BACKGROUND

Emulsion polymers can be classified by their molecular weight and charge. These polymers include medium to high molecular weight polymers that have either a positive (cationic) or negative (anionic) charge. The magnitude of each polymer's charge can be classified as high, medium or low. Additionally, these polymers are either linear or branched with regard to their molecular structure. The possible combination of these variables (molecular weight, charge, branching) is enormous. Accordingly, each emulsion polymer is designed for specific applications related to its molecular weight, charge, and structure.

For example, medium to high molecular weight, high charge cationic polymers are used in wastewater treatment, while lower charge, high molecular weight cationic polymers are employed in papermaking applications, and higher charge, high molecular weight anionic polymers are used as mining flocculent. Polymers used for these emulsion applications require an input of energy for their activation and use.

In general, higher molecular weight polymers require the most mixing energy to activate, while lower molecular weight polymers require substantially less energy. The activation methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,323,017 and 5,372,421 provide the necessary amount of mixing energy followed by a period of quiescence for proper activation of these emulsion polymers.

The methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,323,017 and 5,372,421 are 4-step processes that use unheated diluent to activate polymers. These systems are designed primarily as batch systems which require additional aging or holding time for the polymers to fully hydrate once they are processed through these devices. These systems have been employed in-line, without aging, but at the loss of polymer performance and value.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,867 discloses the use of heated diluent to offset the aging time by driving the hydration reaction in a quicker manner. This use of heated diluent and the energy input derived from heating virtually eliminates the need for holding tanks and allows the polymer to be sent directly to the process. This process is appropriate where the in-line activity of the polymer closely matches the activity of a fully aged polymer prepared by conventional means, in order to provide a cost effective treatment program that eliminates the capital expense of added holding tanks and additional pumping means. However, this method requires a 4-step activation process of the polymer.

SUMMARY

Disclosed are methods and systems for preparing polymers for use in selected processes (e.g., papermaking, wastewater treatment, mining). The methods include a super-activation process.

In one aspect, the super-activation process comprises: heating a diluent to an elevated temperature; combining a polymer and the heated diluent to form a first polymer-diluent mixture, wherein the first polymer-diluent mixture has a first concentration of polymer to diluent; carrying out a one to three-step polymer activation process to form an activated polymer-diluent mixture, the steps selected from (a)-(d): (a) premixing the first polymer-diluent mixture at a predetermined pressure to form a second polymer-diluent mixture; (b) blending the first polymer-diluent mixture or the second polymer-diluent mixture with a blending device to form a blended polymer-diluent mixture; (c) (i) recycling the blended polymer-diluent mixture to be blended as in step (b) or premixed as in step (a) at a predetermined pressure; or (ii) recycling the second polymer-diluent mixture to be premixed as in step (a) at a predetermined pressure; and (d) reducing the pressure in a portion of the blended polymer-diluent mixture or the second polymer-diluent mixture to relax the polymer and form a relaxed polymer-diluent mixture; diluting the activated polymer-diluent mixture, said diluted activated polymer-diluent mixture having a temperature lower than said elevated temperature and a second concentration of polymer to diluent lower than the first concentration; wherein the activated polymer-diluent mixture is selected from: the second polymer-diluent mixture, the blended polymer-diluent mixture, and the relaxed polymer-diluent mixture; and passing the diluted activated polymer-diluent mixture to an output, preferably passing the diluted activated polymer-diluent mixture through a mixer to an output.

