Involving Waste Liquid Patents (Class 159/47.3)
  • Patent number: 6666973
    Abstract: A method is provided for fixing and eliminating fluorine and phosphorus in waste water wherein the waste water includes a fluorophosphate compound in which hydrochloric acid is added to the waste water including the fluorophosphate compound. The waste water to which hydrochloric acid has been added is heated in order to decompose the fluorophosphate compound into hydrogen fluoride and phosphoric acid, while hydrogen chloride gas located within a treating vessel in which the waste water is contained is introduced into a condenser provided outside of the treating vessel, and then a calcium salt is added to the waste water after decomposition in order to fix and eliminate fluorine and phosphorus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Stella Chemifa Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohisa Kikuyama, Toshirou Fukudome, Masayuki Miyashita
  • Patent number: 6649027
    Abstract: A water reclamation system for a closed environment includes a mixer that receives brine. A processor is downstream of the mixer, with the processor distilling substantially salt-free water from the brine in the substantial absence of salt crystallization. A crystallizer subsystem is downstream of the processor, with the crystallizer subsystem crystallizing salt from the brine and recycling the brine to the mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Allen Kent MacKnight, Alex M. Lubman
  • Patent number: 6641741
    Abstract: Chloride is selectively isolated as NaCl from N-phosphonomethyliminodiacetic acid process wastes by evaporative crystallization of the caustic neutralized brine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Dow AgroSciences LLC
    Inventor: Scott G Phillips
  • Patent number: 6638398
    Abstract: A method including evaporating aqueous solutions containing ammonia, adding an acid to the evaporated vapor flow to form an ammonium salt, and condensing the vapor flow to form a liquid containing the salt. By this method the ammonia formed into a salt is not present as an inert gas layer which would impede condensation on the condenser surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Hadwaco Ltd Oy
    Inventors: Leif Ramm-Schmidt, Matti Laajaniemi, Peter Koistinen
  • Publication number: 20030164227
    Abstract: A method for the preparation of pulp by means of alkaline cooking, in which method spent liquor is transferred to pressurized tanks, and at least one liquor is expanded corresponding to a temperature difference of 1 to 5° C. The generated steam is led to turpentine recovery. Thus, the removal of turpentine and gases dissolved in said liquor is effective, the amount of recovered turpentine increases, and pulp of better washability and higher quality is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Paivi Uusitalo, Mikael Svedman, Jukka Vaistomaa, Hannu Haaslahti
  • Publication number: 20030116290
    Abstract: Described is a process for concentrating weak black liquor to form strong black liquor, said process comprising: a) preconcentrating said weak black liquor; b) heating said preconcentrated weak black liquor in a heating zone under sufficient pressure to prevent said preconcentrated weak black liquor from boiling in said heating zone; c) passing said preconcentrated weak black liquor, having at least one volatile component, into an evaporation zone through one or more orifices; d) applying pressure in said evaporation zone that is lower than the vapor pressure of said preconcentrated weak black liquor as it is passed into said evaporation zone, which allows for flash evaporation of at least a portion of said at least one volatile component of said preconcentrated weak black liquor from said preconcentrated weak black liquor to form strong black liquor; e) adjusting heat in said heating zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Robert S. Davidson, Danny B. Anderson, Richard A. Gerth, David R. Holm
  • Patent number: 6582552
    Abstract: A liquid evaporation method and apparatus wherein the contamination of the heat transfer surfaces is avoided by using a special circulating fluid. The liquid to be evaporated is heated in direct contact with the circulating fluid and conveyed to a vapor separation tank. In the evaporator according to the invention, heat transfer surface contamination may be limited by mixing the liquid to be evaporated with the circulating fluid only after the heat exchanger so that the heat surface contaminating liquid to be evaporated does not make direct contact with the heat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Rinheat Oy
    Inventor: Pentti Juhola
  • Patent number: 6551466
