Brigham Young University

Ibc Advanced Technologies, Inc.

Reed M Izatt

Jerald S Bradshaw

Ronald L Bruening

Bryon J Tarbet

Krzysztof E Krakowiak

Jan F Biernat

Virginia B Christensen

James J Christensen

Robert Alldredge

Byron J Tarbet

Richard T Hawkins

Maria Bochenska

James J Christensen, Deceased

Ronald L Breuning

The invention has compositions of matter and process aspects. The compositions of matter aspects relate to a class of new organic compounds, viz., intermediates which are sulfur and nitrogen containing hydrocarbons covalently bonded to trialkoxysilane and those intermediates covalently bonded to a solid inorganic support such as silica. The process aspect comprises two processes, viz., (1) a process for making the new class of compounds, and (2) the process of removing and/or concentrating certain ions such as noble metal ions and other transition metal ions, from solutions thereof admixed with other ions which may be present in much higher concentrations by forming a complex of the desired ion(s) with a compound as stated, e.g., by flowing the solution through a column packed with the compound, breaking the complex, e.g., by flowing a receiving liquid through the column to remove the desired ion(s) in solution in the receiving liquid and recovering the desired ion(s) from the receiving liquid.

Process of using sulfur and nitrogen-containing hydrocarbons in

Poly N-cyclic aromatic ligands bonded to solid supports for removing and

A method for the removal and concentration of desired ions such as Pd(II), Ru(III), Pd(IV), Au(III), Au(I), Ag(I), and Hg(II) from a multiple ion source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other undesired ions including H.sup.+ comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a compound comprising a sulfur and electron withdrawing group containing ligand covalently bonded through an organic spacer silicon grouping to a solid inorganic support. The sulfur and electron withdrawing group containing ligand portion(s) of the compound has an affinity for the desired ions to form a complex thereby removing the desired ions from the source solution. The desired ions are removed from the compound by contacting the compound with a much smaller volume of a receiving solution having a greater affinity for the desired ions than does the sulfur and electron withdrawing group containing ligand portion of the compound. The process is useful in removing desired or unwanted ions from acidic waste streams, metal refining streams, and other industrial or environmental streams. The invention is also drawn to the sulfur and electron withdrawing group containing ligands covalently bonded through a spacer grouping to a hydrophilic inorganic solid support material.

Process of removing ions from solutions using a complex with

A method for the removal and concentration of desired ions from a source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other ions including H.sup.+ comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a compound comprising a polytetraalkylammonium and/or polytrialkylamine-containing ligand covalently bonded through an organic spacer silicon grouping to a solid inorganic support. The polytetraalkylammonium and/or polytrialkylamine portion(s) of the compound has an affinity for the desired ions to form a complex thereby removing the desired ions from the source solution. The desired ions are removed from the compound by contacting the compound with a much smaller volume of a receiving solution having a greater affinity for the desired ions than does the polytetraalkylammonium and/or polytrialkylamine ligand portion of the compound. The concentrated ions thus removed may be recovered by known methods. The process is useful in removing desired or unwanted ions from water streams and in the treatment of waste streams. The invention is also drawn to the polytetraalkylammonium and polytrialkylamine-containing ligands covalently bonded through a spacer grouping to a hydrophilic inorganic solid support material.

Process of using polytetraalkylammonium and polytrialkylamine-containing

A method for the removal and concentration of desired ions such as Sb.sup.3+, Zr.sup.4+, Zn.sup.2+, Pu.sup.4+, Hf.sup.4+, Cu.sup.2+, Ni.sup.2+, Fe.sup.3+, Cd.sup.2+, Ag.sup.+, and Hg.sup.2+ from a multiple ion source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other undesired ions including H.sup.+ comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a compound comprising an aminoalkylphosphonic acid containing ligand covalently bonded through an organic spacer silicon grouping to a solid inorganic support. The aminoalkylphosphonic acid containing ligand portion(s) of the compound has an affinity for the desired ions to form a complex thereby removing the desired ions from the source solution. The desired ions are removed from the compound by contacting the compound with a much smaller volume of a receiving solution having a greater affinity for the desired ions than does the aminoalkylphosphonic acid containing ligand portion of the compound. The process is useful in removing desired or unwanted ions of Sb(III) from acidic waste streams, streams containing concentrated Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Ag(I), and also the removal of Zr(IV), Pu(IV) and Hf(IV) from nitric acid solutions containing large amounts of other ions as well removal of unwanted ions from other industrial or environmental streams.

Aminoalkylphosphonic acid containing ligands attached to solid supports

A method is disclosed for the quantitative removal and concentration of desired molecules or ions, such as gases, anions and amino acids, from a source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other molecules. The method comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a solid cation-ligand-matrix consisting of a cation complexed to a ligand molecule covalently bonded to a matrix consisting of an organic spacer bonded to a solid inorganic support through a silicon atom. The cation has an affinity for the desired molecules to form a complex between the desired molecules and the cation portion of the solid cation-ligand-matrix at binding sites initially held by H.sub.2 O or other weakly coordinated ligands or via ion pairing. The desired molecule complex is broken releasing either the desired molecules or desired molecules complexed with the cation by contacting the solid cation-ligand-matrix-desired molecule complex with a much smaller volume of a receiving solution in which said desired molecules are soluble. The concentrated ions or molecules thus removed may be analyzed and/or recovered by known methods. The process is useful in measuring the concentrations of molecules originally present at parts per billion levels; in the removal of low levels of toxic molecules such as ammonia or anions such as chromate from potable and saline water; in the preparation of ultrapure salts and gases; and in the recovery of valuable molecules present in low concentrations as in the separation of amino acids, etc.

