Patents Examined by Melvyn J. Andrews
  • Patent number: 7004992
    Abstract: The high-Cr-containing metal according to the present invention is a chromium-containing metal manufactured in an arc melting furnace, and contains at least 85% Cr, up to 0.005% Al, up to 0.1% Si, and up to 0.002% S. The manufacturing method of this high-Cr-containing metal comprises the steps of reducing chromium oxides heated and melted in the arc melting furnace with Si, obtaining a molten metal containing at least 85% Cr, then, discharging slag generated in this Si reduction from the arc melting furnace, adding a basic flux into the arc melting furnace after discharging slag, melting the basic flux by electric arc, refining the molten metal by contacting the slag generated through melting of the basic flux with the molten metal, and then, tapping the molten metal from the arc melting furnace and cast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignees: JFE Steel Corporation, JFE Material Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroiti Sugimori, Chitoshi Matsumura, Satoaki Kawaguchi, Masanori Kato
  • Patent number: 6780220
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for generating pollution credits while processing molten magnesium, aluminum, lithium, and alloys of such metals by contacting the molten metal or alloy with a gaseous mixture comprising a fluorocarbon selected from the group consisting of perfluoroketones, hydrofluoroketones, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Dean S. Milbrath, John G. Owens
  • Patent number: 5466278
    Abstract: The invention describes a process for the manufacture of steel with a carbon content of <0.8 wt.-% by reducing iron ore and refining the hot metal. Iron ore and fuel are introduced into the reduction zone of a reactor that contains an iron melt in the reduction zone. This melt is covered by a liquid slag layer from which liquid slag is withdrawn. Further, oxygen-containing gas together with fuel is blown into the iron melt contained in the reduction zone. The iron melt extends into the refining zone of the reactor, the slag layer flows from the refining zone into the reduction zone and in the refining zone liquid steel is withdrawn. Oxygen-containing gas is supplied to the iron melt contained in the refining zone and liquid iron is withdrawn therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Paul E. Queneau, Martin Hirsch
  • Patent number: 5465942
    Abstract: To increase the service life of a tuyere arrangement for the introduction of agents into a molten bath, comprising an apertured block (3) refractory material which can be fitted into the wall (1) of a vessel (12) and which includes a cylindrical body (4) with an inserted tuyere tube (6,7), the cylindrical (4) is axially displaceably fitted in the apertured block (3) the tuyere tip which is consumed is replaced by a follow-up movement of the cylindrical body (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Kortec AG
    Inventors: William Wells, Georg Raidl, Walter Schmelzer
  • Patent number: 5453297
    Abstract: A process for producing finely divided 20 to 500 angstrom metal particles, metals with oxide coatings or metal oxides using an alkalide or electride in a non-reactive solvent is described. The process produces various forms of the metal depending upon the oxidizability of the metal initially produced by the process. The process is useful for producing catalysts, alloys, colloidal solutions, semi-conductors and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University
    Inventors: James L. Dye, Ahmed S. Ellaboudy, Kuo-Lih Tsai
  • Patent number: 5447573
    Abstract: A process of detoxifying gas plant filters for environmentally acceptable disposal involves immersing the filters in aqueous cleansing fluid in a tank, containing a suitable cleaning agent. When saturated they are then agitated and passed through compressing rollers to extract as much cleansing fluid as possible. The extracted cleansing fluid returns to the tank it came from. The filters are then subject to similar repetitive steps of immersion, saturation, agitation, compression and fluid extraction in subsequent tanks. Five such stages are provided usually with diminishing proportion of cleaning agent in the aqueous cleansing fluid. The last two stages are often rinsing with water, although this is not always the case. The cleaned filters meet environmental standards for landfill disposal. The toxin accumulate as sludge in the tanks and are periodically removed for disposal in approved hazardous waste disposal sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Inventor: James R. Christensen
  • Patent number: 5443619
    Abstract: A process for extracting iron, copper, and nickel from a solution containing iron, copper, nickel, and at least one contaminent selected from the group comprising magnesium, aluminum, calcium and sodium, wherein each of said solutes is present at its respective chloride. In the process, calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide are added as a precipitating agent in incremental steps to cause incremental increases in the pH of the solution. At each increasing pH, one of the aforesaid metals will precipitate as the corresponding metal hydroxide while leaving the remaining metals in solution. The metal hydroxide precipitate is separated from the remaining solution prior to the subsequent addition of the precipitating agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: North American Palladium Ltd.
