Self-Regenerating Anion Exchange Process for Treating Shale Gas Flowback Waste Water

摘要

The present invention includes an anion exchange method that uses sulfate-containing acid mine drainage (AMD), or any sulfate containing water resource, to remove strontium, barium, and/or radium from contaminated water sources, such as but not limited to hydraulic fracturing waste water, flowback, and/or produced water, without requiring any external regenerant. The removal process may be adopted with any waste water or impaired water source containing sulfate anions.

主权项

1. A method of desalinizing a primary waste water comprising dissolved divalent cations, the method comprising:
(i) providing an untreated secondary waste water comprising dissolved sulfate ions; (ii) contacting the untreated secondary waste water with an ion exchanging medium, whereby the ion exchanging medium is conditioned to sulfate form, and whereby a treated secondary waste water is formed, wherein the treated secondary waste water has a lower concentration of dissolved sulfate ions as compared to the untreated secondary waste water; and (iii) contacting the ion exchanging medium conditioned to sulfate form with an untreated primary waste water comprising dissolved divalent cations, whereby a treated primary waste water is formed, wherein the treated primary waste water has a lower concentration of dissolved divalent cations as compared to the untreated primary waste water.