Process of removing and concentrating desired molecules from solutions

Polytetraalkylammonium and polytrialkylamine-containing ligands bonded

A process of separating one or more seleced species of ions from a solution containing the ions comprises contacting the solution with a novel composition of matter comprising a hydrocarbon chain covalently bonded to a macrocyclic compound, wherein the macrocyclic compound has at least four --A--C--C-- linkages in which A for each such linkage, is independently selected from the group consisting of O, O--CH.sub.2, S, SH.sub.2, NR, and NRCH.sub.2, with R being independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and benzyl, and wherein the hydrocarbon chain has an end group ##STR1## with X being independently selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, benzyl, phenyl, halogen, O--CH.sub.3, O--C.sub.2 H.sub.5 and O-matrix, and with matrix being independently selected from the group consisting of silica, silica gel, glass, glass fibers, titania, zirconia, alumina and nickle oxide. A complex is formed between the selected ions and the composition of matter to remove the selected species of ions from the solution. The solution is separated from the complex, and the complex is thereafter contacted with an eluant which frees the selected ions from the complex into solution in the eluant.

Macrocyclic ligands bonded to an inorganic support matrix and a process

A method of selectively and quantitatively removing and concentrating at least one selected ion from a multiple ion solution in which other ions are present is disclosed. The method comprises (a) bringing a complexing agent for the selected ion(s) into contact with the multiple ion solution to remove and concentrate selected ion(s) from the multiple ion solution, wherein the complexing agent is selected from the group of macrocyclic compounds having at least four --A--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 -- groups in which A is selected from O, O--CH.sub.2, S, S--CH.sub.2, N--R and N--R--CH.sub.2 in which R is selected from H, lower alkyl and benzyl, with the macrocyclic compounds further having a hydrocarbon side chain having an end group ##STR1## in which X is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, benzyl, phenyl, halogen, O--CH.sub.3, O--C.sub.2 H.sub.5 and O--M, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of sand, silica gel, glass, glass fibers, alumina, zirconia, titania and nickel oxide; (b) removing the multiple ion solution from which the complexing agent has removed the selected ion(s) from the complexing agent having the selected ion(s) complexed therewith; (c) bringing the complexing agent complexed with selected ion(s) into contact with a receiving liquid to break the complex and remove the selected and concentrated ion(s) from the complexing agent; and (d) determining the concentration of selected ion(s) in the receiving liquid from which the concentration of selected ion(s) in the multiple ion solution can be calculated.

Analysis of ions present at low concentrations in solutions containing

A method for the removal and concentration of desired ions such as Pd(II), Pt(IV), Pt(II), Pd(IV), Ru(III), Ru(II), Au(III), Os(IV), Au(I), Cu(I), Cu(II), Ag(I), and Hg(II) from a multiple ion source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other undesired ions including H.sup.+ comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a compound comprising a thiol and/or thioether aralkyl nitrogen-containing ligand covalently bonded through an organic spacer silicon grouping to a solid inorganic support. The thiol and/or thioether aralkyl nitrogen-containing ligand portion(s) of the compound has an affinity for the desired ions to form a complex thereby removing the desired ions from the source solution. The desired ions are removed from the compound by contacting the compound with a much smaller volume of a receiving solution having a greater affinity for the desired ions than does the thiol and/or thioether aralkyl nitrogen-containing ligand portion of the compound. The process is useful in removing desired or unwanted ions from Rh and Ir concentrates, acidic waste streams, multiple platinum group metal refining streams, and other industrial or environmental streams. The invention is also drawn to the thiol and/or thioether aralkyl nitrogen-containing ligands covalently bonded through a spacer grouping to a hydrophilic inorganic solid support material. The preferred aralkyl group is benzyl.

Compositions and processes for removing, separating and concentrating

A method for the removal, separation, and concentration of Rh, Ir, and/or Ru from a source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other ions including H.sup.+ comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a compound comprising a polyalkylene-polyamine-containing ligand covalently bonded through an organic spacer silicon grouping to a solid inorganic support. The ligand portion(s) of the compound has affinity for complexed anionic species of Rh, Ir, and/or Ru thereby removing them from the source solution. The Rh and/or Ru are first selectively removed from the compound through contact with a much smaller volume of a first receiving solution which changes the Rh and/or Ru speciation to have no affinity for the ligand portion of the compound. The Ir is then removed from the compound through contact with a much smaller volume of a second receiving solution having a greater affinity for the Ir than the ligand portion of the compound or having a greater affinity for the ligand portion of the compound than the Ir species. The concentrated ions thus removed may be further separated and recovered by known methods. The process is useful in the recovery and refining of the valuable Rh and Ir from a variety of sources. The invention is also drawn to the particular highly stable branched polyalkylene-polyamine-containing ligands covalently bonded through a spacer grouping to a hydrophilic inorganic solid support material.

Processes for removing, separating and concentrating rhodium, iridium,

Compositions of matter are disclosed comprising nitrogen containing hydrocarbons which are modified with at least one of the elements selected from the group consisting of sulfur, phosphorus an arsenic, with the modified hydrocarbons being covalently bonded to trialkoxysilane. These modified hydrocarbons are further covalently bonded to a solid inorganic support such as silica to form a solid complexing agent. The complexing agents are particularly useful in a process of removing and/or concentrating certain ions, such as noble metal ions and other transition metal ions, from solutions thereof admixed with other ions by forming a complex of the desired ion(s) with the complexing agent. The solution preferably flow through a column packed with the complexing agent to form the complex of the desired ion(s). The desired ion(s) are recovered from the column by subsequently flowing a receiving liquid through the column, wherein the receiving liquid is adapted to break the complex and receive ion(s) in solution in the receiving liquid. The receiving ion(s) can then be separated from the receiving liquid if so desired.

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Provo, UT, United States of America

Reed M Izatt