    Inventors: C. Dale McDoulett, Jr., George W. Reschke
  • Patent number: 5439527
    Abstract: A method for blast cleaning metal and fixing the hazardous waste generated by blast cleaning. An abrasive cement in a sufficient amount is combined with the blast cleaning process, thereby reducing the leachability of the heavy metals and producing non-hazardous abrasive waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: The TDJ Group, Inc.
    Inventors: D. J. Rapp, Redmond R. Clark, Michael McGrew
  • Patent number: 5437435
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a gas purging device for introducing gases and/or solid reactants into the metal melt of a metallurgical crucible, consisting of a gas purging plug, a well nozzle sleeve surrounding it, and/or a well nozzle surrounding the plug or the nozzle brick, with a mounting device arranged in the area of the respective end face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Radex-Heraklith Industriebeteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Lorenz Dotsch, Karl-Heinz Hofer, Helmut Preyer
  • Patent number: 5437744
    Abstract: A molybdenum-rhenium alloy having an excellent low temperature ductility paired with an excellent high temperature strength. The alloy consists, essentially in % by weight, of 42 up to <45% Re, up to 3% each of W, Y, Rh, Sc, Si, Ta, Tb, V, Nb or Zr at which the sum of said elements is no greater than about 5%, the remainder being Mo besides normally present impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Rhenium Alloys, Inc.
    Inventor: Jan C. Carlen
  • Patent number: 5433767
    Abstract: In a first fluidized bed vessel containing an expanded fluidized bed, iron oxide-containing materials are reduced under weakly reducing conditions with solid carbonaceous reducing agents to or to less than the FeO state. In a second fluidized bed vessel containing an expanding fluidized bed the gas-solids suspension discharged from the first fluidized bed vessel is treated with a highly reducing fluidizing gas whereby the material is reduced in part to iron metal. From the gas-solid suspension discharged from the second fluidized bed vessel the carbonized carbonaceous material is separated and is recycled to the first fluidized bed vessel. The exhaust gas from which the carbonized carbonaceous material has been removed is purified and CO.sub.2 is removed therefrom and the exhaust gas is subsequently fed as a fluidizing gas to the second fluidized bed vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Bresser, Martin Hirsch, Bernd Kosters, Fritz Rose
  • Patent number: 5431709
    Abstract: A tuyere for refining molten metals or melting metal scrap or oxides charged into a vessel. The tuyere comprises three concentric pipes of copper or stainless steel encased in refractory. An annular stream of natural gas surrounds an annular stream of oxygen which in turn surrounds a core stream of natural gas. All three streams are expanded as they flow through the tuyere and as a result an accretion forms at the tip of the tuyere. The accretion protects the tuyere and the gas streams are controlled so that the accretion is maintained at a desired size which neither blocks the tuyere, nor permits burnback of the pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Gas Research Institute
    Inventors: David C. Winchester, Larry K. Farmer, Michael D. Lanyi, Charles E. Baukal, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5431710
    Abstract: A fine particle mixture of iron concentrate and pulverized flux is introduced into the upper portion of the vertical prereduction section of a sealed unitary vessel. Heated gas partially reduces the iron concentrate particles to form wustite which falls to the lower portion where it is melted to form fluid slag. The slag passes into the horizontal section of the vessel which is divided by a barrier into a reduction portion and an oxidation portion. In the reduction portion, pulverized coal and oxygen are introduced and iron oxide in the slag is reduced to iron. The entrained iron droplets in the slag are permitted to sediment in a quiescent zone where the slag is removed. The molten iron may be recovered or converted into steel by flowing through passages in the lower portion of the barrier into the oxidation portion where oxygen is introduced to remove C, Si, P and other impurities and to convert iron into steel or semi-steel. The final product and slag are separately removed from the oxidation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Inventor: Li W. Ebenfelt
  • Patent number: 5429660
    Abstract: An efficient method is proposed for the recovery of gold value contained in an aqueous solution even in a very low concentration of the ppb level. Namely, an aqueous acidic solution containing gold value in the form of complex gold anions, e.g., chloro complex anions of gold, is contacted with a solid ion exchanger which is prepared by the adsorption of a 2-hydroxyethyl tri(C.sub.8-12)alkyl ammonium halide on porous resin beads of a polymer of methacrylic acid ester so that the complex gold anions are adsorbed by the ion exchange reaction to form ion pairs with the quaternary ammonium cations. The thus adsorbed complex gold anions coupled with the quaternary ammonium cations can be eluted out of the adsorbent with an organic solvent such as alcohols and ketones in a quantitative yield of recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Japan as represented by Director General of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventor: Hideyuki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 5429690
