Abstract: A process of producing 99% plus titanium dioxide product by using conventional and microwave heating and leaching of the titanium compound feedstock using acid and oxidants. The solid residue from the leaching is used to produce the high quality titanium oxide by froth flotation. Hydrochloric acid can be recovered by multi-stage evaporation. The process can be modified to produce nano-size titanium dioxide product.

Abstract: A process and apparatus to extract and recover heavy metals and sulfur from crude oil or petroleum fuel products including the steps of emulsifying the crude oil with an emulsifying agent, adding a leach solution to the emulsified crude oil and leaching the emulsified crude oil at elevated temperature and pressure to give a leached emulsified crude oil. The leach solution may be acid or alkali. A proportion of the leach solution is extracted for recovering heavy metals. There can also be a microwave hydro-treating step using hydrogen gas at a temperature below 220° C. to ensure there is no quality degradation in the crude feed to produce a desulfurized crude oil and a hydrogen sulphide by-product and recovering sulfur from the hydrogen sulphide by-product.

Abstract: A fuel cell having an anode immersed in an electrolyte in an anode tank, and a cathode immersed in the electrolyte in the cathode tank, and the anode and the cathode connected to an external electrical load. Fuel is supplied to the anode tank and an oxidant to the cathode tank. Each electrode is a monolithic electrode, a composite electrode, or an internally coupled electrode having a catalyst surface. There may be an external reaction vessel for processing electrolyte before returning it to the tanks and conditioning and recycling of fuel. The impedance of the fuel cell is reduced substantially over fuel cells having an electrical path through the solution.

Abstract: An electrochemical apparatus and system for extracting and recovering metals from their compounds using electrochemical cells where the anolyte 10 is connected electrically to the catholyte 11 through an independent set of electrodes 13, 14 immersed in each electrolyte and connected to each other by a conductor 16. The specification details the application of this principle to commercial size cells and systems to extract metals from solutions, from ores in-situ, from ores in heaps and fixed beds, from fine metal concentrates dissolved either at the anode cell or in a separate leaching vessel. Alkaline electrolytes are also given for the extraction and recovery of nickel and copper from their oxide ores. A method for extracting gold from ores or residues is also included.

Abstract: An electrochemical system for the recovery of metals from metal ores in which reactions are carried out in separate anode and cathode tanks with the liquid product from the anode tank being separated and purified before being returned to the cathode tank for metal deposition. The separation includes thickening such as liquid solid separation with the liquid proceeding to the cathode tank. A reaction stage may be included before the thickening stage. Purification may include removal of impurities, adjustment of chemical and physical conditions and the addition of cathode reaction enhancers.

Abstract: A process for the extraction of nickel, cobalt and manganese from slurries of their ores such as laterite, saprolite or manganese nodules in an aqueous acid solution while irradiating the solution with electromagnetic energy such as microwave energy. The acid may be hydrochloric acid, sulphurous acid and/or sulphuric acid and the acid solution may be blended with high concentrations of halite and magnesium ions to further control the dissolution of magnesia from the ore. A reactor including electromagnetic wave generators is also included.