Patents Assigned to Molycorp Minerals, LLC
  • Publication number: 20180251383
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to the use of rare earth-containing additives, particularly rare earth-containing additives comprising rare earths of plural oxidation states, to remove non-metal-containing oxyanions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hassler, John Burba, Robert Cable
  • Patent number: 9233863
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to methods and rare earth-containing additives for removing target materials in the form of hydroxides, carbonates, hydrates, or oxyhydroxyls from, a typically aqueous, liquid medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Cable, Carl Hassler, John Burba
  • Patent number: 8936770
    Abstract: A mineral processing facility is provided that includes a cogen plant to provide electrical energy and waste heat to the facility and an electrochemical acid generation plant to generate, from a salt, a mineral acid for use in recovering valuable metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventor: John L. Burba, III
  • Patent number: 8809229
    Abstract: An aggregate composition and process for making the aggregate composition. The aggregate composition includes an insoluble rare earth-containing compound and a polymer binder. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate or a cerium salt. In a specific embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, the polymer binder and optionally a flow aid. A process for making the composition includes mixing the insoluble rare earth-containing compound with a polymer binder to form a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment to adhere the rare earth compound to the polymer binder. The aggregate composition can be used in a variety of fluid treatment applications to remove one or more chemical and biological contaminants in a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventor: John L. Burba
  • Publication number: 20140007773
    Abstract: An aggregate composition and process for making the aggregate composition. The aggregate composition includes an insoluble rare earth-containing compound and a polymer binder. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate or a cerium salt. In a specific embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, the polymer binder and optionally a flow aid. A process for making the composition includes mixing the insoluble rare earth-containing compound with a polymer binder to form a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment to adhere the rare earth compound to the polymer binder. The aggregate composition can be used in a variety of fluid treatment applications to remove one or more chemical and biological contaminants in a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventor: John L. Burba
  • Patent number: 8557730
    Abstract: An aggregate composition and process for making the aggregate composition. The aggregate composition includes an insoluble rare earth-containing compound and a polymer binder. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate or a cerium salt. In a specific embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, the polymer binder and optionally a flow aid. A process for making the composition includes mixing the insoluble rare earth-containing compound with a polymer binder to form a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment to adhere the rare earth compound to the polymer binder. The aggregate composition can be used in a variety of fluid treatment applications to remove one or more chemical and biological contaminants in a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventor: John Burba
  • Patent number: 8475658
    Abstract: Arsenic is removed from water and other aqueous feeds by (1) treating the feed with a compound containing cerium in the +4 oxidation state, preferably cerium dioxide, to oxidize arsenic in the +3 oxidation state to arsenic in the +5 oxidation state and (2) removing the arsenic in the +5 oxidation state from the aqueous phase, normally by contacting the treated feed with alumina or other precipitating agent containing cations in the +3 oxidation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Donald Witham, Edward Bayer McNew, John Leslie Burba, III
  • Publication number: 20130032529
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a rare earth-containing filter block, more particularly to a rare earth-containing filter block and methods for making and using the rare earth-containing filter block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventor: Carl Hassler
  • Patent number: 8349764
    Abstract: An aggregate composition and process for making the aggregate composition. The aggregate composition includes an insoluble rare earth-containing compound and a polymer binder. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate or a cerium salt. In a specific embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, the polymer binder and optionally a flow aid. A process for making the composition includes mixing the insoluble rare earth-containing compound with a polymer binder to form a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment to adhere the rare earth compound to the polymer binder. The aggregate composition can be used in a variety of fluid treatment applications to remove one or more chemical and biological contaminants in a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventor: John L. Burba, III
  • Publication number: 20130001094
    Abstract: The application generally relates to a process for generating hydrogen, oxygen or both from water. More particularly, the application generally relates to a lanthanide-mediated electrochemical and/or photoelectrochemical process for generating hydrogen, oxygen or both from water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Cable, Anthony J. Perrotta, Carl Hassler, John Burba