    Abstract: The Application relates to a precipitation hardening alloy which has a 0.2% proof stress of at least 500 N/mm.sup.2 and a high resistance to corrosion in highly aggressive sour gas media. The alloy consists of 43 to 51% nickel, 19 to 24% chromium, 4.5 to 7.5% molybdenum, 0.4 to 2.5% copper, 0.3 to 1.8% aluminium and 0.9 to 2.2% titanium, residue iron. Heat treatment processes are described which allow the establishment in the alloy of high strength accompanied by satisfactory ductility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventors: Ulrich Heubner, Michael Kohler, Greg Chitwood, Jon Bryant
  • Patent number: 5429341
    Abstract: The present invention refers to an apparatus and a capsule for carrying out processes of directed crystallization, especially in cosmic space conditions. The apparatus comprises a first compartment forming a multizone furnace having an inner surface divided into heating zones for heating up material pieces to be processed, and a second compartment for receiving capsule holders bearing capsules for receiving the material pieces, the first and second compartments being connected with one another through a cooled neck part and determining together a common closed space, the second compartment includes an upper and a lower annular rims prepared with cutouts for capsule holders, the capsule holders and the rims forming together a magazine of capsules, and revolving manipulating means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Miskolci Egyetem
    Inventors: Pal Barczy, Gabor Buza, Gyorgy Czel, Jozsef Fancsali, Peter Makk, Csaba Raffay, Andras Roosz, Bela Tolvaj
  • Patent number: 5429661
    Abstract: A method of recovering lead is proposed, wherein preliminarily crushed recycable raw material composed of spent lead-sulphuric acid storage batteries is subjected to treatment with an alkaline solution, as a result of which metallic lead, taken out of the process, and pulp, to be subjected to mechanical separation, are obtained. As a result of the separation, a lead-containing (as inclusions) polymer material and a suspension, which is a mixture of a sodium sulfate solution having lead oxide particles therein, are obtained. The suspension is separated, as a result of which lead oxides are taken out of the process, while the sodium sulfate solution is subjected to electrochemical treatment, as a result of which sulphuric acid and an alkaline solution are obtained, the alkaline solution being fed for treatment of the lead-containing (as inclusions) polymer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Nikolai Vladimirovich Khodov
    Inventors: Nikolai V. Khodov, Oleg K. Kuznetsov
  • Patent number: 5427625
    Abstract: While the interior of a reaction vessel is being deaerated by a first vacuum pump, an inert gas is supplied from an upstream side (reaction gas bottle side) of a flow rate control unit (MFC) to a reaction gas supply pipe. Thus, a reaction gas is substituted with the inert gas. A passageway downstream of the MFC is closed and the interior of the pipe is deaerated from the upstream side through a bypass pipe so that a predetermined degree of vacuum is obtained. Thus, the gas substituting efficiency can be improved. The interior of the reaction vessel and the interior of the reaction gas supply pipe are quickly deaerated without an influence of resistance of the MFC. The inert gas substitution process and the deaerating process are repeated for 10 cycles or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo Electron Tohoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Okase, Masaaki Hasei
  • Patent number: 5427606
    Abstract: A recovery method for base metal values (e.g. copper) from ore slurry or aqueous solution, comprising forming a solution of a metal complex (e.g. cyano-copper) having an affinity for adsorption sites on activated carbon, adsorbing the metal complex onto activated carbon, and stripping the adsorbed metal complex by forming a reaction product with said metal complex, the reaction product having no affinity for adsorption sites on activated carbon. A method for recovering base metals and noble metals separately from an ore containing both is also disclosed. The method is carried out in an apparatus comprising a leaching stage (17) and an adsorption stage (221) which may be combined, and an elution column (11). The method and apparatus also provide a mechanism for recovery of activated carbon and cyanide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignees: Bruno Sceresini Holding Pty. Ltd., Reynolds Australia Metals, Ltd., Fersayth N.L., Forsayth (Gibson) Ltd.
    Inventor: Bruno J. Sceresini
  • Patent number: 5427604
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for feeding alloy additive and burden materials to the burden in a vertical shaft furnace working volume generally by gravity-feeding the alloy additive to the furnace tuyere for entrainment in the blast media and transfer to the burden, which improves the recovery rate of the charged additive components in the molten metal and, allows utilization of undersized materials without secondary handling and treatment of the feed materials or utilization of pneumatic feed apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: AMSTED Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: C. Gilmer Loving, Eugene B. Bailey, Robert G. Peting