Patents Examined by Michael Lewis
  • Pitch-based activated carbon fiber
    Patent number: 5795843
    Abstract: There is provided an optically isotropic pitch-based activated carbon fiber which comprises having a large number of pores each with a radius of 0.15 to 2.5 nm and having a specific surface area of 500 m.sup.2 /g or more, the pores being distributed uniformly in both the surface layer part and the inner part of the fiber and allowed to three-dimensionally communicate with each other at least partially.The above activated carbon fiber is prepared by adjusting the size and density of the pores in the fiber by controlling the conditions for preparing the optically isotropic pitch, spinning the pitch and/or activation of the infusibilized or carbonized pitch-based fiber.The activated carbon fiber thus obtained is enhanced in adsorption efficiency without decrease in mechanical strength thereof and is widely used for a variety products in accordance with the kind of the substances to be adsorbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Petoca, Ltd.
    Inventor: Morinobu Endo
  • Method for partially dealuminating a zeolite catalyst
    Patent number: 5789331
    Abstract: A method for partially dealuminating a zeolite catalyst by steaming, which comprises feeding steam to and flowing the steam through a reactor containing a catalyst bed of a zeolite catalyst to contact the zeolite catalyst with the steam for 0.1 to 50 hours under temperature distribution conditions which satisfies the following requirements (1) and (2):(1) 500.degree. C..ltoreq.T.sub.0 .ltoreq.T.ltoreq.T.sub.2 .ltoreq.700.degree. C. wherein T.sub.0 is the temperature (.degree.C.) of the fed steam; T.sub.2 is the maximum temperature (.degree.C.) of the catalyst bed; and T is the average temperature (.degree.C.) of the catalyst bed, which is defined by the formula: ##EQU1## wherein T.sub.i is the time average temperature (.degree.C.) of the i-th block of n equilength blocks of the catalyst bed, which are arranged along the direction of steam flow; and(2) cv(T).times.1000.ltoreq.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Sanyo Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Tsunoda, Kazuyoshi Kiyama, Masatsugu Kawase
  • Method for the production of anhydrous alkali metal carbonates
    Patent number: 5788947
    Abstract: A method for producing anhydrous alkali metal carbonates by mixing sodium bicarbonate with a stoichiometric equivalent of an alkaline metal hydroxide in an aqueous solution which reacts in an exothermic reaction to produce a thermally stable alkaline compound of the bicarbonate and hydroxide used, free of other compounds. On dehydrating, without the need of higher temperatures of calcination, one yields an anhydrous alkali metal carbonate or a mixed alkali metal carbonate depending on whether the alkali metal hydroxide used is not sodium but some other member of the alkali metal family. The active element on hydration of these mixed alkali metal carbonates is the alkali metal of the hydroxide used with the sodium bicarbonate to produce the anhydrous mixed alkali metal carbonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventor: Raymundo Ruiz-Luna
  • Method for producing metallic catalyst carrier
    Patent number: 5786295
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a metallic catalyst carrier used for a catalytic convertor for an automobile, for example, and calcines a metallic catalyst carrier element obtained by alternately winding or laminating metallic plates in vacuum, and in integrally combining the connecting parts of the metallic plates by diffused junction, the metallic catalyst carrier element being calcines at 1200.degree. C. or above and a pressure of 1 Pa to 10 Pa, preferably l.5 Pa to 10 Pa, to obtain a strong metallic catalyst carrier having oxidization resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Calsonic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Sugimoto, Yuji Yoshidomi, Eizoh Suyama
  • Fluidized bed deposition of diamond
    Patent number: 5783335
    Abstract: A process for coating a substrate with diamond or diamond-like material including maintaining a substrate within a bed of particles capable of being fluidized, the particles having substantially uniform dimensions and the substrate characterized as having different dimensions than the bed particles, fluidizing the bed of particles, and depositing a coating of diamond or diamond-like material upon the substrate by chemical vapor deposition of a carbon-containing precursor gas mixture, the precursor gas mixture introduced into the fluidized bed under conditions resulting in excitation mechanisms sufficient to form the diamond coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California, Office of Technology Transfer
    Inventors: Joseph R. Laia, Jr., David W. Carroll, Mitchell Trkula, Wallace E. Anderson, Steven M. Valone
  • Electrically conducting compositions
    Patent number: 5783111
    Abstract: Compositions are disclosed comprising electrically conducting polyaniline and particular substituted aromatic compounds that simultaneously form hydrogen bonds and ring-ring interactions with, respectively, the NH-groups and the six-membered rings of the conducting polyanilines. The present conducting polyaniline compositions show drastically enhanced processibility and their blends with insulating or semiconducting materials exhibit significantly improved electrical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignees: Uniax Corporation, Neste Oy
    Inventors: Olli Ikkala, Lars-Olof Pietila, Yong Cao, Alejandro Andreatta
