Process for effluent water recovery

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING EFFLUENT WATER, CONTAMINATED WITH LEAD AND SULFURIC ACID AS A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING PROCESS, INTO WATER SUITABLE FOR REUSE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: ADDING LEAD CARBONATE TO THE EFFLUENT WATER IN FIRST AGITATED ENCLOSURE IN AN AMOUNT APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS IN SAID EFFLUENT WATER TO FORM WATER, CARBON DIOXIDE, AND INSOLUBLE LEAD SULFATE; FILTERING THE CONTENTS OF SAID FIRST ENCLOSURE TO SEPARATE THE WATER FROM THE LEAD SULFATE; CONDUCTING THE FILTERED WATER BACK TO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR REUSE; ADDING THE FILTERED LEAD SULFATE TO A SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM SULFATE, AMMONIA, CARBON DIOXIDE, AND WATER IN A SECOND ,AGITATED ENCLOSURE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO FORM AMMONIUM SULFATE AND UNSOLUBLE LEAD CARBONATE; FILTERING THE CONTENTS OF SAID SECOND ENCLOSURE TO SEPARATE THE AMMONIUM SULFATE SOLUTION FROM THE LEAD CARBONATE; CONDUCTING THE FILTERED AMMONIUM SULFATE SOLUTION TO A HOLDING TANK FOR REUSE IN SAID SECOND ENCLOSURE; AND DRYING THE FILTERED LEAD CARBONATE TO REMOVE RESIDUAL AMMONIA THEREFROM.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of: conducting the dried lead carbonate powder back to said first enclosure.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of: conducting the liberated ammonia which results from the drying step to said ammonium sulfate holding tank.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of: conducting excess ammonium sulfate from said holding tank to a crystallizer for generation of ammonium sulfate crystals.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein said step of filtering the contents of said first enclosure commences in less than 40 minutes after said lead carbonate is added to said effluent water in said first enclosure.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1 wherein said steps of filtering the contents of said first and second enclosures occUr approximately 10 to 15 minutes after said steps of adding lead carbonate to said effluent water in said first enclosure and adding said filtered lead sulfate to said second enclosure, respectively.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of: conducting the carbon dioxide from said first enclosure to said ammonium sulfate holding tank.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 1 wherein at least a liter of ammonium sulfate and carbon dioxide solution is added to said second enclosure for every 15 grams of said filtered lead sulfate.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 2 further comprising the step of: conducting the liberated ammonia which results from the drying step to said ammonium sulfate holding tank.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 8 wherein said steps of filtering the contents of said first and second enclosures occur approximately 10 to 15 minutes after said steps of adding lead carbonate to said effluent water in said first enclosure and adding said filtered lead sulfate to said second enclosure, respectively.

Claim 12

A process for converting effluent water, contaminated with lead and sulfuric acid as a result of a manufacturing process, into water suitable for reuse comprising the steps of: accumulating the effluent water in a first holding tank; periodically filling a first agitated enclosure with the effluent water from said first holding tank; adding lead carbonate to said first enclosure in an amount which is approximately equal to or greater than the amount of total dissolved solids in said effluent water to form water, carbon dioxide, and insoluble lead sulfate; filtering the contents of said first enclosure to separate the water from the lead sulfate; conducting the filtered water back to the manufacturing process for reuse; accumulating a solution of ammonium sulfate, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water in a second holding tank; periodically filling a second agitated enclosure with the ammonium sulfate, ammonia, and carbon dioxide solution from said second holding tank; adding the filtered lead sulfate to said second enclosure thereby forming ammonium sulfate and insoluble lead carbonate; filtering the contents of said second enclosure to separate the ammonium sulfate solution from the lead carbonate; conducting the filtered ammonium sulfate solution back to said second holding tank for reuse; drying the filtered lead carbonate to remove residual ammonia therefrom; conducting the dried lead carbonate back to said first enclosure; conducting the carbon dioxide formed in said first enclosure to said second holding tank; conducting the liberated ammonia, which results from the step of drying the filtered lead carbonate, to said second holding tank; and conducting excess ammonium sulfate solution from said second holding tank to a crystallizer for generation of ammonium sulfate crystals.

Claim 13

A process for converting effluent water, contaminated with lead and sulfuric acid as a result of a manufacturing process, into water suitable for reuse comprising the steps of: accumulating the effluent water in a first holding tank; periodically filling a first agitated enclosure with the effluent water from said first holding tank; adding lead carbonate to said first enclosure in an amount which is approximately equal to or greater than the amount of total dissolved solids in said effluent water to form water, carbon dioxide, and insoluble lead sulfate; filtering the contents of said first enclosure to separate the water from the lead sulfate; conducting the filtered water back to the manufacturing process for reuse; accumulating a solution of ammonium sulfate, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water in a second holding tank; periodically filling a second agitated enclosure with the ammonium sulfate, ammonia, and carbon dioxide solution from said second holding tank; adding the filtered lead sulfate to said second enclosure thereby forming ammonium sulfate and insoluble lead carbonate; filtering the contents of said second enclosure to separate the ammonium sulfate solution from the lead carbonate; conducting the filtered ammonium sulfate solution back to said second holding tank for reuse; drying the filtered lead carbonate to remove residual ammonia therefrom; conducting the dried lead carbonate back to said first enclosure; conducting the carbon dioxide formed in said first enclosure to said second holding tank; conducting the liberated ammonia, which results from the step of drying the filtered lead carbonate, to said second holding tank; and conducting excess ammonium sulfate solution from said second holding tank to a crystallizer for generation of ammonium sulfate crystals.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 11 wherein at least a liter of ammonium sulfate and carbon dioxide solution is added to said second enclosure for every 15 grams of said filtered lead sulfate.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 11 wherein said steps of periodically filling said first and second enclosures occur substantially simultaneously whereby said first enclosure is forming lead sulfate from one batch of effluent water while said second enclosure is forming lead carbonate from the lead sulfate formed from a previous batch of effluent water.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 13 wherein said steps of filtering the contents of said first and second enclosures occur substantially simultaneously.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 14 wherein the steps of filtering the contents of said first and second enclosures occur approximately ten to fifteen minutes after the steps of adding lead carbonate to said first enclosure and adding the filtered lead sulfate to said second enclosure, respectively.