Patents Examined by Tima M. McGuthry-Banks
  • Patent number: 10718512
    Abstract: A method of operating a burner assembly is provided. The method generally includes transporting combustible fuel and atomization air through concentric fluid lines of the burner assembly; mixing the combustible fuel and the atomization air to atomize the combustible fuel; adjusting a flow of the combustible fuel and the atomization air to obtain atomized fuel with an air-to-fuel atomization ratio of less than 0.6; outputting the atomized fuel from a nozzle of the burner assembly; and igniting the atomized fuel to produce a flame. A burner assembly operable by the method, and a corresponding nozzle are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Metal 7 Inc.
    Inventors: Éric Dorval, Steve Beaudin, Guy De Carufel
  • Patent number: 10718034
    Abstract: A composition based on quick calcium-magnesium compounds in the form of briquettes is shown, as well as a method for the preparation and use thereof. The composition of the briquettes contains quicklime in the form of milled particles at a concentration of at least 10% by weight and at most 100% by weight relative to the weight of the composition. The compositions in the form of briquettes have a Shatter test index of less than 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: S. A. Lhoist Recherche et Developpement
    Inventors: Guillaume Criniere, Michael Nispel
  • Patent number: 10697041
    Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method of crude copper from low-grade copper sludge, one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) calcining a low-grade copper sludge (step 1); (2) producing a mixture by adding at least one selected from a group consisting of binder, flux and combinations thereof to the calcined low-grade copper sludge (step 2); (3) producing a briquette by compression molding the mixture (step 3); (4) melting and reducing by charging the briquette into a submerged arc furnace with adding flux (step 4); and (5) separating crude copper and slag produced by melting and reducing (step 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: SUNGEEL HIMETAL
    Inventors: Young-Myoung Seo, Kang-Myung Yi, Ki-Woong Lee, Suk-Hyun Byun, Hyun-Jin Sung
  • Patent number: 10697032
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing syngas in combined operation with a metallurgical plant which comprises at least one blast furnace for producing crude iron, a converter steel mill and a coke-oven plant. Part of the blast-furnace top gas that is produced in the production of crude iron and/or part of the converter gas that occurs in the converter steel mill and/or part of the coke-oven gas that is produced in the coke-oven plant are mixed. By choosing the gas streams that are brought together to form a mixed gas and/or by changing the mixing ratios of the gas streams that are brought together, at least two streams of useful gas are produced, differing with regard to their composition and respectively prepared to form streams of syngas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventors: Reinhold Achatz, Jens Wagner, Markus Oles, Peter Schmöle, Ralph Kleinschmidt, Denis Krotov, Olaf von Morstein, Karsten Büker
  • Patent number: 10689733
    Abstract: A method of making an aluminum alloy containing zirconium includes heating a first composition including aluminum to a first temperature. The first temperature is greater than or equal to a liquidus temperature of the first composition. The method further includes adding a second composition including a copper-zirconium compound to the first composition. The method further includes decomposing at least a portion of the copper-zirconium compound into copper and zirconium. The method further includes forming a third composition by dissolving at least some of the copper from the decomposing in the aluminum of the first composition. The method further includes cooling the third composition to a second temperature to form a first solid material. The second temperature is less than or equal to a solidus temperature of the third composition. The method further includes heat treating the first solid material to form the aluminum alloy containing zirconium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Walker, Qigui Wang
  • Patent number: 10683562
    Abstract: The reduced iron manufacturing method of the present invention includes preparing an agglomerate by agglomerating a mixture containing an iron oxide-containing substance and a carbonaceous reducing agent, and preparing reduced iron by heating the agglomerate to reduce iron oxide in the agglomerate, characterized in that Expression (I) as follows is satisfied: Cfix×Xunder105/OFeO?51??(I) where OFeO is the mass percentage of oxygen contained in the iron oxide in the agglomerate, Cfix is the mass percentage of total fixed carbon contained in the agglomerate, and Xunder105 is the mass percentage of particles having a particle diameter of 105 ?m or less with respect to the total mass of particles configuring the carbonaceous reducing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yui Hosono, Masaki Shimamoto, Takao Harada, Shingo Yoshida, Shoichi Kikuchi, Taiji Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 10675680
    Abstract: There is provided an aggregate of metal fine particles, a metal fine particle dispersion liquid, a heat ray shielding film, a heat ray shielding glass, a heat ray shielding fine particle dispersion body and a heat ray shielding laminated transparent base material, having sufficient properties as a solar radiation shielding material which widely shields a heat ray component included in sunlight, and in which selectivity of a light absorption wavelength is controlled, wherein when a shape each metal fine particle is approximated to an ellipsoid, and mutually orthogonal semi-axial lengths are defined as a, b, c (a?b?c) respectively, an average, a standard deviation, and a distribution, etc., of the values of the aspect ratio a/c of the metal fine particles are in a predetermined range, and the metal is silver or a silver alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Machida, Kenji Adachi
  • Patent number: 10669608
    Abstract: Provided is a process for recovery of gold from gold-bearing raw materials comprising (a) leaching said gold-bearing raw material in a chloride containing leaching solution containing a total concentration of less than 120 g/L of halide ions, whereby the total concentration of chloride ions is less than 120 g/L of to dissolve gold and to obtain a leach solution comprising gold in solution; and simultaneously contacting the leach solution comprising gold in solution with a re-sorptive material to obtain a leach solution comprising gold-bearing re-sorptive material; and (b) recovering gold and optionally silver from the said gold-bearing re-sorptive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Mari Lundström, John O'Callaghan, Timo Haakana, Riina Ahtiainen, Janne Karonen
  • Patent number: 10662500
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of precious metal (PM) from PM oil, the process including combustion of PM oil within a furnace, where the PM oil is burned in atomized form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignees: HERAEUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH & CO. KG, HERAEUS PRECIOUS METALS NORTH AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Brian Peters, Jimmy Taylor, Chris Hobbs, Felix Stoffner, Holger Winkler, Thomas Richards, Sr.