  • Device and process for composting and wet fermentation of biological waste
    Patent number: 5782950
    Abstract: Biological waste is squeezed out while being at the same time mixed and homogenized, after which the solid materials freed of liquid are delivered to a composting installation and the liquid fraction is directed to an anaerobic reactor for wet fermentation. Thereby shorter composting and fermentation times can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Beg Bioenergie GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Kanitz, Bruno Kesselring
  • Shell catalyst, a process for its production and its use
    Patent number: 5783514
    Abstract: The invention is an improved palladium-containing catalyst and process for preparing the catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by impregnating a dry activated carbon with a pH above 8 with a solution of palladium salt, separating the aqueous phase from the impregnated activated carbon when the aqueous phase has reached a pH of at least 1 and reducing the palladium which is supported on the activated carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
    Inventors: Klaus-Peter Schick, Franz-Josef Carduck, Gerd Goebel, Hans-Georg Rollberg
  • Method for producing encapsulated nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes using catalytic disproportionation of carbon monoxide
    Patent number: 5780101
    Abstract: A method for the production of carbon encapsulated nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and other closed carbon structures, including contacting a catalyst of a transition metal, or a compound or alloy thereof, with a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide, and an amount of available molecular hydrogen which is insufficient to cause formation of graphite plane edges through capping, at a temperature in the range from 300.degree.-1000.degree. C., to provide closed carbon structures, which are useful in the preparation of thermal composites, reinforcement composites and magnetic particle recording media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona
    Inventors: Peter E. Nolan, Andrew H. Cutler, David G. Lynch
  • Sulfur absorbents
    Patent number: 5780001
    Abstract: A composition and method of making a strength enhanced composition are described. The composition comprises zinc oxide, silica and colloidal oxide solution. The colloidal oxide solution is utilized as a binding agent to provide a strength enhanced absorbent composition that can be utilized in an absorption process for the purpose of removing sulfur contaminants from fluid streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: Gyanesh P. Khare, Ralph E. Bonnell
  • Method and apparatus for concentration and recovery of halocarbons from effluent gas streams
    Patent number: 5779998
    Abstract: A process for recovery of halocarbons from a gas mixture containing the halocarbon and acid gas components comprises the steps of contacting the gas mixture with a dry scrubber to remove the acid gas components from the gas mixture and yield a first effluent gas mixture containing the halocarbon. The first effluent gas mixture is contacted with an adsorbent which is selective for the halocarbon component of the first effluent gas mixture to adsorb the halocarbon component and yield a second effluent gas. The adsorbed halocarbon is recovered by desorbing same from the adsorbent. The process of contacting with adsorbent can be carried out in at least two adsorbent beds joined at inlet and outlet ends thereof to gas feed and gas discharge manifolds, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: ATMI EcoSys Corporation
    Inventor: Glenn M. Tom
  • Gas separation with lithium-containing ZSM-2 metallosilicates
    Patent number: 5779766
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of selective adsorptively separating nitrogen from oxygen using a crystalline metallosilicate having a ZSM-2 structure with a Si/Al ratio less than 2.0 and a lithium cation exchange of at least 50%, wherein the composition has the chemical formula:M.sub.2/n O:X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :(2.0 to <4.0)SiO.sub.2wherein M=one or more metal cations having a valence of n, and X is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium and boron, preferably aluminum. The method is conducted at a bed temperature in the range of approximately -100.degree. C. to 100.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Jeffrey Weigel, James Edward MacDougall, Charles Gardner Coe, Yan Liang Xiong, Johan Adriaan Martens, Pierre A. Jacobs, Paul Anthony Webley
  • Process for the vapor phase synthesis of diamond and highly crystalline diamond
    Patent number: 5776552
    Abstract: High quality diamond excellent in crystalline property as well as transparency, can be synthesized at a high growth speed by a process which comprises using, as a raw material gas, a mixed gas of hydrogen gas A, an inert gas B, a carbon atom-containing gas C and an oxygen atom-containing inorganic gas D in such a proportion as satisfying the following relationship by mole ratio:0.001.ltoreq.B/(A+B+C+D).ltoreq.0.950.001.ltoreq.C/(A+B+C+D).ltoreq.0.10.0005.ltoreq.D/C.ltoreq.10except that the carbon atom-containing gas C and the oxygen atom-containing inorganic gas D, cannot simultaneously be the same gas feeding the mixed gas into a reactor in which plasma is then formed by applying a DC or AC electric field at a pressure of 10 to 760 torr and thereby depositing and forming diamond on a substrate arranged in the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichiro Tanabe, Naoji Fujimori
