Patents Examined by Michael Lewis
  • Patent number: 5672325
    Abstract: The unwanted or unreacted decaborane gas that results from a boronizing operation using decaborane which is solid at ordinary temperatures but which is heated to a gaseous phase for injection into a vacuum vessel is passed through a metal tube packed with the granules of an alkaline oxidizing agent consisting of potassium permanganate and potassium hydroxide, whereby the decaborane gas is oxidized to solid and gaseous stable substances including manganese compounds and hydrogen. This provides an effective method for removing boron from the boron-containing exhaust gases that result from the coating of the inner surfaces of vacuum vessels in nuclear fusion reactors with an evaporated boron film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignees: Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tomoe Shokai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Hiratsuka, Junichi Yagyu, Tetsuaki Marufuji, Kazunori Gotoda
  • Patent number: 5672328
    Abstract: By using a method of removing silver in the form of sparingly soluble silver salt, especially silver sulfide, from a solution containing another silver compound, such as a silver thiosulfate complex in a photographic fix or rinsing fluid by precipitation, the solution is subjected to electromagnetic irradiation with a wavelength below 375 nm. The irradiated liquid is led through a filter-like means 33 which binds the silver sulfide to its surface as crystalline silver sulfide. As a result, the silver sulfide is precipitated and deposited on the surface of the means as solid silver sulfide which in its turns acts as a catalyst for further precipitation and depositing of solid silver sulfide on the surface of the means. By binding the solid silver sulfide to the surface of the means, the required capacity of a possible subsequent filter is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Eskofot A/S
    Inventor: Thomas Busch-S.o slashed.rensen
  • Patent number: 5672264
    Abstract: A class of highly stable supergallery pillared clay compositions that have a basal spacing up to 55 .ANG. corresponding a gallery height of 35 .ANG. for samples dried at room temperature and a basal spacing up to 45 .ANG. corresponding a gallery height of 255 .ANG. for samples steamed at 800.degree. C. for 17 hours. Said compositions are prepared by special procedures including pillaring reaction in presence of poly (vinyl alcohol) as a pillaring precursor, an aging process at pH of around 4 to 9, and a calcinating or steaming treatment at high temperature. The new compositions exhibit catalytic properties and adsorption properties superior to prior art pillared clays. Said compositions are useful as catalysts for carbonium-ion reaction, and as adsorbents and catalyst carriers. They are especially suitable for preparing microspheric cracking catalysts for heavy oil or residual feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pinnavaia, Jingjie Guan
  • Patent number: 5670435
    Abstract: A chemical composition and method for treating oil-contaminated waste waters, and, more particularly, waste waters in the form of oily emulsions that may also contain dissolved metal ions, and/or metal solids, to sorb (adsorb and/or absorb) the contaminants between and within platelets of sodium bentonite clay particles, and calcium bentonite clay particles, and the contaminants are encapsulated or trapped in a matrix of calcium bentonite platelets and sodium bentonite platelets that are flocculated by a flocculant, such as a cationic polymer, so that leaching of contaminants into the waste water, or subsequently into a liquid portion of a landfill, is unexpectedly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: AMCOL International Corporation
    Inventor: Laura Kajita
  • Patent number: 5670125
    Abstract: A gas mixture comprised of nitric oxide and, optionally an inert gas, and containing small amounts of nitrogen dioxide, and perhaps moisture and sulfur dioxide, is purified by passing the gas stream through a bed of zeolite having a silica to alumina ratio not greater than about 200. The concentration of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and moisture in the gas stream are reduced to about 1 ppm or less as the gas mixture passes through the bed of zeolite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: The BOC Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Lien-Lung Sheu, Ramakrishnan Ramachandran, Theodore R. Galica
  • Patent number: 5668077
    Abstract: The invention relates to a silver catalyst for the partial oxidation of ethylene with molecular oxygen in the gas phase to form ethylene oxide and a process for preparing ethylene oxide using this catalyst. The catalyst is superior to comparable catalysts of the prior art through an increased selectivity (at high activity) and/or a more favorable ageing behavior. The process for preparing ethylene oxide is distinguished by improved economics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Huels Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Burkhard Klopries, Harald Metz, Wilma Dibowski, Dietmar Kyewski, Jurgen Pospiech
  • Patent number: 5665636
    Abstract: A suscepter, which is composed substantially of a vitreous carbon derived from polycarbodiimide resin; and a process for producing a suscepter, which includes molding a polycarbodiimide resin or a composition composed mainly of a polycarbodiimide resin, into a shape of a suscepter and then carbonizing the molded material in vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere.The suscepter is free from the problems of the prior art, which has no pores on the surface and generates no impurity and which causes no cracking when used at high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Nisshinbo Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuo Saito, Takeshi Ishimatsu