  • Patent number: 10662502
    Abstract: Systems and methods for basic leaching are provided. In various embodiments, a method is provided comprising leaching a slurry comprising a copper bearing material and an ammonia leach medium, adding copper powder to the slurry, separating the slurry into a pregnant leach solution and solids, and performing a solvent extraction on the pregnant leach solution to produce an loaded aqueous stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: FREEPORT MINERALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joanna M Robertson, Thomas R Bolles, Dennis D Gertenbach
  • Patent number: 10655198
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for step-by-step retrieving valuable metals from waste printed circuit board particles. Many kinds of metals, most existing in form of elementary substance or alloy, are contained in the waste printed circuit boards. Molten metals are separated selectively by supergravity separation at different temperatures to achieve the step-by-step recovery. Tin-based alloys, lead-based alloy, zinc aluminum alloy, crude copper and precious-metal-enriched residues with different metal contents are separated out and collected on the condition of different temperatures (T=200˜300° C., 330˜430° C., 700˜900° C., 1100˜1300° C.) and controlling the gravity coefficient (G=50˜1000) and separation time (t=2˜20 min) etc. Different metals or alloys can be separated quickly and efficiently and the residue concentration of precious metals can be obtained. The process is simple and low cost to provide an efficient way to recovery the enrichment of valuable metals from electronic wastes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Inventors: Zhancheng Guo, Long Meng, Lei Guo, Jintao Gao, Yiwei Zhong, Zhe Wang, Kuiyuan Chen
  • Patent number: 10654107
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a container containing a metal and/or ferromagnetic solid and abrasive particles in a static magnetic field; where the container is surrounded by an induction coil; activating the induction coil with an electrical current, to heat up the metallic or ferromagnetic solid to form a fluid; generating sonic energy to produce acoustic cavitation and abrasion between the abrasive particles and the container; and producing nanoparticles that comprise elements from the container, the metal and/or the ferromagnetic solid and the abrasive particles. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising first metal or a first ceramic; and particles comprising carbides and/or nitrides dispersed therein. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising nanoparticles comprising chromium carbide, iron carbide, nickel carbide, ?-Fe and magnesium nickel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Michele Viola Manuel, Hunter B. Henderson, Orlando Rios, Gerard M. Ludtka
  • Patent number: 10648060
    Abstract: Provided herein is a process of fire refining blister copper, comprising the steps of (a) providing molten blister copper into an anode furnace; (b) when sulfur concentration of the molten blister copper provided in step (a) is above a first prescribed target value, oxidizing sulfur in the molten blister copper by blowing oxygen containing gas into the molten blister copper until the first prescribed target value has been reached; (c) subsequently lowering the sulfur and oxygen content in blister copper by blowing inert gas into the molten blister copper until a second prescribed target value has been reached, wherein the inert phase (c) is continued until the second prescribed target value of the oxygen concentration is below 4000 ppm, and the second prescribed target value of the sulfur concentration is below 500 ppm; (d) when certain condition(s) occur, subsequently reducing oxygen in the blister copper; and (e) optionally casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Akusti Jaatinen, Harri Talvensaari
  • Patent number: 10648062
    Abstract: The present disclosure is a method and system for the processing of ore and ore tailings to recover metals, minerals and rare earth elements, and more particularly to a method and system for treating the ore and ore tailings using a closed loop chlorine gas oxidant treatment system using an electrochemical cell and the co-addition of an additional oxidizer such as chloric acid to enhance the dissolution of the metals from the ore which is then further processed to separate and recover the metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Inventor: George Meyer
  • Patent number: 10632400
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the separation of an actinide from another metal. The method comprises the following steps: (a) establishing a non-homogeneous magnetic field across a separation column containing a paramagnetic packing material and (b) providing a fluid containing the actinide and the another metal to the separation column wherein the fluid and the paramagnetic packing material are exposed to the non-homogeneous magnetic field. The non-homogeneous magnetic field is produced by a magnet having a first pole for magnetic interaction with a second pole of the magnet wherein the first pole has a different surface area than the second pole. The non-homogeneous magnetic field has a magnetic field gradient of about 500 lines/cm2/cm or more. In addition, the present invention is also directed to a method for the separation of one heavy metal from another heavy metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tracy S. Rudisill, Fernando F. Fondeur, Lindsay E. Roy, William E. Daniel, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10633717
