1. A flocculation method, comprising:
intermixing a silicon-containing polymer flocculant with a process stream from a process to digest bauxite ore in an amount effective to thereby flocculate at least a portion of a the suspended solids therein, wherein the suspended solids are selected from the group consisting of calcium aluminosilicate, calcium silicate, calcium titanate and titanium dioxide; and
separating at least a portion of the flocculated suspended solids thus formed.
2. The flocculation method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing polymer flocculant comprises a plurality of \u2014Si(OR)3 groups, wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkenyl, C6-12 aryl, C7-20 aralkyl, a group I metal ion, a group II metal ion, and NR\u20324+; wherein R\u2032 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkenyl, C6-12 aryl, and C7-20 aralkyl; and wherein R and R\u2032 are independently unsubstituted, hydroxy-substituted, or beta hydroxy substituted.
3. The flocculation method of claim 2, where R is selected from the group consisting of Na+, K+, and NH4+.
4. The flocculation method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing polymer flocculant is selected from the group consisting of a silicon-containing polyethyleneimine, a vinyl triethoxysilane copolymer, a copolymer of acrylic acid and triethoxysilylpropylacrylamide, a copolymer of methacrylic acid and triethoxysilylpropylmethacrylamide, a copolymer of acrylic acid and triethoxyvinylsilane, a silicon-containing polysaccharide, a silicon-containing styrenemaleic anhydride copolymer, a silicon-containing maleic anhydridealkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and mixtures thereof.
5. The flocculation method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing polymer flocculant is hydroxamated.
6. The flocculation method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the intermixing of the silicon-containing polymer flocculant with the process stream for a process for digesting bauxite ore is conducted in at least one of a washer and a settler.
7. The flocculation method of claim 1, further comprising adding the silicon-containing polymer flocculant to the process stream in an amount in the range of from about 0.1 part per million to about 500 parts per million.
8. The flocculation method of claim 1, wherein the process stream further comprises a suspended mud.
9. The flocculation method of claim 1, further comprising intermixing an anionic polymer with the process stream, wherein the anionic polymer is different from the silicon-containing polymer flocculant.
10. The flocculation method of claim 9, wherein the anionic polymer is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxamated polyacrylamide, a polyacrylate, a poly(acrylamide-co-acrylate), and mixtures thereof.
11. The flocculation method of claim 9, wherein the weight ratio of the amount of said silicon-containing polymer flocculant to the amount of said anionic polymeric flocculant is in the range of about 100:1 to about 1:10.
12. The flocculation method of claim 11, wherein the weight ratio is in the range of about 10:1 to about 1:2.
13. The flocculation method of claim 11, wherein the silicon-containing polymer flocculant comprises a plurality of \u2014Si(OR)3 groups, wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkenyl, C6-12 aryl, C7-20 aralkyl, a group I metal ion, a group II metal ion, and NR\u20324+; wherein R\u2032 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-20 alkyl, C1-20 alkenyl, C6-12 aryl, and C7-20 aralkyl; and wherein R and R\u2032 are independently unsubstituted, hydroxy-substituted, or beta hydroxy substituted.
14. The flocculation method of claim 13, where R is selected from the group consisting of Na+, K+, and NH4+.
15. The flocculation method of claim 13, wherein the silicon-containing polymer flocculant is selected from the group consisting of a silicon-containing polyethyleneimine, a vinyl triethoxysilane copolymer, a copolymer of acrylic acid and triethoxysilylpropylacrylamide, a copolymer of methacrylic acid and triethoxysilylpropylmethacrylamide, a copolymer of acrylic acid and triethoxyvinylsilane, a silicon-containing polysaccharide, a silicon-containing styrenemaleic anhydride copolymer, a silicon-containing maleic anhydridealkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and mixtures thereof.
16. The flocculation method of claim 11, wherein the silicon-containing polymer flocculant is hydroxamated.
17. The flocculation method of claim 9, wherein the anionic polymer flocculant has a weight average molecular weight of about 100,000 or greater.
18. The flocculation method of claim 9, wherein the anionic polymer flocculant has a weight average molecular weight of about 1,000,000 or greater.
19. The flocculation method of claim 9, wherein the anionic polymer flocculant has a weight average molecular weight of from about 5,000,000 to about 30,000,000.
20. The flocculation method of claim 11, wherein the anionic polymeric flocculant is a hydroxamated polymer.
21. The flocculation method of claim 20, wherein the anionic polymeric flocculant is a hydroxamated polyacrylamide.
22. The flocculation method of claim 11, wherein the anionic polymeric flocculant is selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylate, a poly(acrylamide-co-acrylate), and mixtures thereof.
23. The flocculation method of claim 11, wherein the anionic polymeric flocculant comprises at least about 50% anionic recurring units.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electrowetting optical device comprising:
a cell surrounded by a light-incident surface, a light-exit surface, and a plurality of side surfaces;
an electrode portion formed along the light-incident surface, the electrode portion including at least two electrodes;
an insulation layer covering at least a portion of the electrode portion;
an oil layer within the cell, the oil layer contacting the insulation layer;
an aqueous solution layer filled in the cell, the aqueous solution layer contacting the oil layer; and
a light source emitting light onto the light-incident surface.
