Electrostatic removal of colloidal, soluble and insoluble materials from a fluid

Abstract

A filter that contains an adsorbent to remove the soluble portion of the contaminant, and then some form of electrostatic attraction additive. The electrostatic attraction additive would serve to pull the colloidal and particulate portion of the contaminant out of fluid, which could be held indefinitely, or be used to hold while the contaminant is allowed to solubilize and then be removed by the adsorbent. The electrostatic attraction additive could either be positively or negatively charged depending on the surface charge of the particulates that are in the fluid, and includes particles or fibers charged with charged polymers, zeolites, cation or anion exchange resin, powdered alumina, or nano-alumina.

Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A filter for removing soluble, colloidal, and insoluble material from a fluid comprising:
 a container for receiving ingress fluid, and for securing and introducing filter media to said fluid;   a treated filter media for filtering soluble material from said fluid, said treated filter media including an electrostatic attraction additive, such that said colloidal particles are retained through electrostatic attraction within said treated filter media until becoming soluble in said fluid, and subsequently passing through the remainder of said filter media, thereby being removed by said filter media.   
     
     
         2 . The filter of  claim 1  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes particles or fibers charged with charged polymers, zeolites, cation or anion exchange resin, powdered alumina, or nano-alumina, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The filter media of  claim 2  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes charged fibers or charged carbon filter core with polyDADMAC. 
     
     
         4 . The filter media of  claim 1  wherein a sufficient amount of said electrostatic attraction additive necessary to remove said colloidal material is a combination of a charge on said treated filter media material, a charge of said colloidal material, a mass of said colloidal material being removed, a pore size of said treated filter media, and a flow rate or face velocity of said colloidal material through said treated filter media. 
     
     
         5 . The filter of  claim 1  including having fibrillated nanofibers as one of said filter media. 
     
     
         6 . The filter of  claim 5  wherein said fibrillated nanofibers includes cellulose or acrylic compositions. 
     
     
         7 . The filter of  claim 5  wherein said fibrillated nanofibers comprise at least one pleated sheet of filter material. 
     
     
         8 . The filter of  claim 1  including having ion exchange beads, powder, resins, an adsorbent, zeolites, or carbon as said filter media. 
     
     
         9 . A filter for removing soluble, colloidal, and insoluble material from a fluid comprising:
 a container for receiving ingress fluid, and for securing and introducing filter media to said fluid;   a first treated filter media, treated with an electrostatic attraction additive for capturing said colloidal material;   a second filter media in fluid communication with said first treated filter media, for filtering said soluble material from said fluid and from soluble colloidal material initially electrostatically trapped by said first treated filter media.   
     
     
         10 . The filter of  claim 9  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes particles or fibers charged with charged polymers, zeolites, cation or anion exchange resin, powdered alumina, or nano-alumina, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The filter media of  claim 10  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes charged fibers or charged carbon filter core with polyDADMAC. 
     
     
         12 . A filter for removing soluble, colloidal, and insoluble material from a fluid comprising:
 a container for receiving ingress fluid, and for securing and introducing filter media to said fluid;   a first treated filter media, treated with an electrostatic attraction additive for capturing said colloidal material;   a second filter media in fluid communication with said first treated filter media, for filtering said soluble material from said fluid and from soluble colloidal material initially electrostatically trapped by said first treated filter media; and   a third filter media adjacent to, and in fluid communication with, said second filter media wherein said second and third filter media create a physical barrier for said colloidal material at their interface for capturing said colloidal particles;   said colloidal particles being retained by said first treated filter media through electrostatic attraction, and retained at said interface until becoming soluble in said fluid, subsequently passing through said interface, and being removed by said second or third filter media, or both second and third filter media.   
     
     
         13 . The filter of  claim 12  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes particles or fibers charged with charged polymers, zeolites, cation or anion exchange resin, powdered alumina, or nano-alumina, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The filter media of  claim 13  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes charged fibers or charged carbon filter core with polyDADMAC. 
     
     
         15 . The filter of  claim 12  including having fibrillated nanofibers as one of said filter media. 
     
     
         16 . The filter of  claim 15  wherein said fibrillated nanofibers includes cellulose or acrylic compositions. 
     
     
         17 . The filter of  claim 15  wherein said fibrillated nanofibers comprise at least one pleated sheet of filter material. 
     
     
         18 . The filter media of  claim 12  wherein a sufficient amount of said electrostatic attraction additive necessary to remove said colloidal material is a combination of a charge on said treated filter media material, a charge of said colloidal material, a mass of said colloidal material being removed, a pore size of said treated filter media, and a flow rate or face velocity of said colloidal material through said treated filter media. 
     
     
         19 . A filter for removing soluble, colloidal, and insoluble material from a fluid comprising:
 a container for receiving ingress fluid, and for securing and introducing filter media to said fluid;   a first treated filter media, for filtering said soluble material from said fluid and from soluble colloidal material   a second filter media in fluid communication with said first treated filter media treated with an electrostatic attraction additive for capturing said colloidal material; and   a third filter media adjacent to, and in fluid communication with, said second filter media wherein said third filter media removes any remaining soluble material from the fluid;   said colloidal particles being retained by said second treated filter media through electrostatic attraction, and retained at said interface until becoming soluble in said fluid, subsequently passing through said interface, and being removed by said second or third filter media, or both second and third filter media.   
     
     
         20 . The filter of  claim 19  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes particles or fibers charged with charged polymers, zeolites, cation or anion exchange resin, powdered alumina, or nano-alumina, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The filter media of  claim 20  wherein said electrostatic attraction additive includes charged fibers or charged carbon filter core with polyDADMAC.