HEAVY METAL REMOVAL AND RECOVERY WITH A NATURAL ZEOLITE CONTINUOUS ION EXCHANGE THERMAL MULTICOMPONENT FRACTIONATOR

ION EXCHANGE IS AN ATTRACTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS FROM WATER AND WASTEWATERS, BUT IT IS COMMONLY FOUND TO BE UNECONOMICAL DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF CHEMICALS AND DISPOSAL OF THE BRINES OR SECONDARY WASTES GENERATED. SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY ARE PROPOSED TO ALLOW ION EXCHANGE TO BE MORE WIDELY APPLIED TO THE REMOVAL OF TOXIC HEAVY METALS AT SUPERFUND SITES AND IN OTHER SITUATIONS INVOLVING HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF WATER AND GROUND WATER SUCH AS MINE DRAINAGES AND INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS. THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY WILL USE AN INEXPENSIVE NATURALLY OCCURRING ION EXCHANGE MINERAL WHICH COSTS 10 TO 30 TIMES LESS THAN CONVENTIONAL ION EXCHANGE RESINS. IN ADDITION, A CONTINUOUS TREATMENT SYSTEM WILL BE INVESTIGATED WHICH USES NO CHEMICALS FOR ELUTING THE METALS FROM THE EXCHANGER AS DO VIRTUALLY ALL CURRENT ION EXCHANGE SYSTEMS. IT WILL USE LOW LEVEL THERMAL DRIVING FORCE. OTHER INNOVATIONS WILLBE INVOLVED WHICH WILL ALLOW THE SEPARATE RECOVERY OF CONCENTRATED SINGLE METAL PRODUCTS. ION EXCHANGE IS AN ATTRACTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS FROM WATER AND WASTEWATERS, BUT IT IS COMMONLY FOUND TO BE UNECONOMICAL DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF CHEMICALS AND DISPOSAL OF THE BRINES OR SECONDARY WASTES GENERATED. SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY ARE PROPOSED TO ALLOW ION EXCHANGE TO BE MORE WIDELY APPLIED TO THE REMOVAL OF TOXIC HEAVY METALS AT SUPERFUND SITES AND IN OTHER SITUATIONS INVOLVING HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF WATER AND GROUND WATER SUCH AS MINE DRAINAGES AND INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS. THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY WILL USE AN INEXPENSIVE NATURALLY OCCURRING ION EXCHANGE MINERAL WHICH COSTS 10 TO 30 TIMES LESS THAN CONVENTIONAL ION EXCHANGE RESINS. IN ADDITION, A CONTINUOUS TREATMENT SYSTEM WILL BE INVESTIGATED WHICH USES NO CHEMICALS FOR ELUTING THE METALS FROM THE EXCHANGER AS DO VIRTUALLY ALL CURRENT ION EXCHANGE SYSTEMS. IT WILL USE LOW LEVEL THERMAL DRIVING FORCE. OTHER INNOVATIONS WILLBE INVOLVED WHICH WILL ALLOW THE SEPARATE RECOVERY OF CONCENTRATED SINGLE METAL PRODUCTS. ION EXCHANGE IS AN ATTRACTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS FROM WATER AND WASTEWATERS, BUT IT IS COMMONLY FOUND TO BE UNECONOMICAL DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF CHEMICALS AND DISPOSAL OF THE BRINES OR SECONDARY WASTES GENERATED. SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY ARE PROPOSED TO ALLOW ION EXCHANGE TO BE MORE WIDELY APPLIED TO THE REMOVAL OF TOXIC HEAVY METALS AT SUPERFUND SITES AND IN OTHER SITUATIONS INVOLVING HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF WATER AND GROUND WATER SUCH AS MINE DRAINAGES AND INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS. THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY WILL USE AN INEXPENSIVE NATURALLY OCCURRING ION EXCHANGE MINERAL WHICH COSTS 10 TO 30 TIMES LESS THAN CONVENTIONAL ION EXCHANGE RESINS. IN ADDITION, A CONTINUOUS TREATMENT SYSTEM WILL BE INVESTIGATED WHICH USES NO CHEMICALS FOR ELUTING THE METALS FROM THE EXCHANGER AS DO VIRTUALLY ALL CURRENT ION EXCHANGE SYSTEMS. IT WILL USE LOW LEVEL THERMAL DRIVING FORCE. OTHER INNOVATIONS WILLBE INVOLVED WHICH WILL ALLOW THE SEPARATE RECOVERY OF CONCENTRATED SINGLE METAL PRODUCTS.