Patent ID: 7501065

Claim:
A method for producing sodium sulfate and sodium chloride from saline water, said method comprising the steps of: (a) removing sulfate scale and impurities from said saline water by (i) injecting said saline water into a first precipitator at a pressure between 200 psi and 1,000 psi through at least one nozzle to produce a jet stream from said saline water; (ii) injecting amine solvent or amine solvent with modifier into said first precipitator at a pressure between 200 psi and the critical pressure of said amine solvent or said amine solvent with modifier through at least one nozzle to form precipitates comprising said sulfate scale and said impurities from said saline water; (iii) filtering said saline water to remove said precipitates in the under-flow of a first filter and to produce intermediate saline water in the over-flow of said first filter; (iv) removing at least most of said amine solvent or said amine solvent with modifier from said under-flow of said first filter by a first stripping unit; (b) removing sodium sulfate from said intermediate saline water by (i) injecting said intermediate saline water into a second precipitator at a pressure between 200 psi and 1,000 psi through at least one nozzle to produce a jet stream of said intermediate saline water; (ii) injecting said amine solvent or said amine solvent with modifier into said second precipitator at a pressure between 200 psi and the critical pressure of said amine solvent or said amine solvent with modifier through at least one nozzle to form precipitates comprising said sodium sulfate from said intermediate saline water; (iii) filtering said intermediate saline water to remove said precipitates in the under-flow of a second filter and to produce sodium chloride rich water in the over-flow of said second filter; (iv) removing at least most of said amine solvent or said amine solvent with modifier from said under-flow of said second filter by a second stripping unit; (v) removing at least most of said amine solvent or said amine solvent with modifier from said over-flow of said second filter by a third stripping unit; (c) recycling said sodium chloride rich water through said method to depress the solubility limits of said sodium sulfate; or (d) using said sodium chloride rich water to irrigate salt tolerant crops; or (e) blending said sodium chloride rich water with irrigation water to irrigate low salt tolerant crops; or (f) using said sodium chloride rich water to construct salt gradient solar ponds to produce energy; or (g) evaporating said sodium chloride rich water in solar stills to produce sodium chloride.