Metal scavenging polymers and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8927637-B2
Application number	US-201213538030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2012
Priority date	Apr 6, 2010
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

A polymer, a composition, and uses for either are disclosed. The polymer is derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, and has attached to the polymer backbone a functional group capable of scavenging at least one metal. The polymer has a polymer backbone with a fluorescing quantity of conjugated double bonds, thereby providing a method for controlling metal scavenging via fluorescence. These polymers have many uses in various media, including wastewater systems.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of removing at least one metal from a medium comprising the at least one metal, the method comprising:
treating the medium comprising the at least one metal with a polymer, the polymer comprising a polymer backbone, the polymer backbone comprising chemical bonds, the polymer backbone derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, and wherein the acrylic-x has the following formula:

wherein X=OR, OH and salts thereof, or NHR 2 , wherein R is independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an alkene group; and wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from H, an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an alkene group; wherein the molecular weight of the polymer backbone is between 500 to 200,000 Daltons; wherein the chemical bonds of the polymer backbone are comprised of a fluorescing quantity of conjugated double bonds; and wherein the polymer is functionalized by attaching to the polymer backbone a functional group capable of scavenging the at least one metal;
allowing the polymer to scavenge a quantity of the at least one metal to create a scavenged compound; and
collecting the scavenged compound.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional group comprises at least one sulfide compound.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional group is a dithiocarbamate salt group and wherein the polymer is between 5 to 100 percent functionalized with the dithiocarbamate salt group based upon the total possible functionalization of the polymer backbone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal is selected from the group consisting of: copper, nickel, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, silver, iron, manganese, palladium, platinum, strontium, selenium, arsenic, cobalt, gold, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a second treating of the process stream with a complexing amount of a water soluble ethylene dichloride ammonia polymer having a molecular weight of from 500 to 100,000 Daltons and functionalized from 5 to 50% with dithiocarbamate salt groups.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: applying an oxidizing agent to a heat generating system flue gas; optionally wherein the oxidizing agent oxidizes a target species at a temperature of at least 500° C.; optionally wherein the target species is elemental mercury or derivatives thereof; and optionally wherein the oxidizing agent is at least one of the following: a thermolabile molecular halogen, calcium bromide, and a halogen comprising compound.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adjusting the medium to an acidic pH after the collecting.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer backbone has been polymerized within a temperature range of greater than 160 degrees Celsius to 225 degrees Celsius.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer backbone has been polymerized at a temperature of 225 degrees Celsius.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkylamine has a range of carbon atoms from 2 to 14, and a range of nitrogen atoms from 2 to 8.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated double bonds comprise at least 10% of the chemical bonds of the polymer backbone.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is added to the medium as part of a composition, the composition comprising the polymer and at least one additional compound.

13. A polymer comprising a polymer backbone, the polymer backbone comprising chemical bonds, wherein the polymer backbone is derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, and wherein the acrylic-x has the following formula:

wherein X=OR, OH and salts thereof, or NHR 2 , wherein R is independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an alkene group; and wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from H, an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an alkene group; wherein the molecular weight of the polymer backbone is between 500 to 200,000 Daltons; wherein the chemical bonds of the polymer backbone are comprised of a fluorescing quantity of conjugated double bonds; and wherein the polymer is functionalized by attaching to the polymer backbone a functional group capable of scavenging at least one metal in a medium.

14. A composition comprising a polymer, the polymer comprising a polymer backbone, the polymer backbone comprising chemical bonds, wherein the polymer backbone is derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, and wherein the acrylic-x has the following formula:

wherein X=OR, OH and salts thereof, or NHR 2 , wherein R is independently selected from an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an alkene group; and wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from H, an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an alkene group; wherein the molecular weight of the polymer backbone is between 500 to 200,000 Daltons; wherein the chemical bonds of the polymer backbone are comprised of a fluorescing quantity of conjugated double bonds; and wherein the polymer is functionalized by attaching to the polymer backbone a functional group capable of scavenging at least one metal in a medium.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the functional group comprises at least one sulfide compound.

16. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the functional group is a dithiocarbamate salt group and wherein the polymer is between 5 to 100 percent functionalized with the dithiocarbamate salt group based upon the total possible functionalization of the polymer backbone.

17. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the acrylic-x is acrylic acid or salts thereof, and the alkylamine is selected from the group consisting of: pentaethylenehexamine, tetraethylenepentamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetraamine, ethylenediamine, and any combination thereof; and wherein the molar ratio between acrylic-x and alkylamine is from 0.85 to 1.5; and wherein the molecular weight of the polymer backbone is from 1,500 to 8,000 Daltons; and wherein the functional group is dithiocarbamic acid or salts thereof and the polymer is at least 55 percent functionalized based upon the total possible functionalization of the polymer backbone.

18. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the acrylic-x is acrylamide and the alkylamine is selected from the group consisting of: pentaethylenehexamine, tetraethylenepentamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetraamine, ethylenediamine, and any combination thereof and wherein the molar ratio between acrylic-x and alkylamine is from 0.85 to 1.5; and wherein the molecular weight of the polymer backbone is from 1,500 to 8,000 Daltons; and wherein the functional group is dithiocarbamic acid or salts thereof and the polymer is at least 55 percent functionalized based upon the total possible functionalization of the polymer backbone.

19. The composition of claim 14 further comprising water.

20. The composition of claim 14 further comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of: copper, nickel, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, silver, iron, manganese, palladium, platinum, strontium, selenium, arsenic, cobalt, gold, and any combination thereof.

21. The composition of claim 14 further comprising wat

Assignees

• Zinn Paul J
• Su Winston
• Stiles Rebecca L
• Mlambo Darlington
• Nalco Co

Inventors

• Zinn Paul J
• Su Winston
• Stiles Rebecca L
• Mlambo Darlington

Classifications

• C08G73/0206 Primary

  Polyalkylene(poly)amines · CPC title

• C02F2103/18

  from the purification of gaseous effluents · CPC title

• C02F2101/203

  Iron or iron compound · CPC title

• C02F2101/20

  Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds · CPC title

• C08L79/04

  Polycondensates having nitrogen-containing heterocyclic rings in the main chain; Polyhydrazides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors · CPC title