2. The electrowetting optical device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the electrode portion are arranged along the light-incident surface at intervals.
3. The electrowetting optical device of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer is hydrophobic.
4. The electrowetting optical device of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution layer is a light-transmitting layer, and the oil layer is a light-blocking layer.
5. The electrowetting optical device of claim 4, wherein the aqueous solution layer is transparent or is formed of an aqueous solution including one of a red color, a green color, and a blue color.
6. The electrowetting optical device of claim 1, wherein the electrode portion is a first electrode portion and the insulation layer is a first insulation layer, the electrowetting optical device further comprising:
a second electrode portion formed along a first side surface of the plurality of side surfaces, the second electrode portion including at least two electrodes; and
a second insulation layer covering at least a portion of the second electrode portion, the second insulation layer contacting the aqueous solution layer.
7. The electrowetting optical device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of electrodes of the second electrode portion are arranged along the first side surface at intervals.
8. The electrowetting optical device of claim 6, wherein the second insulation layer is hydrophilic.
9. An electrowetting optical device comprising:
a cell surrounded by a light-incident surface, a light-exit surface, and a plurality of side surfaces;
an electrode portion formed along the light-incident surface and including at least two electrodes;
an insulation layer covering at least a portion of the electrode portion;
an oil layer within the cell, the oil layer contacting the insulation layer;
an aqueous solution layer filled in the cell, the aqueous solution layer contacting the oil layer;
a power source connected to the aqueous solution layer and the electrode portion, the power source applying a voltage to the electrode portion;
a controller controlling the voltage applied to the electrode portion to apply the voltage to the electrodes of the electrode portion in a particular order; and
a light source emitting light onto the light-incident surface,
wherein the controller controls the voltage applied to the electrode portion to apply the voltage sequentially to the electrodes of the electrode portion from a first side to a second side of the electrode portion or from a central portion to opposite sides of the electrode portion, so as to move the oil layer toward one side or opposite sides of the cell to control an amount of an incident light passing through the cell.
10. The electrowetting optical device of claim 9, wherein the electrodes of the electrode portion are arranged along the light-incident surface at intervals.
11. The electrowetting optical device of claim 9, wherein the insulation layer is hydrophobic.
12. The electrowetting optical device of claim 9, wherein the aqueous solution layer is a light-transmitting layer, and the oil layer is a light-blocking layer.
13. The electrowetting optical device of claim 12, wherein the aqueous solution layer is transparent or is formed of an aqueous solution including one of a red color, a green color, and a blue color.
14. The electrowetting optical device of claim 9, wherein the electrode portion is a first electrode portion and the insulation layer is a first insulation layer, the electrowetting optical device further comprising:
a second electrode portion formed along a first side surface of the plurality of side surfaces and including at least two electrodes; and
a second insulation layer covering at least a portion of the second electrode portion, the second insulation layer contacting the aqueous solution layer.
15. The electrowetting optical device of claim 14, wherein the electrodes of the second electrode portion are arranged along the first side surface at intervals.
16. The electrowetting optical device of claim 14, wherein the second insulation layer is hydrophilic.
17. The electrowetting optical device of claim 14, wherein the second electrode portion is connected to the power source.
18. A method of controlling a voltage of an electrowetting optical device, the method comprising:
supplying a voltage to a first electrode portion including at least two electrodes formed along a light-incident surface; and
supplying a voltage to a second electrode portion including at least two electrodes formed along a first side surface of side surfaces extending from opposite sides of the light-incident surface, to move an oil layer contacting the first and second electrode portions in a particular direction,
wherein the voltage supplied to the first electrode portion is supplied sequentially to the electrodes of the first electrode portion from a first side to a second side of the first electrode portion or from a central portion to first and second sides of the first electrode portion, and the voltage supplied to the second electrode portion is supplied sequentially to the electrodes of the second electrode portion from a first side of the second electrode portion adjoining the first electrode portion to a second side of the second electrode portion, to shift the oil layer contacting the first electrode portion toward the second electrode portion.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
sequentially switching off the electrodes of the first electrode portion from the second side to the first side of the first electrode portion or from the first and second sides to the central portion of the first electrode portion; and
sequentially switching off the electrodes of the second electrode portion from the second side to the first side of the second electrode portion when sequentially switching off the electrodes of the first electrode portion, to shift the oil layer contacting the second electrode portion toward the first electrode portion.
20. A method of controlling movement of a light-blocking oil layer in an electrowetting optical device, the electrowetting optical device including a cell surrounded by a light-incident surface, a light-exit surface, and a plurality of side surfaces, the method comprising:
forming an electrode portion along the light-incident surface, the electrode portion including at least two electrodes;
covering at least a portion of the electrode portion with an insulation layer;
contacting the insulation layer with the oil layer; and,
sequentially applying voltage to the electrodes of the electrode portion from a first side to a second side of the electrode portion or from a central portion to the first and second sides of the electrode portion to selectively move the oil layer away from a section of the electrode portion and allow light to pass through the cell.