    Abstract: A low thermal expansion superalloy is composed of, in mass %, 0.1% or less of C, 0.1-1.0% of Si, 1.0% or less of Mn, 25-32% of Ni, more than 18% but less than 24% of Co, more than 0.25% but 1.0% or less of Al, 0.5-1.5% of Ti, more than 2.1% but less than 3.0% of Nb, 0.001-0.01% of B and 0.0005-0.01% of Mg, with the balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, while satisfying Mg/S?1, 52.9?1.235Ni+Co<55.8%, (Al+Ti+Nb) is 3.5-5.5%, and the F value is 8% or less. In the superalloy, a granular intermetallic compound containing Si, Nb, and Ni alone or in a total amount of 36 mass % or more is precipitated at a grain boundary of an austenite matrix, and an intermetallic compound including a larger concentration of Ni, Al, Ti, and Nb and having 50 nm or smaller of an average diameter is precipitated in the austenite matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Uehara, Naoya Sato
  • Patent number: 10633721
    Abstract: A hydrometallurgical process for the treatment of polymetallic ores and sulphide concentrates of copper and zinc, and by-products of lead and zinc from smelting plants, treated independently and/or as mixtures thereof, which contain relevant amounts of lead, copper, zinc, iron, gold and silver, such as the matte-speiss mixture of lead foundries, and copper cements from the purification processes of electrolytic zinc plants. The process allows the recovery of metallic copper, zinc, copper as copper and zinc basic salts, which may be hydroxides, carbonates, hidroxysulphates or mixtures thereof; the production of stable arsenic residues; and the effective and efficient recovery of Pb, Au and Ag as a concentrate of lead sulphide and/or lead, Au, and Ag sulphate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Penoles Tecnologia, S.A. DE C.V.
    Inventors: Ricardo Benavides Pérez, Isaías Almaguer Guzmán, David Ezequiel Vázquez Vázquez
  • Patent number: 10626479
    Abstract: A process and system for the extraction of metals and gases contained on planets and asteroids (mining and refining) and for space debris remediation may include geographically localizing a material to be extracted/remediated; performing a risk analysis on the material to determine whether the material presents a serious risk of instantaneous fracture or disaggregation; using the risk analysis to qualify or refuse the material; capturing and stabilizing the qualified material in an ablation cylinder on a plasma machine (PERT station); deploying multiple magnetic hydraulic cylinders around the qualified material; equalizing and stabilizing the PERT station and the qualified material; performing ablation and destruction of the qualified material; and transforming pure elements from the ablation cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Inventor: Christian Daniel Assoun
  • Patent number: 10617995
    Abstract: The present description relates to a process for producing magnesium metal from dihydrate magnesium chloride comprising the steps of dehydrating MgCI2.2H2O with anhydrous hydrochloric acid (HCI) to obtain anhydrous magnesium chloride in an inert environment, releasing the mixture of hydrous HCI and protection gas; and electrolyzing the anhydrous magnesium chloride in an electrolytic cell fed with hydrogen gas under free oxygen atmosphere content, wherein magnesium metal and anhydrous hydrogen chloride are produced, wherein a part of the hydrous HCI is passed through a scrubbing unit to obtain a hydrochloric acid solution, the other part of the hydrochloric chloride gas is dehydrated by contact with a desiccant agent in a drying unit to produce anhydrous HCI, and wherein the anhydrous HCI produced by at least one of the electrolytic cell and the drying unit is reused to dehydrate the of MgCI2.2H2O.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: ALLIANCE MAGNÉSIUM
    Inventors: Joël Fournier, Laury Gauthier
  • Patent number: 10619225
    Abstract: A method for extracting and recycling chromium from hexavalent chromium-containing residues includes the following steps: 1) adding water to the hexavalent chromium-containing residues and mixing uniformly; 2) adding sodium sulfate, sodium chlorate and sulfuric acid to a solution obtained in step 1) and stirring sufficiently to obtain a mixed liquid; 3) treating the mixed liquid by a hydrothermal method or direct heating; 4) after the heating treatment, naturally cooling a solid-liquid mixture to room temperature for holding; 5) separating solid residues and a chromium-containing supernatant, and washing filtered residues with water and then drying; 6) precipitating the supernatant and the water used for washing the filtered residues with a precipitant CaCl2, then centrifugally washing, dewatering and drying the precipitates; and 7) recycling a chromium-containing solution for returning to a work section, or for a treatment of recycling chromium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: South Carolina University of Technology
    Inventors: Zhang Lin, Weizhen Liu, Xueming Liu, Wencong Rong