Evaporation element and process using same

Abstract

A process for mineral production using an evaporation unit comprising an evaporation element for exposing thereof to the atmosphere for evaporation of a liquid solution. The element comprises an evaporation surface oriented for allowing movement of the solution therealong due to gravity and has a texture for deflecting the solution during the movement along the surface, leaving minerals on the surface due to evaporation of the solution. The texture allows the minerals to detach from the element solely under influence of normal forces of nature before they reach a weight capable of damaging the unit. The process includes wetting the element with the solution, which at least partially evaporates and forms precipitated minerals, at least some of which are left on the surface; and letting the minerals detach from the surface solely under the influence of normal forces of nature before they reach a weight capable of damaging the unit.

1 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A process for production of minerals using an evaporation unit including an evaporation element for exposing thereof to an atmosphere for evaporation of a liquid solution therefrom, the evaporation element including an evaporation surface oriented for allowing movement of the liquid solution therealong under influence of gravity and having a texture configured for deflecting the liquid solution during the movement along the evaporation surface, leaving minerals on the surface produced as a result of evaporation of the liquid solution, and further configured for allowing the minerals to detach from the evaporation element under the sole influence of normal forces of nature before the minerals on the evaporation element reach a weight capable of damaging the evaporation unit, the process comprising:
 wetting the evaporation element with the liquid solution, which at least partially evaporates and forms precipitated minerals, at least some of which are left on the evaporation surface; and   letting the minerals detach from the evaporation surface solely under the influence of normal forces of nature before the minerals on the evaporation surface reach a weight capable of damaging the unit.   
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20 , further comprising collecting at least some of the precipitated minerals. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the precipitated minerals collected have detached from the evaporation surface. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the precipitated minerals collected were not left on the evaporation surface. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the collecting includes collecting all precipitated minerals. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 20 , further comprising collecting liquid solution that has not evaporated. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25 , further including collecting any precipitated minerals that are in the liquid solution which has not evaporated. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the orientation of the evaporation element is slanted with respect to an imaginary vertical axis, the angle of slant being between about 0 to about 30 degrees from the imaginary vertical axis. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the texture of the surface is rough or irregular or comprises a pattern or comprises projections extending in a direction away from the surface. or is formed with grooves or is formed with facets. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation surface is wettable by liquid. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation surface is wettable by liquid by adsorbing hydrophilic polymers onto the evaporation surface or by chemically grafting hydrophilic groups on the evaporation surface. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation surface is hydrophilic. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the texture of the evaporation surface is free of an anchoring configuration. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the texture of the evaporation surface has a majority thereof free of pores, or is formed only with pores which are spaced at least 10 cm apart from each other, or is free of undercuts. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the texture of the evaporation surface is free of through holes. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation surface of the evaporation element and/or the evaporation element is made of at least one material selected from polyolefins, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, halogenated aliphatics, PVDF, PVC, polyacetate, ABS, PPO, fiberglass, Polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and nylon. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation element is substantially rigid. 
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the evaporation element is a building block of an evaporation unit configured to bear the load of other evaporation elements. 
     
     
         38 . An evaporation unit, comprising:
 an evaporation element for exposing thereof to an atmosphere for evaporation of a liquid solution therefrom, the evaporation element including:   an evaporation surface oriented for allowing movement of the liquid solution therealong under the influence of gravity, and having a texture configured for deflecting the liquid solution during the movement along the evaporation surface, leaving minerals on the surface produced as a result of evaporation of the liquid solution, and further configured for allowing the minerals to detach from the evaporation element under the sole influence of normal forces of nature before the minerals on the element reach a weight capable of damaging the evaporation unit.