Method for combined electrochemical modification of selected liquid stream characteristics

Abstract

The current invention pertains to methods for chemical modification of constituents of liquid stream containing organic or inorganic constituents. The methods include steps of: providing at least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers that include at least one first boundary substance and containing liquid streams; generating at least one second boundary substance from the at least one first boundary substance and the at least one organic or inorganic constituent of the at least one liquid stream; dissolving the at least one second boundary substance in at least one another liquid stream and generating a solution of greater dissolved second boundary substance concentration than the respective constituent initial occurrence in the at least one liquid stream; regenerating the at least one first boundary substance for subsequent generation of the at least one second boundary substance.

We claim: 
     
         1 ) A method for chemical modification of concentrations of constituents of at least one liquid stream containing organic or inorganic constituents comprising of following steps:
 providing at least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers that include at least one first boundary substance and containing at least one organic or inorganic constituent of the at least one liquid stream;   generating at least one second boundary substance from the at least one first boundary substance and the at least one organic or inorganic constituent of the at least one liquid stream;   dissolving the at least one second boundary substance in at least one another liquid stream and generating a solution of greater dissolved second boundary substance concentration than the respective constituent initial occurrence in the at least one liquid stream;   regenerating the at least one first boundary substance for subsequent generation of the at least one second boundary substance.   
     
     
         2 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at: least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers is a chemical reactor. 
     
     
         3 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers is an electrochemical reactor. 
     
     
         4 ) The method of  claim 3 , wherein the electrochemical reactor is a split compartment cell. 
     
     
         5 ) The method of  claim 4 , wherein the split compartment cell is a Moving Bed Electrode cell. 
     
     
         6 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first, boundary substance is a metal selected from the group of metals consisting of Rh, Re, Cu, Bi, As, Sb, Bi, Ir, Te, W, Pb, Sn, Ni, V, Co, Tl, In, Se, Cd, Fe, Cr, Ga, Zn, Ti, Mn, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt. 
     
     
         7 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second boundary substance is a metal selected from the group of metals consisting of Rh, Re, Cu, Bi, As, Sb, Bi, Ir, Te, W, Pb, Sn, Ni, V, Co, Tl, In, Se, Cd, Fe, Cr, Ga, Zn, Ti, Mn, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt. 
     
     
         8 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first boundary substance is an alloys, mixtures of metals, or a non-metallic solid. 
     
     
         9 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first boundary substance is a gas, a liquid, or a dissolved species selected from the group consisting of H 2 , SO 2 , NO, NO 2 , N 2 O, N 2 O 2   −2 , CO, ClO 2 , H 2 S, H 2 O, H 2 O 2 , HO 2   − , NH 3 , N 2 O 4 , NH 4 OH, CH 4 , C 2 H 6 , MeOH, EtOH, Propanol, HCOOH, and other hydrocarbons, V +2 , V +3 , U +4 , UO 2   + , Tc +2 , Ru +2 , Bi + , H 2 SO 3 , S 2 O 3   −2 , S 2 O 8   −2 , HNO 2 , MnO 2 , Cu 2 O, RuO 4   −2 , ClO 3   − , ClO 2   − , PbO, In + , In +2 , Sn +2 , Fe +2 , Cu + , Co +2 , OH − , Br − , I − , IO − , SO 3   −3 . 
     
     
         10 ) The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of generating at least: one second boundary substance and dissolving and concentrating the at least one second boundary substance in a pregnant liquid solution are at least in part coupled, balanced, and matched such that component mass flows and the charge exchanges during generation of the second boundary substance correspond to the mass flows and the charge exchanges during the dissolving and concentrating of the at least one second boundary substance. 
     
     
         11 ) A method of chemical modification of concentrations of constituents of at least one liquid stream containing organic or inorganic constituents comprising of following steps:
 providing at lease one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers that include at least one first boundary substance and containing at least one organic or inorganic constituent of the at least one liquid stream;   generating at least one second boundary substance from the at least one first boundary substance and the at least one organic or inorganic constituent of the at least one liquid stream;   dissolving and concentrating the at least one second boundary substance in a pregnant liquid solution;   electroregenerating the at least one first boundary substance for subsequent generation of the at least one second boundary substance.   
     
     
         12 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the electroregenerating includes electrowinning facilitated by injection of electrons from at least one external source to plate the at least one first boundary substance for subsequent consumption in the at least one reactor device. 
     
     
         13 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers is a chemical reactor. 
     
     
         14 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one reactor device having one or more reaction chambers is an electrochemical reactor. 
     
     
         15 ) The method of  claim 14 , wherein the electrochemical reactor is a split compartment cell. 
     
     
         16 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the split compartment cell is a Moving Bed Electrode cell. 
     
     
         17 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one first boundary substance is a metal selected from the group of metals consisting of Rh, Re, Cu, Bi, As, Sb, Bi, Ir, Te, W, Pb, Sn, Ni, V, Co, Tl, In, Se, Cd, Fe, Cr, Ga, Zn, Ti, Mn, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt. 
     
     
         18 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one second boundary substance is a metal selected from the group of metals consisting of Rh, Re, Cu, Bi, As, Sb, Bi, Ir, Te, W, Pb, Sn, Ni, V, Co, Tl, In, Se, Cd, Fe, Cr, Ga, Zn, Ti, Mn, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt. 
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one first boundary substance is an alloys, mixtures of metals, or a non-metallic solid. 
     
     
         20 ) The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one first boundary substance is a gas, a liquid, or a dissolved species selected from the group consisting of H 2 , SO 2 , NO, NO 2 , N 2 O, N 2 O 2   −2 , CO, ClO 2 , H 2 S, H 2 O, H 2 O 2 , HO 2   − , NH 3 , N 2 O 4 , NH 4 OH, CH 4 , C 2 H 4 , MeOH, EtOH, Propanol, HCOOH, and other hydrocarbons, V +2 , V +3 , U +4 , UO 2   + , Tc +2 , Ru +2 , Bi + , H 2 SO 3 , S 2 O 3   −2 , S 2 O 6   −2 , HNO 2 , MnO 2 , Cu 2 O, RuO 4   −2 , ClO 3   − , ClO 2   − , PbO, In + , In +2 , Sn +2 , Fe +2 , Cu + , Co +2 , OH − , Br − , I − , IO − , SO 3   −2 .