Patents Examined by Brian M. Bolam
  • Patent number: 4985137
    Abstract: A process for the removal of mercury from natural gas condensate wherein hydrogen sulfide is mixed into the natural gas condensate and the mixture is fed along with a stripping gas through a reactor containing a catalyst, e.g. a cobalt/molybdenum catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Costandi A. Audeh
  • Patent number: 4983277
    Abstract: A process for producing a natural gas condensate having a reduced amount of mercury from a mercury-containing natural gas wellstream, wherein the wellstream is separated into gaseous and liquid fractions. A portion of the gaseous fraction is mixed with the liquid fraction, the mixture is then filtered, passed over a substance capable of adsorbing hydrogen sulfide, and separated into a stream comprising a natural gas condensate and at least one other stream comprising lower molecular weight hydrocarbons and/or other gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1991
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Costandi A. Audeh, Barry E. Hoffman, Garry W. Kirker
  • Patent number: 4983373
    Abstract: High purity metal fluorides (ZrF.sub.4, HfF.sub.4, AlF.sub.3) are produced by incomplete reaction of metal or their compounds with elemental fluorine and subsequent elevated temperature sublimation of the metal fluoride from the reaction products wherein unreacted metal or metal compounds act as "getters" to convert volatile impurity metal fluorides to non-volatile metals or metal compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1991
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard P. Withers, Jr., Andrew J. Woytek, John T. Lileck
  • Patent number: 4981674
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of anhydrous magnesium chloride containing acceptable amounts of MgO suitable for use in the electrolytic production of magnesium metal comprises the steps of feeding spray-dried magnesium chloride powder, or a magnesite or magnesia powder to a furnace containing a molten magnesium chloride melt at a temperature of about 750.degree.-850.degree. C., and reacting the melt with a carbonaceous reductant and chlorine. The gases are introduced using a gas disperser consisting of a rotating vaned impeller with a tube in the center of the impeller to create gas bubbles having a diameter smaller than 5 nm and having a gas hold-up as high as 30% of the original melt volume, and also ensure that the fine particles present in the melt are evenly suspended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Noranda, Inc.
    Inventor: John G. Peacey
  • Patent number: 4981577
    Abstract: A process for producing a natural gas condensate having a reduced amount of mercury from a mercury-containing natural gas wellstream, wherein the wellstream is separated into gaseous and liquid fractions. A portion of the gaseous fraction is mixed with the liquid fraction, the mixture is then separated into a stream comprising a natural gas condensate and at least one other stream comprising lower hydrocarbons and/or other gases. The natural gas condensate stream is then filtered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Costandi A. Audeh, Barry E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 4980139
    Abstract: Chlorine is removed from a gas stream by contacting the stream with a pulverized, oxidized bastnasite ore in the presence of water. The invention is particularly applicable to the processing of bastnasite ore for the recovery of rare earth compounds wherein there is produced a waste gas stream containing chlorine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Union Oil Company of California
    Inventors: Paula J. Bosserman, Morton M. Wong
  • Patent number: 4980136
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel process for producing, from a lithium-containing brine, a substantially pure lithium chloride product. This product is particularly useful for the production of lithium metal by electrolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Cyprus Foote Mineral Company
    Inventors: Patrick M. Brown, Susan J. Beckerman
  • Patent number: 4980144
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for obtaining a high purity nitrogen trifluoride gas which is used as a dry etching agent for semiconductors or a cleaning gas for CVD apparatus, etc., particularly to a process for removing oxygen difluoride. This is a process for purifying a nitrogen trifluoride gas by, after removing hydrogen fluoride from a nitrogen trifluoride crude gas, contacting with at least one aqueous solution containing one selected from the group consisting of sodium thiosulfate, hydrogen iodide and sodium sulfide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Koto, Toshihiko Nishitsuji, Naruyuki Iwanaga, Isao Harada
  • Patent number: 4978517
    Abstract: A process for production of chlorine dioxide by reacting in a reaction vessel an alkali metal chlorate, a mineral acid and methanol as a reducing agent in proportions to generate chlorine dioxide in a reaction medium maintained at a temperature from about 50.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at an acidity within the interval from about 2 to about 11N and subjected to an subatmospheric pressure. Thereby water is evaporated and a mixture of chorine dioxide, water vapor and gaseous by-products is withdrawn from an evaporation region in the reaction vessel. The alkali metal sulphate is precipitated in a crystallization region in the reaction vessel. The content of formic acid in the reaction vessel is increased by addition of formic acid to a content of formic acid exceeding about 0.3M. The gaseous by-products are condensed to obtain formic acid and the content of formic acid in the reaction vessel is increased by recirculation of the condensate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Eka Nobel AB
    Inventors: Maria Norell, Bjorn H. Svedin
  • Patent number: 4976946
    Abstract: The potassium salts in aqueous mixtures of potassium fluoride and potassium salts of organic acids are separated and separately recovered by adding a dipolar, aprotic solvent until two liquid phases are present and then separating the phases. The aqueous phase contains the potassium fluoride and the solvent phase contains the potassium salt of an organic acid. Potassium fluoride and potassium 3,5-dichloro-6-fluoro-2-pyridinate, for example, are separately recovered from aqueous mixtures containing both by adding N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Ian R. King
  • Patent number: 4976947
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the recovery of the iodine and alkyl value of an alkyl iodide by a process comprising (I) carbonylating an alkyl iodide by a process presence of a carbonylation catalyst, carbon monoxide and a hydrogen donor to obtain a mixture of hydrogen iodide and an acyl compound and (II) oxidizing the hydrogen iodide of step (I) to elemental iodine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Victor H. Agreda, Guy R. Steinmetz