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing a contaminant from a fluid feed stream containing the contaminant. The method includes the steps of providing a feed stream and heating it in a first step to at least partially remove some of the contaminants and recover energy from a concentrate and distillate generated. Further heating the feed stream in a second heating step in a heated separator generates a saturated vapor fraction and a concentrated liquid contaminant fraction. The vapor fraction may be compressed to generate a temperature differential in the reboiler exchanger with the vapor fraction being passed into contact with a reboiler exchanger to provide a stream of condensed vapor from the reboiler. The stream may be circulated through the reboiler exchanger and the heated separator to maintain from about 1% to about 50% by mass vapor in the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Aqua Pure Ventures Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Kresnyak, Edward Warchol, Robert Becker
  • Patent number: 6547970
    Abstract: A method for the treatment of a wiping solution, characterized by including: adding a flocculant to a used wiping solution for flocculation of ink contained in said used wiping solution; filtering said used wiping solution for separation of said used wiping solution into sludge and a filtrate; heating said filtrate to produce distilled water and a concentrated solution; returning said distilled water for recycling to serve as a raw material of a wiping solution; and heating said concentrated solution for separation of said concentrated solution into steam and a solid residue. An apparatus for performing the method of the present invention is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Komori Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Shinoda
  • Publication number: 20030056910
    Abstract: A method for removal of pollutants from a pulping process byproduct liquor, the method comprising injecting an oxygen-containing gas into said liquor and condensing the water vapor from the stripping gas so as to produce a condensate comprising pollutants. Also a method of controlling the flow rate and/or temperature of a pulping process byproduct liquor, the process comprising injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the liquor in a reactor, processing the liquor in a flash tank so as to create a cooled liquor and combining at a least a portion of the cooled liquor with new liquor as the new liquor enters, or while the new liquor is in, the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Mullen, Robert Roger Broekhuis, Reinaldo Passini
  • Publication number: 20030047290
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and installation for the dry fractionation of edible oils and fats and related products, said method comprising the steps of:
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: Marc Hendrix, Marc Kellens
  • Patent number: 6508915
    Abstract: A distilling apparatus and method use a two step distillation and purification process for processing a waste liquid, such as an impure sulfuric acid solution, to form a highly concentrated sulfuric acid solution. First, the waste liquid is stored in a concentrating column, where it is heated. A condenser, which uses the waste liquid as a cooling medium, condenses the vapor generated by the heater. The condensed vapor is passed through a filter, which separates impurities out of the waste liquid, prior to feeding the waste liquid back into the concentrating column. Water is then removed from the waste liquid via a distilling process. The resulting concentrated liquid is then fed to a purifying column, where it is again heated, to remove residue, and condensed, resulting in a highly pure waste liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Osuda, Toru Matoba, Daisuke Adachi, Masataka Fukuizumi
  • Patent number: 6508916
    Abstract: A process for recovering processing liquids such as gas-treating liquids wherein a feed mixture containing the processing liquid, water, and optionally additional components that are more volatile than the processing liquid and components that are less volatile than the processing liquid, is initially heated in a first heating zone to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least some of the water and a portion of the processing liquid without decomposing the processing liquid to produce a vapor stream containing volatilized water and processing liquid and a residuum containing the bulk of the processing liquid and less volatile component, the vapor stream being separated from the residuum and treated to produce recycle streams of water, purified processing liquid, and low and high boiling liquid fractions recovered from the purified processing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Canadian Chemical Reclaiming Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoo Razzaghi, Stephen G. Kresnyak, Brian A. Keast, Timothy W. Giles
  • Publication number: 20020166759
    Abstract: A modular solvent recovery device (30) includes an enclosure (34) mounted to a frame (32) to enclose a tank (70) having a solvent section (72) and a waste fluid section (73), a still (40) in which waste photopolymer fluid is distilled by application of heat and vacuum pressure to the waste photopolymer fluid to distill a solvent from the waste photopolymer fluid and reduce the waste photopolymer fluid to a coalescing concentrated residue, and a flash-point-increasing agent delivery system (95) to supply a flash-point-increasing agent to the concentrated residue in an amount sufficient to raise the flash point temperature of the coalescing concentrated residue to a predetermined temperature. The still has a manhole device (46) comprising a pivotally and telescopically mounted closure (47) having wheels (51) rotatably mounted thereto and tracks (52) mounted to the still to engage the wheels and raise the closure vertically above a manhole (42) of the still upon pivotal movement of the closure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Michael D. Mabry, Donald R. McAllister
