Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A closed process for the treatment of a Kraft Black Liquor, said process, in which all streams produced therein are recycled, comprising: (a) treating the Kraft Black Liquor by reverse osmosis, thereby producing a relatively pure water stream and a concentrated Kraft Black Liquor stream; (b) treating the concentrated Kraft Black Liquor stream by water splitting, thereby producing acid, base, and deionate streams; (c) recycling at least a portion of the pure water stream and the acid stream to the process from which the Kraft Black Liquor evolved; (d) recycling the base stream to at least one of the processes from which the Kraft Black Liquor stream evolved, and the water splitting step (b); and (e) recycling the deionate stream directly to the reverse osmosis step (a).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
A closed process for the treatment of a Kraft Black Liquor, said process, in which all streams produced therein are recycled, comprising: (a) treating the Kraft Black Liquor by reverse osmosis, thereby producing a relatively pure water stream and a concentrated Kraft Black Liquor stream; (b) treating the concentrated Kraft Black Liquor stream by water splitting, thereby producing acid, base, and deionate streams; (c) recycling at least a portion of the pure water stream and the acid stream to the process from which the Kraft Black Liquor evolved; (d) recycling the base stream to at least one of the processes from which the Kraft Black Liquor stream evolved, and the water splitting step (b); and (e) recycling the deionate stream directly to the reverse osmosis step (a).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the treatment of the concentrated Kraft Black Liquor by water splitting comprises: introducing the concentrated Kraft Black Liquor to one of at least two zones separated by a membrane; and introducing a salt of a cation which does not form a precipitate with lignin acids to a zone in which lignin acids are precipitated, whereby a precipitate of lignin acids is formed which does not adhere to said membrane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said at least two zones includes a zone in which base is formed and a salt of an anion which does not form a precipitate with cations present in said Kraft Black Liquor is introduced to said base zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of claim 3 wherein said at least two zone comprise at least two compartments of a water splitting device, each compartment being separated by a membrane and at least one of said at least two compartments being a lignin acid-forming compartment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said cation comprises sodium, potassium, or lithium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said anion comprises sulfate or chloride.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said anion comprises sulfate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
10 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said cation comprises sodium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the reverse osmosis step (a) is reversed with the water splitting step (b), said Kraft Black Liquor being treated by water splitting, said deionate stream being treated by reverse osmosis, and the concentrate of Kraft Black Liquor being recycled to the water splitting step.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the water splitting treatment employs a bipolar membrane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The process of claim 1 wherein a salt of at least one of an anion and a cation which does not form a precipitate with any ion present in the concentrated Kraft Black Liquor from step (a) is introduced to the water splitting treatment of step (b).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 11 wherein said salt is sodium sulfate.