  • Publication number: 20120328681
    Abstract: The present invention relates to protecting a human from an infection using a disinfecting agent as described herein and a method for use thereof, more particularly to a rare earth-containing device for protecting a wound and a method for use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl R. Hassler, John L. Burba, Charles Whitehead, Joe Pascoe
  • Publication number: 20120261611
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to methods and rare earth-containing additives for removing inorganic and organic phosphorus-containing target materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hassler, John Burba, Robert Cable
  • Publication number: 20120261345
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to methods and rare earth-containing additives for removing target materials in the form of hydroxides, carbonates, hydrates, or oxyhydroxyls from, a typically aqueous, liquid medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hassler, John Burba, Robert Cable
  • Publication number: 20120261347
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to the use of rare earth-containing additives, particularly rare earth-containing additives comprising rare earths of plural oxidation states, to remove non-metal-containing oxyanions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hassler, John Burba, Robert Cable
  • Publication number: 20120238683
    Abstract: An aggregate composition and process for making the aggregate composition. The aggregate composition includes an insoluble rare earth-containing compound and a polymer binder. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate or a cerium salt. In a specific embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, the polymer binder and optionally a flow aid. A process for making the composition includes mixing the insoluble rare earth-containing compound with a polymer binder to form a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to mechanical, chemical and/or thermal treatment to adhere the rare earth compound to the polymer binder. The aggregate composition can be used in a variety of fluid treatment applications to remove one or more chemical and biological contaminants in a fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventor: John Burba
  • Publication number: 20120223022
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to the use of rare earth-containing additives, particularly rare earth-containing additives comprising rare earths of plural oxidation states, to remove, particularly from recreational waters, various target materials, such as disinfectant by-products and precursors thereof, phosphates, and organophosphates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hassler, John Burba, Robert Cable
  • Patent number: 8252087
    Abstract: Apparatus, process and article for treating a gas containing one or more of a chemical and/or biological contaminant. The process includes contacting the gas with an aggregate composition comprising an insoluble rare earth-containing compound to form a gas depleted of chemical and active biological contaminants. The insoluble rare earth-containing compound can include one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. The composition comprises no more than two elements selected from the group consisting of yttrium, scandium, and europium when the aggregate has been sintered. A suitable insoluble cerium-containing compound can be derived from cerium carbonate. In one embodiment, the aggregate composition consists essentially of one or more cerium oxides, and optionally, a binder. Although intended for a variety of fluid treatment applications, such applications specifically include the treatment of breathing gases such as air that may contain chemical and/or biological contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Molycorp Minerals, LLC
    Inventors: John L. Burba, III, Tim L. Oriard
  • Publication number: 20120187337
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to methods and rare earth-containing additives for removing inorganic and organic phosphorus-containing target materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Carl Hassler, John Burba, Robert Cable
  • Publication number: 20120187047
    Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to methods and rare earth-containing additives for removing target materials in the form of hydroxides, carbonates, hydrates, or oxyhydroxyls from, a typically aqueous, liquid medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Cable, Carl Hassler, John Burba
  • Publication number: 20120138530
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating arsenic from an aqueous solution containing arsenic. The method includes the steps of contacting an arsenic-containing solution with a first portion of fixing agent to remove at least a portion of the arsenic. An arsenic-laden fixing agent is separated from the solution and the partially depleted solution is contacted with a second portion of fixing agent. The fixing agent can include a high surface area insoluble compound containing one or more of cerium, lanthanum, or praseodymium. Following removal of the arsenic, the arsenic-depleted solution can be further processed to separate a recoverable metal through metal refining. The arsenic-laden fixing agent can be filtered to recover and recycle a filtrate to the solution for additional treatment, as well as using a partially saturated fixing agent to remove arsenic from fresh solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: MOLYCORP MINERALS, LLC
    Inventors: John L. Burba, III, Carl R. Hassler, C. Brock O'Kelley, Charles F. Whitehead