Patents by Inventor Maurizio Ghirardini

Maurizio Ghirardini 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: 9006476
    Abstract: A process for producing a high-purity dimethyl carbonate, which includes: (I) cooling a commercial grade dimethyl carbonate containing 1 ppm or more of chlorine to a temperature from +6° C. to ?5° C. at a rate from 0.5-2° C./hour, to obtain a first solid dimethyl carbonate; (II) heating the first solid dimethyl carbonate to a temperature from ?5° C. to +6° C. at a rate of 1-5° C./hour, to obtain a mixture comprising a second solid dimethyl carbonate and a predetermined amount of a first liquid dimethyl carbonate; (III) separating the first liquid dimethyl carbonate from the mixture, to obtain the second solid dimethyl carbonate; (IV) heating the second solid dimethyl carbonate to a temperature from 20° C. to 40° C., to obtain a second liquid dimethyl carbonate, wherein the second liquid dimethyl carbonate has a purity degree higher than 99.99% and a chlorine content lower than or equal to 1 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: versalis S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Ghirardini, Laura De Nardo, Elena Novello
  • Publication number: 20120283464
    Abstract: A process for producing a high-purity dimethyl carbonate, which includes: (I) cooling a commercial grade dimethyl carbonate containing 1 ppm or more of chlorine to a temperature from +6° C. to ?5° C. at a rate from 0.5-2° C./hour, to obtain a first solid dimethyl carbonate; (II) heating the first solid dimethyl carbonate to a temperature from ?5° C. to +6° C. at a rate of 1-5° C./hour, to obtain a mixture comprising a second solid dimethyl carbonate and a predetermined amount of a first liquid dimethyl carbonate; (III) separating the first liquid dimethyl carbonate from the mixture, to obtain the second solid dimethyl carbonate; (IV) heating the second solid dimethyl carbonate to a temperature from 20° C. to 40° C., to obtain a second liquid dimethyl carbonate, wherein the second liquid dimethyl carbonate has a purity degree higher than 99.99% and a chlorine content lower than or equal to 1 ppm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: versalis S.p.A.
    Inventors: Maurizio Ghirardini, Laura De Nardo, Elena Novello
  • Patent number: 7728047
    Abstract: The invention relates to an enhanced process for the recycling of expanded polystyrene. Said process essentially comprises the reduction in volume of expanded polystyrene by means of dissolution in a solvent, separation of the insoluble components, selective precipitation of the polystyrene with an anti-solvent, separation, drying and extrusion of the precipitated polystyrene, recovery by distillation and recycling of the solvent. The process is characterized in that the anti-solvent is a butanol selected form n-butanol, iso-butanol or sec-butanol and the solvent is dimethyl carbonate, alone or in a mixture containing up to 25% by weight of butanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Polimeri Europa S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marcello Notari, Franco Rivetti, Maurizio Ghirardini, Sergio Lombardini
  • Publication number: 20080221228
    Abstract: The invention relates to an enhanced process for the recycling of expanded polystyrene. Said process essentially comprises the reduction in volume of expanded polystyrene by means of dissolution in a solvent, separation of the insoluble components, selective precipitation of the polystyrene with an anti-solvent, separation, drying and extrusion of the precipitated polystyrene, recovery by distillation and recycling of the solvent. The process is characterized in that the anti-solvent is a butanol selected form n-butanol, iso-butanol or sec-butanol and the solvent is dimethyl carbonate, alone or in a mixture containing up to 25% by weight of butanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: POLIMERI EUROPA S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marcello Notari, Franco Rivetti, Maurizio Ghirardini, Sergio Lombardini
  • Patent number: 5536864
    Abstract: The reaction between methanol, carbon monoxide and oxygen for preparing dimethyl carbonate, in the presence of cuprous chloride as the catalyst, is carried out in a special reactor constituted by two parallel, vertical tubes, at the base of one of which the fresh gas and the recycle gas are fed; the reaction products are separated by partially condensing the recirculate vapors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: Enichem Synthesis S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giancarlo Paret, Gianni Donati, Maurizio Ghirardini
  • Patent number: 5527943
    Abstract: A method is described enabling HCl and possible entrained CuCl particulate to be removed from a gas-vapor stream leaving a dimethylcarbonate synthesis reactor. The contaminant removal is effected by one of the process fluids used in a small quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Enichem Synthesis S.p.A.
    Inventors: Franco Rivetti, Ugo Romano, Guido Garone, Maurizio Ghirardini
  • Patent number: 5478962
    Abstract: Process for the preparation of dimethylcarbonate which consists in feeding oxygen and a mixture of methanol and carbon monoxide to the reactor, with a molar ratio methanol/carbon monoxide of between 1 and 2, this mixture coming directly from the non catalytic direct oxidation of methane with oxygen characterized in that the above molar ratio between methanol and carbon monoxide, with fixed temperature and pressure values, is obtained by maintaining the ratio between methane and oxygen between 1 and 100, by injections of fresh oxygen into a tubular reactor, during the above oxidation reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Enichem S.p.A.
    Inventors: Laura De Nardo, Maurizio Ghirardini, Gianni Donati