  • Patent number: 5662872
    Abstract: There is disclosed a process for cleaning a harmful gas which comprises bringing a gas containing a basic gas as a harmful component such as ammonia and amines into contact with a cleaning agent comprising a cupric salt supported on an inorganic carrier composed of an metallic oxide such as silica and alumina or a metallic oxide mixture of cupric oxide and manganese dioxide to remove the harmful component from the gas containing a basic gas.According to the above process, it is made possible to effectively remove a basic gas such as ammonia and trimethylamine contained in the exhaust gas from semiconductor production process; and a harmful basic gas contained in dilution gas such as air or nitrogen which dilutes the harmful gas suddenly leaked in emergency from a gas bomb filled inside with the harmful gas. Moreover, the process enables to prevent the occurrence of fire even in the coexistence of other gas such as silane, while maintaining excellent effect on the removal of the harmful gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Japan Pionics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Shimada, Toshio Okumura, Toshiya Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 5662876
    Abstract: A low-cost and facile method of purifying fullerenes to obtain a preparation enriched in a fullerene of selected molecular weight using activated carbon involves adding a fullarena mixture to the top end of a column comprising activated carbon, passing a solvent in which the selected molecular weight fullerene is soluble through the column, and recovering a fraction enriched in the selected molecular weight fullerene from the bottom end of the column. In addition to activated carbon, the column may further comprise silica gel, diatomaceous earth, or other materials which aid in column packing and eluent flow. The invention also provides for preparation of gram quantities of pure C.sub.60 and C.sub.70 fullerenes after a single column pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: University of South Carolina
    Inventors: James M. Tour, Walter A. Scrivens, Peter V. Bedworth
  • Patent number: 5663476
    Abstract: An apparatus for and method of decomposing a chemical compound, which may be an environmentally undesirable material, is accomplished by impinging a flow of the chemical compound on a heated member. Various embodiments are possible, including having the member have a plurality of openings, having the member be configured to direct the flow of the chemical compound in a particular direction, and having the member be self supported on the wall of the reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry D. Cripe, Gerard T. Reed, James C. Koontz
  • Patent number: 5662881
    Abstract: Coarse light burned magnesia is comminuted in the wet state with a wet-pulverizer and hydrated in the presence of an alkaline aqueous medium at an elevated temperature of not less than 70.degree. C., the resultant pulverizate is classified into fine and coarse particles using a classifying means, and the coarse particles are recycled to the wet-pulverizer. By subjecting light burned magnesia to concurrent wet-pulverization and hydration in the presence of a heated alkaline aqueous medium, the material magnesia can be simultaneously comminuted and hydrated under rapid heating. Therefore, from light burned magnesia, an active magnesium hydroxide showing a low viscosity even at a high concentration can be efficiently produced at a high rate in a fewer step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignees: Daicel Abosisangyo Co., Kubota Tower Mill Corp.
    Inventor: Akihiko Higuchi
  • Patent number: 5660807
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the removal of HCN from gas mixtures that contain at least HCN and sulfur compounds, especially from gas mixtures that are obtained by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, by catalytic decomposition of HCN, as well as a catalyst for the decomposition of HCN. According to the invention, the gas mixture is brought into contact with a catalyst which decomposes the HCN by hydrogenation and/or by hydrolysis and COS that is contained in the gas mixture is decomposed at least partially in this catalyst by hydrolysis. Advantageously, a catalyst that is based on titanium oxide and/or zirconium oxide as a vehicle and that contains chromium oxide as an active component is used. Advantageously, the catalyst is reduced during catalyst production or before use with H.sub.2 and/or a reducing gas at temperatures above the operating temperature of catalytic decomposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignees: Linde Aktiengesellschaft, Huls Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Forg, Gerhard Ranke, Michael Heisel, Dietrich Maschmeyer, Robert Walter
  • Patent number: 5658839
    Abstract: A catalyst comprising a modified mordenite zeolite catalyst modified with Pt and a promoter selected from the group consisting of Group IIB, Grouo IVA, Group VIB and mixtures thereof is effectively used in a process for the simultaneous dehydrogenation and isomerization of paraffins to isoparaffins and isoolefins under controlled conditions. The catalyst is prepared by depositing on the modified mordenite zeolite catalyst sequentially Pt and thereafter the promoter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Intevep, S.A.