  • Patent number: 6454907
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for concentrating slurries by removing liquid in a single effect unit maintained under vacuum to effect low temperature flashing of the liquid. The single effect unit is a single flash column with separate recirculation loops, one to preheat incoming slurry for concentration and a separate loop for withdrawal of concentrated slurry Vapor from the flash column can be treated to separate liquid from other components in the vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Minerals Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald Dean Erdman
  • Patent number: 6371058
    Abstract: This invention provides cost-effective alternatives to reduce the cost associated with customary blowdown from steam generating equipment. By selectively recycling process blowdown streams using secondary vaporizers, the net result is a partial replacement of wastewater stream with almost an equivalent quantity of clean steam condensate. The heat transfer is carried out by indirect contact devices, such as shell and tube heat exchanger and the like, without mixing of the two process streams to allow condensate recovery while avoiding cross contamination. This invention carries economic as well as environmental credits. A condensate recovery apparatus can be designed to enable easy connection to existing equipment already in service, as well as easy removal, without causing process disruption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventor: Peter Tung
  • Patent number: 6355145
    Abstract: A method for removing a contaminant from a fluid feed stream containing the contaminant. The method includes the steps of providing a feed stream and heating it in a first step to at least partially remove some of the contaminants and recover energy from a concentrate and distillate generated. Further heating the feed stream in a second heating step in a heated separator generates a saturated vapor fraction and a concentrated liquid contaminant fraction. The vapor fraction may be compressed to generate a temperature differential in the reboiler exchanger with the vapor fraction being passed into contact with a reboiler exchanger to provide a stream of condensed vapor from the reboiler. The stream may be circulated through the reboiler exchanger and the heated separator to maintain from about 1% to about 50% by mass vapor in the stream. The apparatus includes a unique configuration of a vapor compressor, heated separator in combination with a forced circulation circuit to generate the decontamination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Aqua-Pure Ventures, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Kresnyak, Minoo Razzaghi, Robert Spiering
  • Patent number: 6352618
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for manufacturing a concentrated residue from a photopolymer fluid which includes photopolymer and photopolymer solvent. The photopolymer fluid may be derived by chemically etching a photopolymer layer of a printing plate with a solvent. The process includes distilling the photopolymer fluid to recover the solvent and concentrate the photopolymer fluid to form a concentrated photopolymer residue, and mixing a flash-point-increasing agent with the concentrated photopolymer residue in an amount sufficient to raise the flash point temperature of the concentrated photopolymer residue to a pre-selected temperature to form the concentrated residue. The flash-point-increasing agent may be mixed with the waste photopolymer fluid prior, during, or after distillation. Also, the flash-point-increasing agent includes oils, such as paraffinic and naphthenic oils and a blend thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: IHS Solvent Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Mabry, Donald R. McAllister
  • Patent number: 6261412
    Abstract: The EPA Cluster Rules for cellulose pulp mills are complied with by first collecting foul condensate including hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), such as methanol, at a temperature of between about 140-180° F., and passing the foul condensate into direct contact with heated vapor at a plurality of series connected stations to gradually heat the foul condensate to a temperature desirable for steam stripping. Then the heated foul condensate is steam stripped to produce a high temperature (e.g. about 250-350° F., preferably about 300°) clean condensate. Then the high temperature clean condensate is flashed in a plurality of flash stations to produce a heated vapor in a lower temperature clean condensate, and the heated vapor is used to heat the foul condensate in each of the direct contact heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Andritz-Ahlstrom Inc.
    Inventor: Rolf C. Ryham
  • Patent number: 6258206
    Abstract: A process for evaporating spent liquor or other waste liquids from cellulose cooking, The evaporation is performed in a multiplicity of evaporators which are coupled in series and in which the evaporation is driven using the liquor steam. The condensates from the steam are divided, in one of more effects, into at least two fractions with respect to purity. The parer fraction from one effect is conveyed, at a high level, into a subsequent effect in the direction of movement of the liquor, while the dirtier fraction is conveyed, at a high level or at the very top, into a preceding effect in the direction of movement of the liquor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Kvaerner Pulping AB
    Inventors: Lars Gunnar Olausson, Lars Eric Pettersson, Olof Tryggve Wennberg, Anders Henrik Wernqvist
  • Patent number: 6251228
    Abstract: A waste photopolymer plate washout fluid solvent distillation apparatus includes a single enclosure enclosing a waste washout fluid container, a recovered solvent container, and a distillation unit in which waste washout is distilled by application of heat and vacuum pressure to the waste washout, and by supplying a metered supply of a surrogate solvent to the distilled waste washout as a desired solvent is distilled from the waste washout. The apparatus, by supplying the surrogate solvent to the waste washout as the desired solvent is distilled from the waste washout, enables a greater percentage of the desired solvent to be recovered from the waste washout than has been heretofore possible with prior art apparatus, and also enables the waste washout to be disposed of as a liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Inventors: Daniel B. Marks, Donald G. Fluchel
  • Patent number: 6235151
    Abstract: Calcium carbonate scaling is inhibited in a multi-stage alkaline waste liquor evaporation plant in a chemical cellulose pulp mill having a bleaching plant. Calcium-containing effluent from the bleaching plant is treated together with alkaline waste liquor in the evaporation plant. A portion of the alkaline waste liquor of the evaporation plant is supplied to the bleaching effluent to increase the carbonate content of the effluent. Then the bleaching effluent is heated to 110-160° C. by direct contact with a heating medium (e.g. steam, or secondary vapor) and maintained in a retention tank for a period of about 1-20 minutes to reduce the amount of dissolved calcium in the effluent. Finally the heat-treated bleaching effluent is evaporated with the alkaline waste liquor in the evaporation plant, with minimized scaling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Andritz-Ahlstrom Oy
    Inventors: Olof Fagerlind, Heikki Jaakkola, Erkki Kiiskila
  • Patent number: 6218592
    Abstract: A method for the treatment of radioactive evaporator concentrates from the evaporation system of nuclear plants comprises the steps of (a) freeing the evaporator concentrates from undissolved components, (b) crystallizing the sodium sulfate contained in the evaporator concentrates as Glauber's salt (Na2SO4.10 H2O) on an immersion cooler, (c) recrystallizing the Glauber's salt deposited on the immersion cooler, (d) optionally, repeating the recrystallization step (c) once or several times, (e) separating essentially inactive sodium sulfate from the process, and (f) recycling the depleted evaporator concentrates of step (a) to the evaporation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Kernkraftwerke Gundremmingen Betriebsgesellschaft mbH
    Inventors: Manfred Lasch, Udo Krumpholz
  • Patent number: 6217711
    Abstract: A method of treating cellulose pulp mill condensates having an MeOH content using an evaporator and a steam stripper having a reboiler, comprising: (a) Collecting a feed liquor stream having at least 50% of the pulp mill MeOH. (b) Feeding the feed liquor stream to the evaporator having at least two heating element sections separated on a motive steam side. (c) Evaporating the liquor in the evaporator to produce a vapor containing at least 40% of the at least 50% of the pulp mill MeOH. (d) Compressing the vapor from (c) to increase the vapor pressure. (e) Using the vapor from (d) as condensing heating media in (c) for the evaporation in a first heating element section of the evaporator and venting a portion of the vapor through the first heating element section. (f) Compressing the vented vapor from the heating elements of the evaporator from (e) to increase the vapor pressure to be used as heating media in the reboiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Andritz-Ahlstrom Oy
    Inventors: Rolf Ryham, Jarmo Kaila, John Rauscher, Theodora Retsina, Jan Ohman
  • Patent number: 6200428
    Abstract: Wastewater treatment apparatus having a fluid receiving vessel for collecting and heating wastewater to a temperature below boiling, a superheated vaporizing chamber and at least one spray head to spray wastewater into the vaporizing chamber for conversion of the wastewater to vapor to be withdrawn from the apparatus, with the contaminants in the wastewater collected in the apparatus for separate removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Inventor: Raymond E. VanKouwenberg
  • Patent number: 6187206
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reactor for the treatment of wastewater solutions containing cyanide and other dissolved organic material, having an elongated tube having an entrance (28) and an exit (32), and an energy source (22) for the tube, preferably positioned adjacent the exit. The energy source generates intense energy such that a cyanide/organic material-containing solution can be treated by passing it through the tube to expose it to said energy so that the solution absorbs sufficient energy from the energy source to degrade the cyanide and/or dissolved organic material contained therein. The source of intense energy is preferably a plasma, e.g. a plasma generated by a plasma torch or a DC electric arc. The invention also relates to a process of treatment of such a wastewater solution by passing it through such a reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Alcan International
    Inventors: Jean Luc Bernier, Luc Fortin, Frank M. Kimmerle, Maher I. Boulos, Vijay Kasireddy, Gervais Soucy