RADIUM ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME

Abstract

Radioactive material adsorbing clay material effectively and efficiently removes radioactive material, namely radium, from aqueous fluids, thereby purifying the same. Methods of synthesizing and using the same are further provided.

Claims

1. An adsorbent comprising: a chemical compound having the structural formula:
(SiO.sub.2).sub.11(Na.sub.2O).sub.11(MgO).sub.9(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.4.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is configured to adsorb radioactive material.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is configured to adsorb radium.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is configured to be combined with an aqeuous fluid containing an amount of radioactive material.

5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the radioactive material is radium.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is a clay.

7. A method of purifying water comprising the steps of: providing an adsorbent comprising a chemical compound having the formula:
(SiO.sub.2).sub.11(Na.sub.2O).sub.11(MgO).sub.9(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.4; mixing the adsorbent with an aqeuous fluid, wherein the aqueous fluid comprises an amount of radioactive material therein; removing the radioactive material from the aqueous fluid with the adsorbent to form a solution of adsorbate solid comprising the adsorbent and the radioactive material; and separating the adsorbate solid forming purified aqueous fluid.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the radioactive material is radium.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the aqueous fluid is from an industrial process.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the aqueous fluid is from a fracking process.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the radioactive material is a naturally occurring radioactive material.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the aqueous fluid is mixed with the adsorbent in a tank.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the aqeuous fluid is introduced into the tank in a semi-continuous process.

14. A system for purifying an aqueous fluid comprising: a mixing tank having an aqueous fluid input pipe, an adsorbate solid output pipe, and a purified aqueous fluid output pipe; an adsorbent disposed within the tank, the adsorbent having the formula:
(SiO.sub.2).sub.11(Na.sub.2O).sub.11(MgO).sub.9(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.4; wherein the tank is configured to allow an aqueous fluid to flow therein to mix with the adsorbent, wherein the aqueous fluid comprises an amount of radioactive material therein; wherein the adsorbent is configured to remove the radioactive material from the aqueous fluid with the adsorbent to form a solution of adsorbate solid comprising the adsorbent and the radioactive material; and wherein the tank is configured to separate the adsorbate solid forming purified aqueous fluid.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the radioactive material is radium.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the aqueous fluid is from an industrial process.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the aqueous fluid is from a fracking process.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the radioactive material is a naturally occurring radioactive material.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the tank is configured to mix the aqueous fluid with the adsorbent.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the tank is configured to mix the aqueous fluid with the adsorbent in a semi-continuous process.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The drawing FIGURES depict one or more implementations in accord with the present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations. In the FIGURES, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for purifying aqueous fluids contaminated with radioactive material in an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The present invention relates to radioactive material adsorbing clay material. Specifically, the structure of the clay material of the present invention effectively and efficiently removes radioactive material, namely radium, from aqueous fluids, thereby purifying the same. Methods of synthesizing and using the same are further provided.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a clay comprising a sorbent may preferably have the following chemical structural formula:

(SiO.sub.2).sub.11(Na.sub.2O).sub.11(MgO).sub.9(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.4(Formula 1)

[0040] The clay of Formula 1 may preferably be synthesized according to the following synthesis protocol. 9.48 g of Mg(NO.sub.3).sub.2.Math.6H.sub.2O, 9.78 g of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), 4.97 g of Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, and 5.54 g of FeCl.sub.3 are each dissolved in 100.0 ml of deionized water. To the solution of TEOS, an equal amount of Ethyl alcohol is added. All solutions are mixed together to form a combined solution. Ammonia (NH.sub.4OH) is added to the combined solution while mixing to form the precipitate of Formula 1. The precipitate is filtered and heated at 800 C. for 1.5 hours to dry and drive off water forming a sorbent for radioactive material, namely radium.

[0041] In an embodiment, an adsorbent formed from a clay of Formula 1 may be utilized to remove radioactive radium from an amount of an aqueous fluid, such as, for example, water in a semi-continuous process, as shown in system 10, illustrated in FIG. 1. The adsorbent formed from the clay of Formula 1 may be disposed within a tank 12 having a mixer 14. An amount of industrial, processed, or produced water having an amount of radioactive material, such as, for example, radium, present therein may be pumped into the tank 12 through an input pipe 16 and allowed to mix with the amount of the clay of Formula 1 disposed therein. As the clay of Formula 1 mixes with the industrial water pumped therein through the input pipe 16, the clay may adsorb the radioactive material and may form an adsorbate solid solution sludge that may be removed from the tank via the sludge output pipe 18 disposed on a bottom of the tank 12. Purified water may be removed from the tank via the purified aqueous fluid output pipe 20. The adsorbate solid solution sludge may be removed and disposed of, as is known in the art. The process 10 may be semi-continuous, in that the process may be halted to allow for the replacement and/or replenishment of the adsorbent so that the adsorbent does not become saturated with the radioactive material.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Table 1 shows five representative samples of water removed from the Permian Basin, home to one of the world's largest oil fields. The samples had radium concentrations that ranged between 1584.5 and 3955.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l). Current regulations specify that the acceptable safe concentration of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in groundwater is 30 pCi/l or less. For drinking water, the acceptable concentration of NORM is 5 pCi/l or less. The following chart shows the amount of NORM within the five representative samples after treatment with varying concentrations of the clay of Formula 1. Each sample showed undetectable levels of NORM after treatment with the clay of Formula 1, no matter the concentration of the clay of Formula 1:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Formula 1 (g/l) NORM, pCi/l % Removal 20 Not detected 100 10 Not detected 100 5 Not detected 100 2 Not detected 100 1.5 Not detected 100

[0043] Table 2 shows a comparison of the adsorbent of Formula 1 compared against other common adsorbents for removal of radium from aqueous fluids. Again, these materials demonstrate the amount of the adsorbent required to adsorb concentrations of radium from water samples removed from the Permian Basin, which had radium concentrations that varied between 1584.5 and 3955.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l).

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Amount required to adsorb Radium, Adsorbent Chemical Structure M.sub.0 (g/mol) Kaolinite (Al.sub.2O.sub.3)(SiO.sub.2).sub.2(H.sub.2O) 222.1 Montmorillonite (Na.sub.2O)(MgO).sub.2(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3)(Al.sub.2O.sub.3)(SiO.sub.2).sub.42H.sub.2O 786.4 Nontronite (Na.sub.2O)(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3)(Al.sub.2O.sub.3) SiO.sub.2).sub.42H.sub.2O 665.9 Glauconite (K.sub.2O)(MgO).sub.2(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3)(Al.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.2(SiO.sub.2).sub.4 778.7 Clinoptilolite (SiO.sub.2).sub.11(Na.sub.2O)(K.sub.2O)(Al.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.3(SiO.sub.2).sub.3024H.sub.2O 2320.6 Formula 1 (SiO.sub.2).sub.11(Na.sub.2O).sub.11(MgO).sub.9(Fe.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.4 <5.0

[0044] Thus, the comparison data shown in Table 2 illustrates that it only requires less than 5.0 g/mole of the adsorbent of the Formula 1 to achieve the same or similar results of radium adsorption as the other known adsorbent clays, which require orders of magnitude more adsorbent material to achieve the same or similar results.

[0045] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. Further, references throughout the specification to the invention are nonlimiting, and it should be noted that claim limitations presented herein are not meant to describe the invention as a whole. Moreover, the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.