Integrated acid regeneration of ion exchange resins for industrial applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9597679-B2
Application number	US-201213711888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2012
Priority date	Dec 13, 2011
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems for an integrated acid regeneration of ion exchange resins are disclosed for use in cleaning applications. Acid resins designed for use in a variety of cleaning application using a treated, softened, acidic water source are disclosed. Various methods of using the softened acidic water generated by acid regenerate-able ion exchange resins within a cleaning application, e.g. ware wash machine, are disclosed to beneficially reduce spotting, filming and scale buildup on treated surfaces, reduce and/or eliminate the need for polymers, threshold reagents and/or rinse aids, and using protons generated in the acidic water effluent for triggering events useful in various cleaning applications.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An integrated system employing an ion exchange resin regenerated by an acid for
producing an acidic softened water source comprising:
an inlet for providing a water source;
a water treatment reservoir, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the water treatment reservoir;
a water treatment component housed within the water treatment reservoir, wherein said water treatment component comprises at least one ion exchange resin capable of generating a treated water source by exchanging protons on said resin for dissolved cations including water hardness ions and total dissolved solids in said water source, and wherein said ion exchange resin is an acid form or in an inert metal form;
an outlet, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the water treatment reservoir;
a chamber into which articles are placed for cleaning;
a treated water delivery line in fluid communication between the outlet and the chamber;
a wash tank, wherein the wash tank is in fluid communication with a dispensing module that dispenses a wash agent into the wash tank;
a wash agent delivery line in fluid communication with the wash tank and the chamber;
an acid delivery line in fluid communication with the water treatment reservoir, wherein an acid regenerant is delivered to the water treatment reservoir for regenerating the ion exchange resin;
an acid regenerant storage reservoir in fluid communication with the acid delivery line;
an acid regenerant contained in the acid regenerant storage reservoir;
a pump configured to pump the acid regenerant into the water treatment reservoir;
wherein the treated water source is a softened, acidic, and low total dissolved solids (TDS) water having a hardness level of less than about 2 grains and a pH less than about 6.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is a weak acid cation exchange resin and/or a strong acid cation exchange resin.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is a weak acid exchange resin having a polyacrylic copolymer matrix and carboxylic acid functional group or is a strong acid exchange resin having a polystyrene matrix and sulfonic acid functional group.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is an acid exchange resin selected from the group consisting of a cross-linked acrylic acid with carboxylic acid functional group, a cross-linked methacrylic acid with carboxylic acid functional group, a polystyrene with sulfonic acid functional group, and mixtures of thereof.

5. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional water treatment apparatus and water delivery line in fluid connection with the water treatment reservoir.

6. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a measuring device for obtaining pH and/or proton concentration and/or total dissolved solids measurements from the water treatment reservoir, the water source and/or the treated water source, and a controller to receive the measurements and trigger an event.

7. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one pump configured to pump the treated water source, the wash agent and/or additional cleaning and/or rinsing agents into the chamber.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a booster heater for heating the treated water source, the wash agent contained in a wash tank, a rinse agent and/or additional cleaning agents to at least a predetermined temperature.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the wash agent is combined with water and/or additional chemical products in the wash tank.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a dilution system is in fluid communication with said treated water delivery line that is fluidly connected with said outlet from said water treatment reservoir, wherein said treated water delivery line delivers said treated water to said dilution system before entering said chamber.

11. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a water storage tank in fluid communication with said treated water delivery line, and a pump in fluid communication with said water storage tank and said wash tank, wherein said water storage tank is a reservoir for holding treated water source.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pump controls delivery of a dilute acid regenerant.

13. The system according to claim 12 , further comprising a waste delivery line in fluid communication with said water treatment reservoir, wherein said waste delivery line removes an effluent waste source from the regeneration of the ion exchange resin.

14. The system according to claim 12 , further comprising an untreated water delivery line in fluid communication with said acid delivery line and/or said acid regenerant storage reservoir to provide a water source to form a dilute acid regeneration source for regeneration of the ion exchange resin.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Everson Terrence P
• Wen Li
• Tan Lylien
• Voss Peter
• Toetschinger Mark

Classifications

• B01J49/75

  of water softeners · CPC title

• B01J49/06

  containing cationic exchangers · CPC title

• B01J47/15

  for obtaining a solution having a fixed pH · CPC title

• C02F2303/16

  Regeneration of sorbents, filters · CPC title

• C02F1/42

  by ion-exchange (ion-exchange in general B01J) · CPC title