Patents Examined by Eric Scott Sherman
  • Patent number: 12377376
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separation of radioactive particulates from liquids by filtration to remove or recover the particulates, that reduces the surfaces forces associated with electrostatic attraction between the particles and the filter medium by modifying or coating the surface of the filter medium with a material that exhibits a surface charge closer to or the same as that of the particulates in a given aqueous liquid. The method and apparatus can be used to filter radioactive particulates and contaminants from aqueous liquid or liquid process streams with a radiation resistant filter medium. The filters can exhibit a surface charge different from that of the particulates targeted for separation by mechanical filtration. The filtration medium can be modified to increase its resistance to erosion to permit use of more powerful backwashing regeneration methods and prevent attachment of the particulates to the filtration medium by coating the medium with a hydrophobic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: VRD, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Varrin
  • Patent number: 12371328
    Abstract: A method for preparing phosphorus-doped graphene using phosphorus-containing sludge and biomass, belonging to the field of solid waste resource utilization and environmental protection technologies, includes: performing a hydrothermal reaction with the phosphorus-containing sludge and the biomass to obtain a product, washing and drying the product to obtain phosphorus-doped hydrochar, and subjecting the phosphorus-doped hydrochar to a flash Joule heating treatment to obtain the phosphorus-doped graphene. The method for preparing the phosphorus-doped graphene by flash Joule heating is based on cheap and easily available phosphorus containing sludge and corn cobs as precursors. The high-quality phosphorus-doped graphene can be obtained by the flash Joule heating after in-situ phosphorus doping by a hydrothermal carbonization method. The method for preparing the phosphorus-doped graphene is controllable, fast, simple and efficient, which is beneficial to large-scale production and application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2025
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: Shanxi University
    Inventors: Baofeng Wang, Yunxiao Chen, Fangqin Cheng, Huirong Zhang, Jinglei Cui, Yanxia Guo
  • Patent number: 12365586
    Abstract: A method of hydrogen generation may include contacting sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and a nanocomposite comprising graphitic C3N4, MnO2, and MgAl2O4 in a mass relationship to each other in a range of from 5 to 15:2 to 7:75 to 95, at a temperature in a range of from 10 to 80° C., thereby catalyzing the hydrogen generation at a hydrogen generation rate in a range of from 2000 to 5000 mL/(min·g).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2025
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: IMAM MOHAMMAD IBN SAUD ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Babiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair, Mohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim, Mohamed Khairy Omran
  • Patent number: 12351890
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing a zirconium complex includes: mixing a solvent containing an organic substance having a dipole moment of 3.0 D or more, a chelating agent solution in which a chelating agent containing a structure represented by General Formula (1) or General Formula (2) is dissolved, and zirconium dissolved in an acidic solution, to obtain a mixed solution; and setting the mixed solution at a predetermined temperature or more to synthesize a zirconium complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: JFE ENGINEERING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryota Imura
  • Patent number: 12351461
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a catalyst composition comprising: (a) at least one steamed biochar; and (b) at least one tri-metallic catalyst, comprising metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, zinc, and combinations thereof, wherein nickel loading is in the range of 20-60 wt %, the copper loading is in the range of 0.5-5.0 wt %, and the zinc loading is in the range of 0.5-5.0 wt with respect to the at least one steamed biochar. The instant disclosure further relates to a process of preparation of the catalyst composition and a process for production of hydrogen gas and carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM CORPORATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Lavanya Meesala, Pramod Kumar, Ramachandra Rao Bojja, Sri ganesh Gandham
  • Patent number: 12338131
    Abstract: A boehmite structure includes a plurality of boehmite particles where adjacent boehmite particles are bonded to each other. The boehmite structure has a porosity of 30% or less. A method of producing a boehmite structure includes obtaining a mixture by mixing hydraulic alumina with a solvent including water, and pressurizing and heating the mixture under a condition of a pressure of 10 to 600 MPa and a temperature of 50 to 300° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuki Sato, Naoki Kurizoe, Ryosuke Sawa, Tatsuro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 12319583