  • Trimetallic zeolite catalyst and method of NO.sub.x abatement using the same
    Patent number: 5776423
    Abstract: A catalytic material useful for the abatement of NO.sub.X in a lean environment containing a zeolite material having incorporated therein copper, cobalt and iron as catalytically active species. The catalytically active metals are preferably incorporated into the zeolite by ion exchange and precipitation. The catalytic material may typically contain from about 2.0 to about 8.0 percent copper, from about 1.0 to about 4.0 percent iron and from about 0.25 to about 4.0 percent cobalt by weight of the catalytic material, i.e., by weight of the zeolite material plus the catalytic metals incorporated therein. Optionally, the catalytic material may be admixed with a binder and applied as an adherent coating onto a carrier to be placed in a gas stream containing the nitrogen oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Engelhard Corporation
    Inventors: Jennifer S. Feeley, Michel Deeba, Robert J. Farrauto, Dinh Dang
  • Zeolite L preparation
    Patent number: 5773381
    Abstract: Zeolite L containing caesium is prepared by a process in which said zeolite L is crystallised from a synthesis mixture with a molar composition (expressed as oxides) of:______________________________________ K.sub.2 O/SiO.sub.2 0.15 to 0.40 K.sub.2 O/Cs.sub.2 O 3 to 10 H.sub.2 O/K.sub.2 O 40 to 100 and SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 7 to 13 ______________________________________and containing 0.5 to 15 ppm (by weight) of divalent metal carbons, e.g. Mg ions. The zeolite L can form part of a dehydrocyclisation and/or isomerisation catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Exxon Research & Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Johannes Petrus Verduijn, Pieter Ernst Gellings
  • Compositions using high-potassium zeolite A
    Patent number: 5773380
    Abstract: High potassium zeolite A particles are used to overcome problems of zeolite degassing (and/or undesired gas adsorption/desorption), especially when loaded into organic matrices. The zeolite A particles preferably have a potassium content (measured as K.sub.2 O) of at least about 14 wt. %, more preferably 15-25 wt. %. Compositions containing the high potassium zeolite A in an organic matrix may be especially suitable for use in insulating glass window spacer applications. The high potassium zeolite A may also be used in other conventional desiccant forms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn.
    Inventor: James Neil Pryor
  • Steam reforming catalysts for lower hydrocarbons
    Patent number: 5773589
    Abstract: To provide an improved steam reforming catalyst for lower hydrocarbons which is highly active and has a high crushing strength. An improved steam reforming catalyst for lower hydrocarbons comprising a support constituted of CaO and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and an active component comprising nickel or a platinum-group metal. The content of CaO is 0.5 to 25 wt% based on the catalyst, and at least part of the CaO forms compounds with the A1.sub.2 O.sub.3. The support has a void fraction X of pores with a diameter of 0.5 .mu.m to 20 .mu.m of 0.08 or higher, a void fraction Y of pores with a diameter smaller than 0.5 .mu.m of 0.15 or higher, and a total void fraction Z of 0.23 to 0.8 (provided that Z.ltoreq.(X+Y)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignees: Toyo Engineering Corporation, Catalysts and Chemicals, Inc., Far East
    Inventors: Kazuo Shoji, Ryuichi Mogami, Toru Numaguchi, Toshio Matsuhisa, Hideaki Yanaru, Yasuo Nishioka, Yasuhiro Izawa
  • Carbon black
    Patent number: 5772975
    Abstract: A carbon black having a D1/2/Dmod ratio of at most 0.53.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Nobutake Mise, Yutaka Fukuyama, Mamoru Nakayama, Shigeru Kawakami
  • Stabilized liquid fabric softener compositions
    Patent number: 5767052
    Abstract: Concentrated liquid fabric softener compositions which are unstable due to phase separation are stabilized by means of water-soluble polyesters. Stable liquid compositions comprising various fabric treatment electrolytes are provided. Compositions comprising terephthalate-ethylene oxide stabilizers in fabric softener compositions comprising various chelators such as ethylenediamine disuccinate, diethylenetriamine pentaacetate and various aminophosphonates restore softness and dye colors to fabrics which have been exposed to metal cations, especially copper or nickel. Compositions comprising cellulase enzymes are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: John Henry Shaw, Jr., Robert Mermelstein
  • Composite metal oxide adsorbents
    Patent number: 5759939
    Abstract: Finely divided composite materials are provided comprising a first metal oxide (e.g., MgO) at least partially coated with an extremely thin layer of a second metal oxide selected from the group consisting of the transition metal oxides such as Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3. The composites are very effective for the destructive adsorption of undesirable fluids in gaseous or liquid form, such as chlorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons. In use, a fluid stream including undesirable fluids are contacted with the composites of the invention, such as through the use of a filter containing the composite as a part of the filter media thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Kansas State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Klabunde, Abbas Khaleel