    Inventors: Maria Magdalena de Agudelo, Trino Romero, Jose Guaregua, Marisela Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 5656249
    Abstract: Nitrogen oxides are removed from an exhaust gas containing nitrogen oxides and oxygen in an amount larger than its stoichiometric amount relative to unburned components in the exhaust gas, by (i) disposing an exhaust gas cleaner in a flow path of the exhaust gas, the exhaust gas cleaner comprising 0.2-15 weight % (on a metal basis) of fine silver or silver oxides having an average diameter of 10-1,000 nm and supported on a porous inorganic oxide; (ii) introducing hydrocarbons and/or oxygen-containing organic compounds into the exhaust gas on the upstream side of the exhaust gas cleaner; and (iii) bringing the exhaust gas into contact with the exhaust gas cleaner at a temperature of 200.degree.-600.degree. C., thereby causing a reaction of nitrogen oxides with the hydrocarbons and/or oxygen-containing organic compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Riken, Hiroshi Kashiwagi of Director-General of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Kiyohide Yoshida, Akira Abe, Tatsuo Miyadera, Naoko Irite
  • Patent number: 5654251
    Abstract: A novel alkylation catalyst is described which is used in processes for alkylating olefin hydrocarbons with isoparaffin hydrocarbons to produce high octane alkylate products suitable for use as a blending component of gasoline motor fuel. The novel catalyst comprises a mixture of a hydrogen halide and a sulfone. The novel alkylation catalyst is utilized in a novel process for alkylating olefin hydrocarbons with isoparaffin hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: Ronald G. Abbott, Ralph P. Williams, Marvin M. Johnson, John W. Vanderveen
  • Patent number: 5653952
    Abstract: A modified process for synthesizing diamond having developed by further improving a process of diamond synthesis based on combustion method, which provides diamond grains 1.5 mm or larger in crystal diameter at good economy. The process comprises burying one or two or more seed crystal diamond grain(s) 2 into the surface of a substrate 1, and striking a combustion flame on said seed crystal diamond grain(s) 2 while cooling the substrate 1 to thereby allow diamond to grow on the seed crystal diamond 2 into a larger diamond grain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
    Inventors: Tomio Suzuki, Yoshiaki Morinishi
  • Patent number: 5653955
    Abstract: An improved process for converting particles containing calcium sulfide into calcium oxide by subjecting the particles to repeated cycles of oxidation and reduction. The impenetrable layer of calcium sulfate which forms during the oxidation phase of each cycle is destroyed by the subsequent reducing phase. By repeating the cycle many times, the particles are converted completely into calcium oxide at a reasonable temperature of about 1000.degree. C. The process can be carried out in either fixed bed, moving bed, or fluidized bed reactors by varying the composition of the gas supplied to the reactors in a periodic manner. Alternatively, the process can be conducted in fluidized bed reactors which have separate oxidizing and reducing zones located one above the other. In one design air is supplied through a gas distributor at the bottom of the fluidized bed to create an oxidizing zone in the lower part of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas D. Wheelock
  • Patent number: 5650128
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for treating gas streams containing variations in VOC concentration whereby the VOC's are destroyed in a combination non-catalytic/catalytic oxidation system are disclosed. A non-catalytic destruction matrix composed of inert ceramic materials that enhance process mixing and provide thermal inertia for process stability is used when VOC concentrations are high and a catalytic oxidizer is principally used when VOC concentrations are low. The exhaust from the non-catalytic destruction matrix is passed through the catalytic oxidizer to maintain proper catalytic oxidizer operating temperatures. Supplemental fuel and air are added as appropriate upstream or downstream of the non-catalytic oxidizer to maintain proper heat values in each portion of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Thermatrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Holst, Richard J. Martin
  • Patent number: 5648056
    Abstract: A fullerene composite comprises a matrix formed of ultrafine fullerene such as, for example, C.sub.60 crystallite having diameters in the range of from 5 to 50 nm and a reinforcing member formed of a mixture consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanocapsules, and inevitable indeterminate carbonaceous impurities and incorporated in the matrix. The amount of the reinforcing member incorporated in the matrix is in the range of from 15 to 45% by weight based on the amount of the matrix. Owing to the use of the reinforcing member which contains carbon nanotubes and carbon nanocapsules, the produced fullerene composite is enabled to acquire improved mechanical strength and resistance to deformation, and the wide applicabilities are endowed with fullerene composites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignees: Research Development Corporation of Japan, Shun-ichiro Tanaka
    Inventor: Shun-ichiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5643546
    Abstract: A pitch-type carbon fiber made from a pitch having 1 a glass transition temperature width of at most 40.degree. C. as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter, 2 a proportion of the optically anisotropic phase of at least 10% by volume, and 3 a quinoline-insoluble content of at most 5% by weight, as a spinning raw material pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Iwao Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Aikyo, Akihiko Yoshiya, Kazuo Shirosaki