Patent ID: 11865532
Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method for recycling waste ion exchange materials comprising a first alkali metal salt and a second alkali metal salt, the method comprising:
reducing the size of the waste ion exchange materials to produce a plurality of waste ion exchange particles having particle sizes from 0.10 mm to 5.0 mm; and
regenerating the plurality of waste ion exchange particles to produce a plurality of regenerated ion exchange particles having a concentration of the first alkali metal salt greater than a concentration of the first alkali metal salt in the waste ion exchange materials,
wherein regenerating the plurality of waste ion exchange particles comprises:
contacting the plurality of waste ion exchange particles with an aqueous solution saturated with the first alkali metal salt to form a regenerated ion exchange slurry; and
separating the regenerated ion exchange slurry to produce a recycled aqueous solution and the plurality of regenerated ion exchange particles.