    Abstract: A sodium borate, aluminum powder and fluoride powder are mixed together in a hermetic vessel filled with hydrogen gas, and the mixture is reacted at not less than 410° C. and not more than 560° C. to produce sodium borohydride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kaoru Sugita, Yuji Oota, Yo Rene Abe, Takuma Hachisu, Takehiro Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 12300400
    Abstract: Open pit mine (OPM) structures are modified or built new for use in disposing of low-level radioactive/nuclear waste (LLW). A drainage system is added to the OPM to drain water, such as, but not limited to, rain water, out of a volume of the OPM and to a particular geologic zone located far below the OPM that is isolated away from the local water table. Cells are formed within the volume of the OPM that are configured to receive the LLW. Cells are added to the OPM from a bottom towards a top of the OPM. Void spaces around the LLW materials within the cells are filled in with a protective-medium to mitigate against radionuclide migration away from the LLW materials within the cells. The protective-medium may be a blend of carbon nanotubes and a foam cement slurry. The carbon nanotubes may be made from reacting ethylene with vermiculite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Inventor: Henry Crichlow
  • Patent number: 12293847
    Abstract: An apparatus for saturating a buffer material includes a jig for fixing and supporting a buffer material to prevent an increase of a volume of the buffer material. The jig is provided to surround at least a portion of the buffer material. The apparatus further includes a case having a space in which the jig supporting the buffer material is accommodated, a supply unit configured to supply water vapor into the case to adjust a saturation level of the buffer material, and a control unit configured to control the supply unit to stop the supply of water vapor when the saturation level of the buffer material reaches a preset critical saturation level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Seok Yoon, Seung-Hun Park, Geon Young Kim, Dong Keun Cho
  • Patent number: 12286715
    Abstract: A heterostructured catalyst includes a 2-dimensional (2D) array of titanium including nanocavities that are all directly attached to a substrate. Each of the titanium including nanocavities have a pore with a nanopore size and a wall with a nanowall thickness. The titanium including nanocavities can be titania nanocavities with a metal layer or a metal compound layer on the titania nanocavities including inside the pores, or the titanium including nanocavities can include SrTiO3 or consist of SrTiO3, each with a surface layer of reduced SrTiO3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventor: Yang Yang
  • Patent number: 12286357
    Abstract: A process of obtaining powdered sodium silicate from sand tailings generated from iron ore processing addresses the production of raw materials used in the manufacturing of geopolymers to be employed mainly by the construction industry and in road paving. The utilization of this tailing reduces environmental impact generated by the disposal in large dams, as well as enabling addition of value to a tailing by obtaining a commercially applicable product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: VALE S.A.
    Inventors: Jordanna Chamon Vogt, Fernando Soares Lameiras
  • Patent number: 12281024
    Abstract: A nanocomposite having ionic conductivity and having the general formula CuO·MgAl2O4 wherein: copper oxide (CuO) is present in an amount of from about 5 to about 15 weight percent (wt. %) of the total weight of the nanocomposite; and, CuO is present as a monoclinic crystal phase within the nanocomposite, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: IMAM MOHAMMAD IBN SAUD ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Babiker yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair, Mohamed Khairy Abdel Fattah Omran
  • Patent number: 12275645
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing lithium carbonate by mixing lithium sulfate with a carbon material and heat-treating same in a carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: PUKYONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventor: Jei Pil Wang
  • Patent number: 12269077
    Abstract: A disposal method for waste fabric containing polyester and nylon includes: step (a): providing a waste fabric containing polyester and nylon; step (b): performing a first-stage treatment including acid treatment on the material to obtain a first liquid material and a first solid material; step (c): performing a second-stage treatment on the first liquid material to obtain a second liquid material and a second solid material; step (d): performing a third-stage treatment including acid treatment on the first solid material to obtain a third liquid material and a third solid material; step (e): performing a fourth-stage treatment on the third liquid material to obtain a fourth liquid material and a fourth solid material, wherein the acid concentration of the second liquid material is lower than the acid concentration of the first liquid material, and the acid concentration of the fourth liquid material is lower than the acid concentration of the third liquid material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: NAN YA PLASTICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Te-Chao Liao, Jung-Jen Chuang, Tzu-Huan Wong
  • Patent number: 12264081