  • Patent number: 4975259
    Abstract: The present invention has as its technical theme to provide a liquefactive and condensable method that enables the reaction step of forming NF.sub.3 to be operated safely and continuously and purifying method that eliminates O.sub.2, N.sub.2, etc. in NF.sub.3.The present invention is directed to a method wherein liquefaction and condensation of NF.sub.3 is carried out with an additive gas such as He, and Ne introduced in order to prevent H.sub.2 from mixing. The present invention is also directed to a purifying method wherein deeply cooled distillation of liquefied NF.sub.3 is carried out with one or more of He, He, and Ar introduced as a third component gas.According to the present invention, a safe long-term continuous operation has been made possible. Since O.sub.2, N.sub.2, etc. in NF.sub.3 can be eliminated efficiently, highly pure NF.sub.3 can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hyakutake, Isao Harada, Naruyuki Iwanaga, Toshihiko Nishitsuji
  • Patent number: 4966683
    Abstract: A process for the removal of mercury from natural gas condensate wherein elemental sulfur is mixed into the natural gas condensate and the mixture, along with a stream of hydrogen, is fed through a reactor containing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Costandi A. Audeh
  • Patent number: 4965061
    Abstract: A process for producing hydrofluoric acid from SiF.sub.6.sup.2- in a wastewater is disclosed. The process is carried out by(i) combining (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4, at a pH high enough such that the sulfate is in its divalent state, with SiF.sub.6.sup.2- from said wastewater in an amount in excess of that stoichiometrically required to form (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SiF.sub.6 as follows:(NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4 +SiF.sub.6.sup.2- .fwdarw.(NH.sub.4).sub.2 SiF.sub.6 +SO.sub.4.sup.2-(ii) concentrating a solution including (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SiF.sub.6 and excess (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4 to precipitate and separate (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SiF.sub.6 of high purity therefrom;(iii) re-solubilizing the (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SiF.sub.6 for reaction with NH.sub.4 OH to form NH.sub.4 F liquor and precipitated Si(OH).sub.4 ;(iv) separating the NH.sub.4 F liquor from the precipitated Si(OH).sub.4 ;(v) reacting the NH.sub.4 F with water to form precipitated NH.sub.4 F.multidot.HF and ammonia gas;(vi) reacting NH.sub.4 F.multidot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Florida Recoveries Partnership
    Inventors: William W. Berry, Gordon J. Rossiter
  • Patent number: 4965055
    Abstract: Metal halides are ultrapurified by selective complexation with a complexing gent to form a charged first complex. A ligand forms an oppositely charged second complex with metallic impurities in the metal halide to be purified. A solution containing these complexes is then passed through an ion exchange column and the desired purified metal halide collected. The present method is particularly useful in the production of ultrapure metal halides, such as zirconium fluorinate, for metallic glasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Paul E. R. Nordquist, Jr., Arnold H. Singer
  • Patent number: 4963341
    Abstract: A process for degrading hypochlorite waste and lithium hypochlorite solutions uses a cobalt oxide/molybdenum oxide catalyst formed from about 1-10 w/w % cobalt oxide and 1-15 w/w % molybdenum oxide disposed on a suitable substrate. The major advantage of the catalyst lies in its high degree of effectiveness and its very low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventors: William P. Huxtable, William L. Griffith, Alicia L. Compere
  • Patent number: 4962276
    Abstract: A method for removing mercury from water or hydrocarbon condensate is provided. The mercury-containing liquid is sprayed into a stripper having a packing therein to facilitate its contact with a stripping gas such as air or natrual gas. The stripped product is drawn from the bottom of the stripper. The stripping gas which carries the mercury from the stripper is passed over an active adsorbent to remove the mercury. The cleaned gas may be used or recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Tsoung Y. Yan
  • Patent number: 4961918
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for production of chlorine dioxide by reacting in a reaction vessel an alkali metal chlorate, sulfuric acid and methanol as a reducing agent. A reaction medium is maintained at a temperature from about 50.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and is subjected to a subatmospheric pressure sufficient to effect evaporation of water whereby a mixture of chlorine dioxide and water vapor is withdrawn from an evaporation region in the reaction vessel and alkali metal sulfate is precipitated in a crystallization region in the reaction vessel. Raw methanol purified by separation and adsorption is used as reducing agent. The raw methanol is purified by dilution with water whereby an unpolar phase is separated and and the remaining methanol-water phase is contacted by an adsorbing agent. The adsorbing agents used can be zeolites, active carbon or polymer adsorbing agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1990
    Assignee: Eka Nobel AB
    Inventors: Maria Norell, Anders Dahl, Ursula Soderberg
  • Patent number: 4960580
    Abstract: A process for preparing hydrogen fluoride that involves treating anhydrous hydrogen fluoride containing primarily trivalent arsenic impurities with a sulfur compound capable of providing sulfide ions (e.g., H.sub.2 S) so as to precipitate the arsenic (i.e., as As.sub.2 S.sub.3) followed by separation and recovery (e.g., by distillation or filtration) of purified anhydrous hydrogen fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: William H. Gumprecht
  • Patent number: 4960581
    Abstract: The method for preparing a gaseous metallic floride is here disclosed which comprises reacting a metal or its oxide with a fluorine gas or nitrogen trifluoride gas, the aforesaid method being characterized by comprising the steps of mixing the metal or its oxide with a molding auxiliary comprising a solid metallic fluoride which does not react with fluorine and nitrogen trifluoride; molding the resulting mixture under pressure; and contacting the molded pieces with the fluorine gas or nitrogen trifluoride gas, while the molded pieces are heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Isao Harada, Yukihiro Yoda, Naruyuki Iwanaga, Toshihiko Nishitsuji, Akio Kikkawa