摘要 |
Acid mine drainage and surface waters containing sulfate are processed by an electrocoagulator to make aluminum or other polyvalent metal sulfate, which acts as a coagulant for solids suspended in the waters. The process thus removes and puts to good use highly undesirable sulfate anions, obviating combinations with barium and other scale forming metals when the fluids are used in well drilling for other purposes associated with hydrocarbon recovery. Well fluids may be treated with the acid mine drainage including the sulfate coagulant made in it. Efficiency of the process may be enhanced by the addition of an oxidizing agent and/or by passing the fluid through a cavitation device or other mechanism to improve mixing, enabling the process to handle large quantities of acid mine drainage and fluids handled in hydrocarbon recovery, particularly from shale formations.
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