    Abstract: A tungsten hexafluoride manufacturing method of the present invention includes a reaction step of reacting tungsten with a gas of a fluorine element-containing compound so as to obtain a mixture that contains tungsten hexafluoride and hydrogen fluoride-containing impurities, and a discharge step of performing distillation of the mixture while performing a discharge operation at least two or more times during the distillation so as to obtain tungsten hexafluoride, the discharge operation being an operation in which a storage operation and a purge operation are alternately performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: CENTRAL GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Suenaga, Takuya Kita, Ryuichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 12237091
    Abstract: Radioactive nuclides (radionuclides) are separate from an aqueous radioactive liquid by feeding the liquid into a chamber between a porous anode and a porous cathode of a shock electrodialysis device. Meanwhile, an anolyte is fed through the porous anode, and a catholyte is fed through the porous cathode. A voltage is applied to the porous anode and to the porous cathode to create a voltage differential across the chamber. The liquid is passed through the chamber, and cations are selectively driven from the liquid into the cathode by the voltage differential. The voltage differential creates a desalination shock that produces an ion-enriched zone on one side of the desalination shock and a deionized zone on an opposite side. A brine including the radioactive cations is extracted from the ion-enriched zone through a brine outlet, and fresh water is extracted from the deionized zone through a fresh-water outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Kameron Conforti, Mohammad Ayman Alkhadra, Tao Gao, Huanhuan Tian, Martin Z. Bazant
  • Patent number: 12233394
    Abstract: A method for granulating a slurry in a fluidized bed granulator having a main longitudinal direction from a seed end where granulation is initiated, to a product discharge end where granules are discharged from the fluidized bed granulator, including at least one fluidized bed compartment, an injection section and a granulation section, separated by a bottom plate including one or more injection nozzles, wherein a feed slurry is provided to the injection section, wherein a first fraction of the feed slurry provided to the injection section is injected into the granulation section through the one or more injection nozzles and a second fraction of the feed slurry, being the remainder of the feed slurry, is passed through the injection section without being injected into the granulation section. A fluidized bed granulator for the granulation of slurries for fertilizer products such as UAS according to the method of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: YARA INTERNATIONAL ASA
    Inventor: Howard Volke
  • Patent number: 12224076
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for pyrolysing organic waste. The system comprises a conical housing (4) configured to temporarily, substantially hermetically, enclose the waste and a mixing device provided with a drive shaft rotatably mounted relative to the housing and a conical mixing body (25) configured inside the housing to fluidise the waste, which mixing body fixedly attached substantially does not touch the housing. The system further comprises heating means (24) for heating the side wall of the housing. This system makes it possible to carry out the processing of organic waste in a batch process. The mixing body prevents a portion of the waste from sticking together by fluidising the waste and keeping it fluidised, whereby the heat generated by the heating means can gradually spread through the waste inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignees: ASX INVESTMENTS B.V., BELGOPROCESS
    Inventors: Jurgen Hansen, Jan Deckers
  • Patent number: 12220736
    Abstract: A solution comprising at least one protic solvent, at least one monomer comprising an (alkyl)acrylic, (alkyl)acrylate or (alkyl)acrylamide group, at least one crosslinking agent comprising at least two groups chosen from (alkyl)acrylic, (alkyl)acrylate or (alkyl)acrylamide groups, at least one photopolymerization initiator and at least one agent chosen from alkali metal halides, alkali metal phosphates, alkali metal sulfates and mixtures thereof; or—of a polymer material capable of being obtained by polymerization of the solution defined above comprising a polymer resulting from the polymerization of the monomer(s) and of the crosslinking agent(s) as defined above and trapping, at the center thereof, a liquid phase comprising at least one agent as defined above; for the trapping of at least one toxic chemical agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Stéphane Cadra, Benoit Blondel
  • Patent number: 12214392
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing the volume of construction and demolition (C&D) debris waste are described. The systems include a torrefaction unit that reduces the hardness of the waste while degrading it into volatiles and particles having a range of sizes. The variation in particle size allows for a more efficient compaction due to minimal void space and the imparted softness allows for increased compressibility. This results in the processed debris having a much smaller volume than had it not undergone the presently described methods, which reduces landfill tipping fees and extends the life of the landfill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: 3P PROJECTS LLC
    Inventor: Judith P. Oppenheim