Described herein is a flow-through application and system that utilizes a nanoparticle technology, which is modular and scalable, that can be utilized to recover a contaminant from water using an attendant pump and in-line sensors along with magnets and ultrasonic energy to separate magnetic nanoparticles from an aqueous mixture and to further separate recovered contaminant from contaminant-adsorbent nanoparticles. The contaminant can include an organic contaminant, such as an oil.

This invention relates to treated geothermal brine compositions containing reduced concentrations of lithium, iron and silica compared to the untreated brines. Exemplary compositions contain concentration of lithium ranges from 0 to 200 mg/kg, concentration of silica ranges from 0 to 30 mg/kg, concentration of iron ranges from 0 to 300 mg/kg. Exemplary compositions also contain reduced concentrations of elements like arsenic, barium, and lead.

A geothermal power generation system to control deposition of silica scale may include a steam separator that separates a geothermal fluid from a production well, into steam and hot water, such that the geothermal fluid passing through the steam separator and/or a turbine rotated by the steam is returned to a reinjection well. A pH measurement system measures a pH of the hot water. A first thermometer measures a temperature of the hot water. An injection device injects an alkaline chemical into the geothermal fluid. A second thermometer measures a temperature of the geothermal fluid at a pH estimation point selected from an injection portion for the alkaline chemical, an outlet of the steam separator, and an inlet of the reinjection well. A control device controls injection of the alkaline chemical based on measurement results of the pH measurement system, the first thermometer, and the second thermometer.

Disclosed are a system and methods for producing lithium hydroxide directly from natural brine by an electrochemical approach. In one example version of the system, an electrochemical cell operates in two states. In one state, lithium cations (Li.sup.+) intercalate into a first electrode from the brine, and sodium cations (Na.sup.+) deintercalate from a second electrode into the brine. In another state, lithium cations deintercalate from the first electrode into a dilute lithium hydroxide (LiOH) solution, and sodium cations intercalate to the second electrode from a concentrated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. Hydroxide anions (OH.sup.) transport through an anion exchange membrane to combine with lithium cations (Li.sup.+) to form LiOH, continuously increasing its concentration.

The present disclosure provides an MABR-based method for treating rare earth mine tailwater, comprising: introducing rare earth mine tailwater into a sedimentation pond and simultaneously injecting pig farm breeding tailwater into the sedimentation pond, and fully mixing the two in the sedimentation pond for solid particulate sedimentation; performing pH adjustment, MABR enhancement treatment, percolation treatment with a percolation dam, and ecological purification with an ecological purification pond; and overflowing and discharging the rare earth mine tailwater purified by the ecological purification pond to a natural water body.

The invention generally relates to methods of removing potassium, rubidium, and/or cesium, selectively or in combination, from brines using tetrafluoroborates. Also disclosed are methods of producing potassium, rubidium, and/or cesium chlorides using ionic liquids and exchange media. This invention also generally relates to treated geothermal brine compositions containing reduced concentrations of silica, iron, and potassium compared to the untreated brines. Exemplary compositions of the treated brine contain a concentration of silica ranging from about 0 mg/kg to about 15 mg/kg, a concentration of iron ranging from about 0 mg/kg to about 10 mg/kg, and a concentration of potassium ranging from about 300 mg/kg to about 8500 mg/kg. Other exemplary compositions of the treated brines also contain reduced concentrations of elements like rubidium, cesium, and lithium.