Patents by Inventor Roe-Hoan Yoon

Roe-Hoan Yoon 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: 11752451
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Patent number: 11331676
    Abstract: Fine coal is cleaned of its mineral matter impurities and dewatered by mixing the aqueous slurry containing both with a hydrophobic liquid, subjecting the mixture to a phase separation. The resulting hydrophobic liquid phase contains coal particles free of surface moisture and droplets of water stabilized by coal particles, while the aqueous phase contains the mineral matter. By separating the entrained water droplets from the coal particles mechanically, a clean coal product of substantially reduced mineral matter and moisture contents is obtained. The spent hydrophobic liquid is separated from the clean coal product and recycled. The process can also be used to separate one type of hydrophilic particles from another by selectively hydrophobizing one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Mert Kerem Eraydin
  • Publication number: 20220010226
    Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan Yoon
  • Patent number: 10913912
    Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan Yoon
  • Publication number: 20200179941
    Abstract: Fine coal is cleaned of its mineral matter impurities and dewatered by mixing the aqueous slurry containing both with a hydrophobic liquid, subjecting the mixture to a phase separation. The resulting hydrophobic liquid phase contains coal particles free of surface moisture and droplets of water stabilized by coal particles, while the aqueous phase contains the mineral matter. By separating the entrained water droplets from the coal particles mechanically, a clean coal product of substantially reduced mineral matter and moisture contents is obtained. The spent hydrophobic liquid is separated from the clean coal product and recycled. The process can also be used to separate one type of hydrophilic particles from another by selectively hydrophobizing one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Mert Kerem Eraydin
  • Publication number: 20200179821
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Patent number: 10561964
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Patent number: 10562038
    Abstract: Fine coal is cleaned of its mineral matter impurities and dewatered by mixing the aqueous slurry containing both with a hydrophobic liquid, subjecting the mixture to a phase separation. The resulting hydrophobic liquid phase contains coal particles free of surface moisture and droplets of water stabilized by coal particles, while the aqueous phase contains the mineral matter. By separating the entrained water droplets from the coal particles mechanically, a clean coal product of substantially reduced mineral matter and moisture contents is obtained. The spent hydrophobic liquid is separated from the clean coal product and recycled. The process can also be used to separate one type of hydrophilic particles from another by selectively hydrophobizing one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Mert Kerem Eraydin
  • Publication number: 20190338209
    Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan Yoon
  • Patent number: 10457883
    Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan Yoon
  • Patent number: 10144012
    Abstract: Methods of increasing the rate of separating hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles by flotation have been developed. They are based on using appropriate reagents to enhance the hydrophobicity of the particles to be floated, so that they can be more readily collected by the air bubbles used in flotation. The hydrophobicity-enhancing reagents include low HLB surfactants, naturally occurring lipids, modified lipids, and hydrophobic polymers. These methods can greatly increase the rate of flotation for the particles that are usually difficult to float, such as ultrafine particles, coarse particles, middlings, and the particles that do not readily float in the water containing large amounts of ions derived from the particles. In addition, new collectos for the flotation of phosphate minerals are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: MINERAL AND COAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan Yoon
  • Publication number: 20180036741
    Abstract: Fine coal is cleaned of its mineral matter impurities and dewatered by mixing the aqueous slurry containing both with a hydrophobic liquid, subjecting the mixture to a phase separation. The resulting hydrophobic liquid phase contains coal particles free of surface moisture and droplets of water stabilized by coal particles, while the aqueous phase contains the mineral matter. By separating the entrained water droplets from the coal particles mechanically, a clean coal product of substantially reduced mineral matter and moisture contents is obtained. The spent hydrophobic liquid is separated from the clean coal product and recycled. The process can also be used to separate one type of hydrophilic particles from another by selectively hydrophobizing one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Mert Kerem Eraydin
  • Publication number: 20180036651
    Abstract: Hydrophobic particles such as coal and hydrophobized mineral fines can be readily separated from hydrophilic impurities by forming agglomerates in water using a hydrophobic liquids such as oil. The agglomerates of hydrophobic particles usually entrap large amounts of water, causing the moisture of the recovered hydrophobic particles to be excessively high. This problem can be overcome by dispersing the hydrophobic agglomerates in a hydrophobic liquid that can be readily recycled. The dispersion can be achieved using specially designed apparatus and methods that can create a turbulence that can help destabilize the agglomerates in a recyclable hydrophobic liquid and facilitate the dispersion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Nikhil Gupta
  • Patent number: 9789492
    Abstract: Fine coal is cleaned of its mineral matter impurities and dewatered by mixing the aqueous slurry containing both with a hydrophobic liquid, subjecting the mixture to a phase separation. The resulting hydrophobic liquid phase contains coal particles free of surface moisture and droplets of water stabilized by coal particles, while the aqueous phase contains the mineral matter. By separating the entrained water droplets from the coal particles mechanically, a clean coal product of substantially reduced mineral matter and moisture contents is obtained. The spent hydrophobic liquid is separated from the clean coal product and recycled. The process can also be used to separate one type of hydrophilic particles from another by selectively hydrophobizing one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Mert K. Eraydin, Chad Freeland
  • Publication number: 20170101597
    Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan YOON
  • Patent number: 9518241
    Abstract: A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventor: Roe-Hoan Yoon
  • Patent number: 9266121
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demetri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang
  • Patent number: 9238231
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demetri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang
  • Publication number: 20150151309
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demtri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang
  • Publication number: 20140001103
    Abstract: A rotor for flotation machines or flotation cells of flotation machines includes blades that are configured to provide improved bubble flow and bubble generation performance while also reducing the power requirements for rotating the rotor to generate bubble flow within a tank of a flotation cell used to generate froth. Embodiments of the rotor may also be configured to be smaller than conventional rotor designs, which may help reduce the costs of manufacturing the rotor or flotation machines using such embodiments of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC
    Inventors: Roe-Hoan Yoon, Gerald Luttrell, Saad Ragab, Demetri Telionis, Abdel-Halim Said, Sanja Miskovic, Aaron Noble, Yihong Yang