Process and apparatus for removing impurities from condensate water

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR REMOVING IMPURITIES FROM CONDENSATE WATER CONTAINING SODIUM IONS AND AMMONIA CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF PASSING SAID WATER IN SERIES THROUGH A FIRST VESSEL CONTAINING A FIRST BED CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF PARTICULATE STRONG ACID CATION EXCHANGE RESIN IN THE HYDROGEN OR AMMONIUM FROM PASSING SAID WATER THROUGH A SECOND VESSEL CONTAINING A SECOND BED

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said resin of said first bed has an effective particle size less than the effective particle size of the resins used in said second and third beds.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the effective particle size of the resin of said first bed is on the order of about 0.30 mm.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said condensate water is maintained at a pH of between about 9 and about 10 by the addition of ammonium hydroxide.

Claim 6

In combination, apparatus for treating condensate water containing sodium ions and ammonium hydroxide consisting essentially of, in series, a first vessel having a service inlet and a service outlet and containing a first bed of particulate strong acid cation exchange resin in the hydrogen Or ammonium form, said resin having an average particle size of between about 35 and about 60 Mesh U.S.S. series and an effective particle size of about 0.30 mm, a second vessel having a service inlet and a service outlet and containing a second bed of particulate anion exchange resin in the hydroxide form and a third vessel having a service inlet and a service outlet and containing a third bed of particulate cation exchange resin in the hydrogen or ammonium form, the effective particle size of the said resins of said second and third beds being between about 0.4 and about 0.6 mm, means for connecting the service outlet of the first vessel to the service inlet of the second vessel, means for connecting the service outlet of the second vessel to the service inlet of the third vessel, and means for supplying water to be treated to the service inlet of the first vessel, whereby said water passes sequentially through said first, second and third resin beds and undissolved solids and solid forming precursor cation ions are substantially removed from said water and leakage of solid forming precursor ions into said water is substantially prevented.

Claim 7

In combination, apparatus for treating condensate water containing sodium ions and ammonium hydroxide consisting essentially of, in series, a first vessel having a service inlet and a service outlet and containing a first bed of particulate strong acid cation exchange resin in the hydrogen Or ammonium form, said resin having an average particle size of between about 35 and about 60 Mesh U.S.S. series and an effective particle size of about 0.30 mm, a second vessel having a service inlet and a service outlet and containing a second bed of particulate anion exchange resin in the hydroxide form and a third vessel having a service inlet and a service outlet and containing a third bed of particulate cation exchange resin in the hydrogen or ammonium form, the effective particle size of the said resins of said second and third beds being between about 0.4 and about 0.6 mm, means for connecting the service outlet of the first vessel to the service inlet of the second vessel, means for connecting the service outlet of the second vessel to the service inlet of the third vessel, and means for supplying water to be treated to the service inlet of the first vessel, whereby said water passes sequentially through said first, second and third resin beds and undissolved solids and solid forming precursor cation ions are substantially removed from said water and leakage of solid forming precursor ions into said water is substantially prevented.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 1 wherein the cation exchange resin in the first vessel and the cation exchange resin in the third vessel are in the ammonium form.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the cation exchange resin in the first vessel and the cation exchange resin in the third vessel are in the ammonium form.