Process for separating ionic materials from component mixtures

Abstract

Abstract IONIC MATERIAL IS SEPARATED FROM A COMPONENT MIXTURE CONTAINING SAME, E.G. A CRUDE ALKALI CELLULOSE XANTHATE, BY CONTACTING THE COMPONENT MIXTURE WITH A LIQUID SOLVENT TO DISSOLVE IONIC MATERIAL, PREFERABLY PROVIDING A MIXTURE AUTOGENOUSLY SEPARABLE INTO TWO PHASES, ONE BEING THE LIQUID SOLVENT CONTAINING SEPARATED IONIC MATERIAL AND THE OTHER, THE NON-DISSOLVED RESIDUE OF THE COMPONENT MIXTURE, IONIC MATERIAL IS INSOLUBILIZED AND REMOVED FROM THE LIQUID SOLVENT BY CONTACTING THE LIQUID SOLVENT SEPARATELY WITH AN IMMISCIBLE ION-EXCHANGE MEDIUM (E.G. ANION-EXCHANGE RESINS, CATION-EXCHANGE RESINS, ION RETARDATION RESINS, OR ION-EXCHANGE LIQUIDS) AND RESULTANT ION-EXCHANGE LIQUID SOLVENT IS RE-USED IN THE PROCESS FOR SEPARATING IONIC MATERIAL FROM ADDITIONAL EFFECIENTLY PURIFYING MATERIALS WHICH ARE SENSITIVE TO COMPONENT MIXTURE. IONIC MATERIAL MAY BE SEPARATED FROM COMPONENT MIXTURES COMPRISING GASES, LIQUIDS, SEMISOLIDS, AND SOLIDS BY THE PROCESS OF THE PRESENT METHOD. ADVANTAGEOUS FEATURES OF THE PROCESS INCLUDE A WIDENING OF THE CONDITIONS AND SCALE OF OPERATIONS IN WHICH SOLVENTS ECONOMICALLY CAN BE USED FOR SEPARATIONS, ADDITIONALLY, THE PROCESS PROVIDES A NOVEL ROUTE FOR MORE CERTAIN SOLVENTS, HEAT, ACIDS AND/OR ALKALIS AND/OR CONTAIN RELATIVELY LOW IONIC MATERIAL CONTAMINANT LEVELS. OTHER FEATURES STEM FROM AN ABILITY TO UTILIZE PREFERRED PURIFICATION EXPEDIENTS, E.G. HIGH BOILING SOLVENTS, HERETOFORE OFTEN ECONMICALLY NON-FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR PURIFYING POLYMERIC ALCOHOL XANTHATES, AND IN PARTICULAR ADVANTAGEOUSLY CAN BE EMPLOYED TO PROVIDE IMPROVED SOLID ALKALI CELLULOSE XANTHATE DIRECTLY FROM ALKALI CELLULOSE XANTHATE CRUMB.

Inventors

• 👤 Douglas J Bridgeford

Bibliographic Details