liu Jian
• Mcgrail B Peter
• Nune Satish
• Sinnwell Michael
• Thallapally Praveen

Classifications

• B01J20/3475

  in the liquid phase · CPC title

• B01J20/3293

  Coatings on a core, the core being particle or fiber shaped, e.g. encapsulated particles, coated fibers · CPC title

• B01J20/3289

  Coatings involving more than one layer of same or different nature · CPC title

• B01J20/3268

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• B01J20/28009

  Magnetic properties · CPC title