Method for removal of dissolved metal cations from aqueous fluids using modified capture polymers and tether polymer bearing anchor particles

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for removing an ionic material from a fluid using a capture polymer that sequesters the ionic material and an anchor particle bearing a tethering polymer. The tethering polymer complexes with the capture polymer after the capture polymer has sequestered the ionic material, thereby affixing a complex of capture polymer and ionic material to the anchor particle to form a removable complex. The removable material can be segregated from the fluid via a removal system, thereby removing the ionic material from the fluid.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A method for removing an ionic material from a fluid, comprising:
 adding to the fluid a capture polymer that sequesters the ionic material;   adding to the fluid a tether-bearing anchor particle, wherein the tether complexes with the capture polymer to attach the capture polymer to the tether-bearing anchor particle; and   removing from the fluid a solid material comprising the tether complexed with the capture polymer that sequesters the ionic material, whereby removing the solid material from the fluid removes the ionic material from the fluid.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ionic material is a cationic material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the capture polymer is an anionic polymer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ionic material is an anionic material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the capture polymer is a cationic polymer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the capture polymer is a modified capture polymer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the modified capture polymer comprises a polyacrylamide polymer. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for removing an organic material from a fluid, comprising:
 adding to the fluid a capture polymer that sequesters the organic material;   adding to the fluid a tether-bearing anchor particle, wherein the tether complexes with the capture polymer to attach the capture polymer to the tether-bearing anchor particle; and   removing from the fluid a solid material comprising the tether complexed with the capture polymer that sequesters the organic material, whereby removing the solid material from the fluid removes the organic material from the fluid.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method for removing an ionic material from a fluid, comprising:
 precipitating the ionic material in the fluid to form a precipitate;   complexing the precipitate with an activator polymer to form an activator-polymer complex;   adding to the fluid a tether-bearing anchor particle, wherein the tether-bearing anchor particle complexes with the activator-polymer complex to form a solid material; and   removing the solid material from the fluid, thereby removing the ionic material from the fluid.