Patent ID: 7695630
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: C02F

Abstract:
1. A process for conditioning an aqueous suspension of colloidal particles and dissolved solids for efficient precipitation, wherein the colloidal particles have an ionic layer of like charges the mutual repulsion of which like charges maintaining the particles in suspension; the process comprising the steps of compressing the ionic layer to reduce the repulsion between particles sufficiently for Van der Waal forces to overcome repulsive forces and agglomerate the particles into large clusters by adding sufficient hydroxide and/or oxide of a group IIA metal or of iron to attain a pH range between 10 to 12, a Zeta potential from +10 mV to +20 mV and larger particle clusters between 1 mm to 3 mm, in said aqueous suspension; adding sufficient negative charge comprising non-metallic acid to the large clusters to destabilize and fragment the large particle clusters into fragmented smaller particle clusters and transition to a fine colloidal cluster homogenization including said dissolved solids at a pH of about 8 to 8.5 and a Zeta potential of −10 mV, with fragmented smaller particle clusters ranging between 0.1 mm to 1 mm flocculating the aqueous suspension with a polymeric flocculating agent to form a flocculate including the fragmented smaller particle clusters and dissolved solids.