Devices and methods of using small form aluminum in consecutive batch aluminum chlorohydrate processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025270105-A1
Application number	US-202519205437-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2025
Priority date	Mar 2, 2018
Publication date	Aug 28, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of producing aluminum chlorohydrate comprises adding small form aluminum metal pellets to a reactant receiving space of a reactor tank to form a pellet bed; adding aqueous hydrochloric acid to the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank; and continuously circulating the aqueous hydrochloric acid through the pellet bed. In some embodiments, the continuously circulating aqueous hydrochloric acid dispels reaction gases from the pellet bed. Methods described herein can, in some cases, further comprise consecutively adding additional small form aluminum metal pellets to the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank as the small form aluminum metal pellets are consumed in the pellet bed.

First claim

1 . A method of producing aluminum chlorohydrate, comprising:
adding small form aluminum metal pellets to a reactant receiving space of a reactor tank to form a pellet bed; adding aqueous hydrochloric acid to the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank; and continuously circulating the aqueous hydrochloric acid through the pellet bed.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuously circulating aqueous hydrochloric acid dispels reaction gases from the pellet bed.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising consecutively adding additional small form aluminum metal pellets to the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank as the small form aluminum metal pellets are consumed in the pellet bed.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising consecutively adding additional aqueous hydrochloric acid to the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank as the aqueous hydrochloric acid is converted into aluminum chlorohydrate.

5 . The method of any of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the reactor tank comprises a hydration floor positioned proximate to a bottom floor of the reactor tank.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the hydration floor comprises:
a pellet bed facing surface; an opposite reactor floor facing surface; and a plurality of fluid passing holes extending through the hydration floor from the pellet bed facing surface and the reactor floor facing surface.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydration floor comprises one or more standpipes extending away from the pellet bed facing surface, the standpipes being in fluid communication with the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank on the pellet bed facing surface side of the hydration floor and the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank on the reactor floor facing surface side of the hydration floor.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid is continuously circulated through the one or more standpipes from the reactant receiving space on the pellet bed facing surface side of the hydration floor to the reactant receiving space on the reactor floor facing surface side of the hydration floor.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid is continuously circulated through the one or more standpipes using gravity.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the pellet bed is positioned on the pellet bed facing surface of the hydration floor, and the aqueous hydrochloric acid continuously circulates from the reactant receiving space on the reactor floor facing surface side of the hydration plate through the plurality of fluid passing holes into the pellet bed.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydration floor comprises a plurality of hydration plates.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each hydration plate has a shape complimentary to each of the other hydration plates, and the plurality of hydration plates are connectable to form the hydration floor.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the plurality of hydration plates comprises one or more standpipes.

14 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid is continuously circulated through the pellet bed by pumping aqueous hydrochloric acid from a reactant receiving space of the reactor tank on the pellet bed facing surface side of the hydration floor to the reactant receiving space on the reactor floor facing surface side of the hydration floor.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the pellet bed is positioned on the pellet bed facing surface of the hydration floor, and the aqueous hydrochloric acid continuously circulates from the reactant receiving space on the reactor floor facing surface side of the hydration plate through the plurality of fluid passing holes into the pellet bed.

16 . The method of any of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the reactor tank comprises a plurality of fluid dispersing pipes positioned proximate to a bottom floor of the reactor tank.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of fluid dispersing pipes are positioned in the pellet bed.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid is continuously circulated through the pellet bed by being pumped into the pellet bed through the plurality of fluid dispersing pipes.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of fluid dispersing pipes are fluidly connected to a manifold, and the manifold is fluidly connected to a pump.

20 . The method of any of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the reactor tank comprises a one or more standpipes connected to a bottom floor of the reactor tank.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein each standpipe comprises a plurality of fluid dispersing holes positioned along a length of the standpipe.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the one or more standpipes extend from the bottom surface of the reactor tank, through the pellet bed, and out of the pellet bed.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the end of the standpipes positioned outside of the pellet bed is in fluid communication with the reactant receiving space of the reactor tank above the pellet bed.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid is continuously circulated through the one or more standpipes from the reactant receiving space above the pellet bed into the pellet bed through the fluid dispersing holes of the one or more standpipes.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid is continuously circulated through the one or more standpipes using gravity.

Assignees

• C Koe Metals L P
• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Mctaggart Chase
• Hodges Brian
• Koetting Charles
• Macdonnell Frederick M
• Dennis Brian
• Hulsizer Mark

Classifications

• C01F7/56

  Chlorides (containing fluorine C01F7/52) · CPC title

• B01J2208/00911

  Sparger-type feeding elements · CPC title

• B01J19/249

  Plate-type reactors · CPC title

• B01J8/44

  Fluidisation grids · CPC title

• B01J8/34

  with stationary packing material in the fluidised bed, e.g. bricks, wire rings, baffles · CPC title