US3904520A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for the clarification of brine
Assignee: IMC Fertilizer Inc
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Filing: 1974-11-13
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1994-11-13
Abstract
Abstract Sylvinite plant brine thickener underflow, which comprises an essentially saturated sodium chloride-potassium chloride brine containing clay slimes in amounts such as 5% and ore fines in amounts such as 20%, is clarified to provide an essentially solids-free brine by preparing a slurry consisting of an intimate admixture of clear sylvinite brine, halite tailings, and a small but effective amount of a suitable flocculent. The slurry is agitated and admixed with an equal or greater amount by weight of sylvinite brine thickener underflow, and the resulting mixture is filtered to recover clarified brine. In a preferred embodiment, the slurry and underflow are heated prior to filtration to dissolve solid potassium chloride in the ore fines and the clarified brine is cooled to crystallize solid potassium chloride, which is recovered.
Inventors
- 👤 William B Dancy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:57
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01D; C01D3/00; C01D3/14; B; B01; B01D; B01D21/00; B01D21/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
IN THE METHOD OF CLARIFYING SYLVINITE BRINE WHERIN BRINE CONTAINING CLAY AND SYLVINITE FINES IS SETTLED IN A THICKENER VESSEL TO PROVIDE A CLARIFIED BRINE OVERFLOW AND A THICKNED BRINE UNDERFLOW ENRICHED WITH RESPECT TO CLAY AND SYLVINITE FINES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING PREPARING A FIRST SLURRY COMPRISING ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 50% BY WEIGHT OF ESSENTIALLY CLEAR SYLVINITE BRINE, 50 TO 75% BY WEIGHT HALITE TAILING, AND FLOCULENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ASSIST THE UBSEQUENT FILTRATION STEP, AGITATING THE SLURRY TO PROVIDE A UNIFORM MIXTURE, AND ADDING TO THE AGITATED SLURRY THICKENED BRINE UNDERFLOW TO PROVIDE A SECOND SLURRY CONTAINING ABOUT 35 TO ABOUT 75% THICKENED BRINE UNDERFLOW, AND FILTERING THE SECOND SLURRY TO RECOVER A CLARIFIED SYLVINITE BRINE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
120 words
IN THE METHOD OF CLARIFYING SYLVINITE BRINE WHERIN BRINE CONTAINING CLAY AND SYLVINITE FINES IS SETTLED IN A THICKENER VESSEL TO PROVIDE A CLARIFIED BRINE OVERFLOW AND A THICKNED BRINE UNDERFLOW ENRICHED WITH RESPECT TO CLAY AND SYLVINITE FINES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING PREPARING A FIRST SLURRY COMPRISING ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 50% BY WEIGHT OF ESSENTIALLY CLEAR SYLVINITE BRINE, 50 TO 75% BY WEIGHT HALITE TAILING, AND FLOCULENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ASSIST THE UBSEQUENT FILTRATION STEP, AGITATING THE SLURRY TO PROVIDE A UNIFORM MIXTURE, AND ADDING TO THE AGITATED SLURRY THICKENED BRINE UNDERFLOW TO PROVIDE A SECOND SLURRY CONTAINING ABOUT 35 TO ABOUT 75% THICKENED BRINE UNDERFLOW, AND FILTERING THE SECOND SLURRY TO RECOVER A CLARIFIED SYLVINITE BRINE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said flocculent is employed in the amount of about 1 to 4 pounds per ton of clay in said underflow.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method in accordance with claim 2 in which said thickened brine underflow contains about 4to 7% by weight clay.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method in accordance with claim 3 in which said thickened brine underflow contains about 15to 25% halite fines.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method in accordance with claim 4 in which said halite tailings are predominantly -6 +50 mesh.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method in accordance with claim 2, including the steps of heating said first slurry and said thickened brine underflow to a temperature not in excess of about 60* C. prior to the filtration step, whereby sylvite particles therein are dissolved, cooling the clarified sylvinite brine resulting from the filtration step to about 25* to about 35* C. to crystallize potassium chloride, and separating the crystallized potassium chloride from said clarified sylvinite brine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method in accordance with claim 6 in which said sylvinite brine and tailings of said first slurry are separately heated prior to the addition of said flocculent and said thickened brine underflow is separately heated prior to admixture with said first slurry.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method in accordance with claim 7 in which, after filtration but before cooling, said clarified sylvinite brine is further heated to a temperature of about 85* to 95* C. and fine potassium chloride is added thereto in an amount sufficient to provide a solution which is saturated with respect to potassium chloride, whereby the productIon of potassium chloride crystals in the cooling step is increased.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method in accordance with claim 1, including the steps of heating said first slurry and said thickened brine underflow to a temperature not in excess of about 60* C. prior to the filtration step, whereby sylvite particles therein are dissolved, cooling the clarified sylvinite brine resulting from the filtration step to about 25* to about 35* C. to crystallize potassium chloride, and separating the crystallized potassium chloride from said clarified sylvinite brine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method in accordance with claim 9 in which said sylvinite brine and tailings of said first slurry are separately heated prior to the addition of said flocculent and said thickened brine underflow is separately heated prior to admixture with said first slurry.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method in accordance with claim 10 in which, after filtration but before cooling, said clarified sylvinite brine is further heated to a temperature of about 85* to 95* C. and fine potassium chloride is added thereto in an amount sufficient to provide a solution which is saturated with respect to potassium chloride, whereby the production of potassium chloride crystals in the cooling step is increased.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |