Patents Assigned to Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
  • Publication number: 20100068110
    Abstract: A method of scrubbing mercury compounds and nitrogen oxides from a gas stream employing a scrubbing operation. The method involves the contact of the stream which contains mercury, SOx and NOx compounds with a sorbent to remove at least a portion of the latter compounds. This results in a partially cleaned stream. The method further involves contacting the latter stream with an oxidant to oxidize and remove substantially all residual nitrogen oxides, mercury and mercury compounds remaining in the stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: Airborne Industrial Minerals, Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis W. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7628967
    Abstract: A method of scrubbing mercury compounds and nitrogen oxides from a gas stream employing a scrubbing operation. The method involves the contact of the stream which contains mercury, SOx and NOx compounds with a sorbent to remove at least a portion of the latter compounds. This results in a partially cleaned stream. The method further involves contacting the latter stream with an oxidant to oxidize and remove substantially all residual nitrogen oxides, mercury and mercury compounds remaining in the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals, Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis W. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7393378
    Abstract: A process for recovering sodium bicarbonate and ammonium sulfate from a sodium sulfate solution. The sodium sulfate solution can be pure or contain other compounds such as sodium sulfite, carbonate, chloride, fluoride, nitrate and nitrite as would be the case if the sodium sulfate solution were derived from a sodium bicarbonate flue gas purification process. Carbon dioxide and ammonia gases or solid ammonium bicarbonate are added to the sodium sulfate solution to precipitate sodium bicarbonate which is removed from solution. The remaining solution is treated in a unique series of precipitation steps in which reactants are first recycled back to the sodium bicarbonate crystallizer and then the amount of sodium in the solution is adjusted to an amount that allows high grade ammonium sulfate fertilizer product to be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Bichel, Stephen Schaaf
  • Publication number: 20050214187
    Abstract: A method of scrubbing mercury compounds and nitrogen oxides from a gas stream employing a scrubbing operation. The method involves the contact of the stream which contains mercury, SOx and NOx compounds with a sorbent to remove at least a portion of the latter compounds. This results in a partially cleaned stream. The method further involves contacting the latter stream with an oxidant to oxidize and remove substantially all residual nitrogen oxides, mercury and mercury compounds remaining in the stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Applicant: Airborne Industrial Minerals, Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis Johnson
  • Patent number: 6805821
    Abstract: A method of wet granulation of fertilizer and other materials into granules. The method involves formation of the granule directly on the pan from the feedstock without intermediate steps or the use of seed materials. The result is a product having a completely uniform cross section. The feedstock is initially in the size distribution of −150 mesh with 90% or greater in the size range of 200 mesh. Moisture is maintained to facilitate a steady process without cycling. The method has the advantage of allowing granulation of materials either known to be hazardous or inherently difficult to granulate in a safe and expedient manner. The process permits the formation of multiple feedstock granules. The initial feedstock may be augmented with a different feedstock in a second pan having a different composition and size from the initial feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Publication number: 20040156775
    Abstract: A process for recovering sodium bicarbonate and ammonium sulfate from a sodium sulfate solution. The sodium sulfate solution can be pure or contain other compounds such as sodium sulfite, carbonate, chloride, fluoride, nitrate and nitrite as would be the case if the sodium sulfate solution were derived from a sodium bicarbonate flue gas purification process. Carbon dioxide and ammonia gases or solid ammonium bicarbonate are added to the sodium sulfate solution to precipitate sodium bicarbonate which is removed from solution. The remaining solution is treated in a unique series of precipitation steps in which reactants are first recycled back to the sodium bicarbonate crystallizer and then the amount of sodium in the solution is adjusted to an amount that allows high grade ammonium sulfate fertilizer product to be produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Applicant: AIRBORNE INDUSTRIAL MINERALS INC.
    Inventors: Joe Bichel, Stephen Schaaf
  • Patent number: 6692716
    Abstract: Methodology for formulating sodium bicarbonate and potassium sulfate. In one embodiment, sodium sulfate and ammonium bicarbonate are reacted to form sodium bicarbonate with the remaining liquor or brine treated with sulfuric acid to remove carbonates with subsequent precipitation of potassium sulfate. A further embodiment employs ammonium bicarbonate, ammonia gas or carbon dioxide to precipitate sodium bicarbonate. The result of the methods is the production of high quality fertilizer and food grade sodium bicarbonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals, Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Publication number: 20030135957
    Abstract: A method of wet granulation of fertilizer and other materials into granules. The method involves formation of the granule directly on the pan from the feedstock without intermediate steps or the use of seed materials. The result is a product having a completely uniform cross section. The feedstock is initially in the size distribution of −150 mesh with 90% or greater in the size range of 200 mesh. Moisture is maintained to facilitate a steady process without cycling. The method has the advantage of allowing granulation of materials either known to be hazardous or inherently difficult to granulate in a safe and expedient manner. The process permits the formation of multiple feedstock granules. The initial feedstock may be augmented with a different feedstock in a second pan having a different composition and size from the initial feedstock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Applicant: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6475458
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method for formulating food grade sodium bicarbonate by purification of a sodium bicarbonate liquor where an initial saturated feedstock of sodium bicarbonate which contains sodium sulfate as an impurity is filtered to remove the impurities and a first filtrate liquor formed. The filtrate liquor is then subjected to ion exchange with a cationic resin to reduce the calcium and magnesium ion concentration present in the filtrate liquor with subsequent cooling of the liquor. The cooled liquor is also treated with a source of ammonia or ammonium ions to shift the solubility of the compounds to retain sodium sulfate in solution while precipitating sodium bicarbonate with reduced sulfate occlusions. The precipitated sodium bicarbonate is then filtered to result in a food grade sodium bicarbonate product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6454979
    Abstract: A method of wet granulation of fertilizer and other materials into granules. The method involves formation of the granule directly on the pan from the feedstock without intermediate steps or the use of seed materials. The result is a product having a completely uniform cross section. The feedstock is initially in the size distribution of −150 mesh with 90% or greater in the size range of 200 mesh. Moisture is maintained to facilitate a steady process without cycling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6375824
    Abstract: There is disclosed a process for producing a potassium sulfate electrochemically. The process involves the use of sodium sulfate which is electrolyzed in an electrolytic cell and which results in the production of sodium hydroxide and ammonium sulfate. The process carried out in a two or three-compartment electrolytic cell and the ammonium sulfate is converted by ammoniation and treatment of the ammoniated mixture with potassium chloride to produce potassium sulfate. Potassium sulfate may then also undergo electrochemical treatment to produce potassium hydroxide and ammonium sulfate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6334990
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of potassium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate. The process involves the treatment of potash brines by the reaction of sodium chloride and potassium chloride with calcium sulfate and sodium sulfate. Syngenite precipitate (CaSO4.K2SO4&khgr;H2O) is produced and a first filtrate containing sodium chloride and potassium chloride. The syngenite precipitate is reacted with ammonium bicarbonate at between 70° C. and 100° C., with the result being calcium carbonate precipitate and a second filtrate containing ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate. The second filtrate is cooled to a temperature of between 20° C. and 50° C. and treated with potassium chloride. A potassium sulfate precipitate results. The sodium bicarbonate is precipitated from the first filtrate by the addition of ammonium bicarbonate to the first precipitate. The sodium bicarbonate may be calcined to form sodium carbonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6331193
    Abstract: A method of wet granulation of fertilizer and other materials into granules. The method involves formation of the granule directly on the pan from the feedstock without intermediate steps or the use of seed materials. The result is a product having a completely uniform cross section. The feedstock is initially in the size distribution of −150 mesh with 90% or greater in the size range of 200 mesh. Moisture is maintained to facilitate a steady process without cycling. The method has the advantage of allowing granulation of materials either known to be hazardous or inherently difficult to granulate in a safe and expedient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6315976
    Abstract: A process is provided for producing potassium sulfate by reacting ammonium sulfate and potassium chloride at a temperature of about 30 to 40° C. to produce a slurry containing K2SO4·NH4·2SO4 double salt, and reacting this double salt with an aqueous solution containing potassium chloride at a temperature of about 30° C. to produce a slurry containing potassium sulfate. The slurry containing potassium sulfate is subjected to a solids/liquid separation step to obtain potassium sulfate crystals having a size in the range of about 20 mesh to about 150 mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignees: Aristos Capital Corporation, Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6299663
    Abstract: Granulated particles by making use an initial feedstock having particle size of −150 mesh and 90% or greater particle size of 200 mesh. The feedstock may be contacted in a pan granulator which includes a minor amount of nucleating material of about −35 mesh. Binder is introduced into the pan granulator to progressively layer the feedstock material onto the nucleating to form a final granular fertilizer or other product in any desired size distribution. The method by which the granules are formed is interruptible and is particularly useful for forming granules having a plurality of layers of differing material. The granules, by formation with dust feedstock and in the absence of seed material, lack a core and therefore include the maximum amount of tightly packed feedstock. This results in substantial increases in the break strength of the granules with uniform homogeneous cross-sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6132484
    Abstract: A method of wet granulation of fertilizer and other materials into granules. The method involves formation of the granule directly on the pan from the feedstock without intermediate steps or the use of seed materials. The result is a product having a completely uniform cross section. The feedstock is initially in the size distribution of -150 mesh with 90% or greater in the size range of 200 mesh. Moisture is maintained to facilitate a steady process without cycling. The method has the advantage of allowing granulation of materials either known to be hazardous or inherently difficult to granulate in a safe and expedient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 6013209
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for uniform granulation is disclosed. The method involves the use of an initial feedstock having particle size of -150 mesh and 90% or greater particle size of 200 mesh. The feedstock may be contacted in a pan granulator which includes a minor amount of nucleating material of about -35 mesh. Binder is introduced into the pan granulator to progressively layer the feedstock material onto the nucleating to form a final product having a size distribution -8 mesh to +4 mesh. The method is designed to be interruptible and is particularly useful for forming granules having a plurality of layers of differing material. The method has marked improvement over the prior art methods since a particularly fine granule can be formed in a relatively expedient process to result in a granule having high commercial value and high break strength. These factors are achievable in addition to 100% product usage with no waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Phinney
  • Patent number: 5980848
    Abstract: There is disclosed a process for recovering sodium bicarbonate and forming ammonium sulfate from a source containing sodium sulfate. The method involves contacting the sodium sulfate in solution with carbon dioxide and a compound containing ammonia. Sodium bicarbonate is precipitated in high purity form from the solution. It is important to maintain the temperature of the source solution at or above 32.degree. C. This provision eliminates contamination of hydrates or ammonium bicarbonate components. The filtrate of the sodium bicarbonate reaction can be further processed to yield an ammonium sulfate product in the concentrated liquid or precipitated form in high purity. The basic process can be expanded to be combined with a conventional Claus process for sulfur recovery as a Tail Gas Unit, or can be further employed in a wet and dry scrubbing process for FGD schemes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Airborne Industrial Minerals Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Kresnyak, Jake Halldorson