Patent ID: 11944982
Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C  H | IPC B  C  H

Claim 13:
14. A method, comprising:
(i) introducing a feed fluid comprising the polymer-functionalized particle according to claim 1 into a system;
wherein the system comprises
a fluid feed zone comprising a feed source, one or more valves, and a residence tube component;
a magnetic separation zone comprising one or more valves and two or more magnetic separation devices, wherein each magnetic separation device comprises (i) a flowtube having a hollow interior; (ii) a collection component positioned within the hollow interior of the flowtube; (iii) a collection matrix material attached to a portion of the collection component;
and an electromagnet comprising two magnets, wherein the flowtube is positioned between the two magnets;
a solute isolation zone, comprising a mixer, one or more separator components, and a filter;
a magnetic particle regeneration zone, comprising an aqueous salt solution source, one or more mixers, a separator component, and one or more pumps; and
a stripping fluid flow loop, comprising a stripping fluid source, one or more holding tanks, and a pump;
(ii) applying a magnetic field to at least one of the magnetic separation devices of the system as the feed fluid passes through one or more of the magnetic separation devices;
(iii) turning off the magnetic field;
(iv) passing a stripping fluid provided by the stripping fluid source through one or more of the magnetic separation devices;
(v) separating the polymer-functionalized particles from any solutes freed from the polymer-functionalized particles by the stripping fluid;
(vi) isolating the solutes;
(vii) exposing the polymer-functionalized particles to an aqueous salt solution provided by the aqueous salt solution source to provide regenerated polymer-functionalized particles; and
(viii) adding the regenerated polymer-functionalized particles to the feed fluid.