Modified anion exchange materials with metal inside the materials, method of making same and method of removing and recovering metals from solutions

Abstract

The present invention relates, generally, to the art of impregnating metal complexes into anion exchange materials to provide improved anion exchange materials with a metal inside the materials such that the modified materials effectively and efficiently remove or recover various metals, including metal containing complexes, compounds, and contaminants, such as arsenic, from, for example, process solutions, effluents and aqueous solutions. Uses for the improved anion exchange materials are also described as are methods of making modified anion exchange materials, and methods of removing and recovering at least one metal or contaminant from a source.

1 . A modified anion exchange material comprising at least one metal wherein at least a portion of the metal is inside the material.  
   
   
       2 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 1 , wherein the material is a polymeric resin.  
   
   
       3 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 2 , wherein the resin is a gel type or macroporous type resin.  
   
   
       4 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 1 , wherein the material is a pH basic material.  
   
   
       5 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 1 , wherein the material is an acrylic polymer or a styrenic polymer.  
   
   
       6 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 1 , wherein the material has at least one amine exchange group.  
   
   
       7 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal is immobilized or precipitated in the gel phase of the resin.  
   
   
       8 . The modified anion exchange material of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal is a transition metal or a transition metal ion.  
   
   
       9 . A method for making a modified anion exchange material comprising the steps of: 
 (a) loading an anionic substance comprising a metal containing complex onto an anion exchange material; and    (b) immobilizing at least a portion of the metal of the metal containing complex inside the anion exchange material to form a modified anion exchange material.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising adding a metal containing substance to a salt, acid or base material to form the anionic substance comprising the metal containing complex.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of displacing excess metal from the metal containing complex.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising converting the metal containing complex to at least one of a metal cation, a metal oxide, a metal sulfide, a metal hydroxide and an insoluble form of the metal containing complex.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising repeating the loading and immobilizing steps.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the immobilizing step comprises adding an immobilizing reagent to the anionic substance comprising a metal complex and the anion exchange material.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the immobilizing reagent is selected from a group consisting of a hydroxide, carbonate, bicarbonate, acids and salts.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the immobilizing reagent is selected from a group consisting of hydroxides, acids and salts.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the displacing step comprises rinsing the anionic substance with a solution that stabilizes the complex.  
   
   
       18 . A method of removing or recovering at least one metal or contaminant from a source comprising the steps of: 
 (a) loading an anionic substance comprising a metal containing complex onto an anion exchange material; and    (b) immobilizing at least a portion of the metal of the metal containing complex inside the anion exchange material to form a modified anion exchange material.    (c) contacting the source with at least a portion of the modified anion exchange material.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one metal or contaminant is selected from the group consisting of arsenic, selenium, vanadium, uranium, fluoride, phosphate, silicate, fluoborate, cyanide and cyanate.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of repeating steps (a) and (b), sequentially, a plurality of times.