Patents by Inventor George N. Valkanas

George N. Valkanas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6831111
    Abstract: Polymeric products which after special cross-linking become macroreticular and acquire the ability to absorb organic solvents and petroleum products which are released in the water, in the amount of 40-80 gram of oily matter/gram of polymer. The macroreticular polymers include polystyrene, trimeric copolymer with styrene, ethylene, butadiene (SEBS) elastomeric SBR with styrene 10%, 20% and 40% fully hydrogenated to saturation, which after special cross-linking in chlorinated solvents with a cross-linking agent forms a thick cross-linked mass which is cut and deodorized. These products are used in a polypropylene net and are swept on the surface of water basins, harbors or the surface of sea to collect the oily matter and the petroleum by endomolecular absorption and by external surface adherence, and the loaded net is washed with petroleum to remove all absorbed oily matter as useful fuel. The net with the absorbing polymers is then ready for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Innoval Management Limited
    Inventors: George N. Valkanas, Ioannis Konstantakopoulos
  • Patent number: 6476152
    Abstract: A method of crosslinking polystyrene polymers and co-polymers for the formation of macroreticular materials of an Mc 30,000 to 50,000 is described. The materials forming an insoluble gel which is shaped in an extruder to 3 to 5 cm pieces and is subject to sulphonation with dense sulphuric acid, with oleum sulphuric acid with sulphur trioxide and with chlorosulphonic acid, and the introduction of sulphonic groups to a high density and with the introduction of nitric group and with the introduction of carboxylic group with the copolymer styrene-acrylonitrile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Innoval Management, Ltd.
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas
  • Patent number: 6209655
    Abstract: An original method and products are described for fire quenching in all substrata such as forests, cultivated areas, city areas, industrial units, transport vehicles, etc. Aqueous suspensions of fire quenching special products contain endomolecularly water up to 300 g water/g of polymeric product, and the water is kept very strongly so that pressure is needed to take the water out. These products are used in quantities of 1-3%, and to the quenching water are added complimentary other products such as detergents, emulsifiers, adhesion promoters, and inorganic products such as carbonates, sulfates silicones etc. Quenching fires utilizes the solution containing these or a selection of these products, and the solution is thrown in the fire edges to rapidly extinguish the fires, because the water contained in the special organic products is liberated in the fire edges, where quenching immediately occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Innoval Management Limited
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas
  • Patent number: 6150449
    Abstract: A method is described for protection against fire with coating and paint compositions for houses, polymer constructions, industrial installations, and transport vehicles, in which polymeric products produced by processing polystyrene and copolymers to macroreticular structure are introduced with the incorporation of ionic groups at high density, thus acquiring the potential to very strongly absorb water up to 400 times weight endomolecularly. They can be used in paint and general coating compositions as a first surface coating or can be in aqueous paint emulsions as a main coating. Inorganic materials such as lime, gypsum, silicones etc. can also be added. The products in the coating compositions when burned or decomposed in a fire edge release much water and quenches the fire immediately offering complete protection against fire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Innoval Management Limited
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas
  • Patent number: 5837009
    Abstract: A method for cotton purification is described, where the cotton is subject to a purification process in water. The process solution contains calcium hydroxide and a non-ionic detergent wetting agent. Following this processing the cotton is rendered hydrophilic. The cotton is carried in a net with simultaneous removal of the adsorbed processing solution. It is then washed and bleached with H.sub.2 O.sub.2 or ClONa in a two-stage process. The effluent water is processed by anaerobic digestion in the thermophilic region for the production of biogas. The effluent water from the anaerobic digestion process is further processed by aerobic biological treatment. The whole process operates with energy self-sufficiency without resulting in environment pollution. Finally, a high purity cotton is produced with high water absorptivity which is suitable for spinning for the production of quality cotton yarns suitable for weaving quality fabrics or dyeing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Innoval Management Limited
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas
  • Patent number: 5803670
    Abstract: A method is described to utilize used open-cast lignite mines by installing greenhouses with technological products attaining water economy of 7-8 times, unlimited nutritional capacity by enclosing pesticides and nutrients in a system of resins so as to release elements gradually, and with addition of calcium carbonate so as to limit the creation of sulfuric acid by the action of ground bacteria without pollution of the soil. This limits the need to move the greenhouses, and constitutes an original solution of agricultural utilization of these otherwise toxic and infertile soils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Compostella Compania Maritime Ltd.
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas
  • Patent number: 5766476
    Abstract: This invention refers to an original solution for the purification of contaminated water streams with the activated sludge method, involving: a) a two-stage aeration system operating at high rate and low rate conditions respectively, where the first stage operates in anoxic conditions promoting denitration, whereas the second stage operates under oxidant conditions so that nitrates are removed to an extent of 70%; b) a system for moving the biological sludge, where the sludge produced in the first aeration tank is totally rejected, and that produced in the second aeration tank is recycled to the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Innoval Management Limited
    Inventors: George N. Valkanas, Apostolos G. Vlyssides
  • Patent number: 5766895
    Abstract: The invention describes a method for the economic production of ethyl alcohol involving dehydration of the alcohol in an adsorption-desorption process using ion exchange resins which have been swollen in water from about 50 to 300 times their weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Innoval Management Limited
    Inventors: George N. Valkanas, Nicolas P. Valkanas, Apostolos G. Vlyssides, Athanassios G. Theodoropoulos
  • Patent number: 5626638
    Abstract: A process for producing fuel gases from a solid fuel including carbonaceous material and having a calorific value of between about 800 to 3,000 Kcal/Kg. The process includes a) pyrolyzing the solid fuel under reaction conditions and for a time sufficient to pyrolyze about 40-80% of the carbonaceous material whereby to form a first gas and a carbon residue without formation of tar, and b) gasifying carbon residue to form a second gas by heating the carbon residue in the presence of oxygen or oxygen-steam; or burning the carbon residue. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second gases are mixed under conditions to neutralize contained sulfur gases by a Claus reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Biokat Corporation
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas
  • Patent number: 5137563
    Abstract: A biologically controlled release coating for fertilizer comprises from 60 to 97 weight % of a waxy substance and from 40 to 3 weight % or a rosin or dimerized rosin having at least 70 weight % of resinic acids having conjugated double bonds and dimerized rosin with its derivatives thereof. Such coatings have a resin character to giver fertilizer prills which do not break on handling yet break down in response to the biological needs of the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Inventor: George N. Valkanas