Patents by Inventor Antoine LEFAIVRE

Antoine LEFAIVRE has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10954133
    Abstract: Systems and methods of producing potassium sulfate can involve converting a mixed salts feed stream into a conversion end slurry in a conversion unit, the mixed salts feed comprising at least one potassium-containing salt, at least one chloride-containing salt, at least one magnesium-containing salt and at least one sulfate-containing salt and the conversion end slurry comprising schoenite; separating conversion end slurry into a conversion end solids stream and a conversion brine; leaching the conversion end solids stream in a crystallization unit to produce a potassium sulfate product stream comprising potassium sulfate and a crystallizer mother liquor comprising magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate; collecting heat generated in the conversion unit by a heat pump; and providing at least a portion of the heat collected to the crystallization unit to regulate a temperature of the potassium sulfate product stream and the crystallizer mother liquor stream contained in the crystallization unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: NOVOPRO PROJECTS INC.
    Inventors: Maziar Rejaee, Tom Neuman, Richard Warren Chastain, Antoine Lefaivre
  • Publication number: 20200385279
    Abstract: Systems and methods of producing potassium sulfate can involve converting a mixed salts feed stream into a conversion end slurry in a conversion unit, the mixed salts feed comprising at least one potassium-containing salt, at least one chloride-containing salt, at least one magnesium-containing salt and at least one sulfate-containing salt and the conversion end slurry comprising schoenite; separating conversion end slurry into a conversion end solids stream and a conversion brine; leaching the conversion end solids stream in a crystallization unit to produce a potassium sulfate product stream comprising potassium sulfate and a crystallizer mother liquor comprising magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate; collecting heat generated in the conversion unit by a heat pump; and providing at least a portion of the heat collected to the crystallization unit to regulate a temperature of the potassium sulfate product stream and the crystallizer mother liquor stream contained in the crystallization unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Maziar REJAEE, Tom NEUMAN, Richard Warren CHASTAIN, Antoine LEFAIVRE
  • Patent number: 10815130
    Abstract: Systems and methods of producing potassium sulfate can involve converting a mixed salts feed stream into a conversion end slurry in a conversion unit, the mixed salts feed comprising at least one potassium-containing salt, at least one chloride-containing salt, at least one magnesium-containing salt and at least one sulfate-containing salt and the conversion end slurry comprising schoenite; separating conversion end slurry into a conversion end solids stream and a conversion brine; leaching the conversion end solids stream in a crystallization unit to produce a potassium sulfate product stream comprising potassium sulfate and a crystallizer mother liquor comprising magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate; collecting heat generated in the conversion unit by a heat pump; and providing at least a portion of the heat collected to the crystallization unit to regulate a temperature of the potassium sulfate product stream and the crystallizer mother liquor stream contained in the crystallization unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: NOVOPRO PROJECTS INC.
    Inventors: Maziar Rejaee, Tom Neuman, Richard Warren Chastain, Antoine Lefaivre
  • Publication number: 20200308013
    Abstract: Systems and methods of producing potassium sulfate can involve converting a mixed salts feed stream into a conversion end slurry in a conversion unit, the mixed salts feed comprising at least one potassium-containing salt, at least one chloride-containing salt, at least one magnesium-containing salt and at least one sulfate-containing salt and the conversion end slurry comprising schoenite; separating conversion end slurry into a conversion end solids stream and a conversion brine; leaching the conversion end solids stream in a crystallization unit to produce a potassium sulfate product stream comprising potassium sulfate and a crystallizer mother liquor comprising magnesium sulfate and potassium sulfate; collecting heat generated in the conversion unit by a heat pump; and providing at least a portion of the heat collected to the crystallization unit to regulate a temperature of the potassium sulfate product stream and the crystallizer mother liquor stream contained in the crystallization unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Maziar REJAEE, Tom NEUMAN, Richard Warren CHASTAIN, Antoine LEFAIVRE
  • Patent number: 10399861
    Abstract: A method for the production of potassium sulphate comprising contacting an aqueous potassium- and sulphate-containing composition with magnesium chloride (MgCl2), thereby obtaining a composition comprising kainite; optionally concentrating the kainite from the composition; reacting the kainite with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) and potassium sulphate (K2SO4) so as to convert the kainite into leonite (K2SO4.MgSO4.4H2O); optionally contacting the leonite with water to remove excess MgSO4; and contacting the leonite with water so as to leach the MgSO4, contained in the leonite, and to at least substantially selectively precipitate potassium sulphate (K2SO4). The method can be operated at higher temperatures, in particular, at temperatures above 35° C., and does not require a cooling step at 20 to 25° C. The method produces potassium sulphate with a low amount of chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: YARA DALLOL BV
    Inventors: Richard W. Chastain, Ingrid T. Buckhurst, Antoine Lefaivre, Thomas H. Neuman
  • Publication number: 20190225502
    Abstract: There are provided methods for the production of potassium sulphate. The methods comprise contacting an aqueous potassium- and sulphate-containing composition with magnesium chloride (MgCl2), thereby obtaining a composition comprising kainite; optionally concentrating the kainite from the composition and reducing or removing halite therefrom; reacting the kainite with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) and potassium sulphate (K2SO4) so as to convert the kainite into leonite (K2SO4.MgSO4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: Yara Dallol BV
    Inventors: Richard W. CHASTAIN, Ingrid T. BUCKHURST, Antoine LEFAIVRE, Thomas H. NEUMAN
  • Publication number: 20190002300
    Abstract: There are provided methods for the production of potassium sulphate. The methods comprise contacting an aqueous potassium- and sulphate-containing composition with magnesium chloride (MgCl2), thereby obtaining a composition comprising kainite; optionally concentrating the kainite from the composition; reacting the kainite with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) and potassium sulphate (K2SO4) so as to convert the kainite into leonite (K2SO4.MgSO4.4H2O); optionally contacting the leonite with water to remove excess MgSO4 and contacting the leonite with water so as to leach the MgSO4, contained in the leonite, and to at least substantially selectively precipitate potassium sulphate (K2SO4), and further involving a process brine sulphate control step, based on bloedite precipitation, to control the overall level of sulphate in the method. The method according to the invention can be operated at higher temperatures, in particular at temperatures above 35° C. and does not require a cooling step at 20 to 25° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: Yara Dallol BV
    Inventors: Richard W. CHASTAIN, Ingrid T. BUCKHURST, Antoine LEFAIVRE, Thomas H. NEUMAN
  • Publication number: 20180111839
    Abstract: There are provided methods for the production of potassium sulphate. The methods comprise contacting an aqueous potassium- and sulphate-containing composition with magnesium chloride (MgCl2), thereby obtaining a composition comprising kainite; optionally concentrating the kainite from the composition; reacting the kainite with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) and potassium sulphate (K2SO4) so as to convert the kainite into leonite (K2SO4.MgSO4.4H2O); optionally contacting the leonite with water to remove excess MgSO4; and contacting the leonite with water so as to leach the MgSO4, contained in the leonite, and to at least substantially selectively precipitate potassium sulphate (K2SO4). The method according to the invention can be operated at higher temperatures, in particular at temperatures above 35° C. and does not require a cooling step at 20 to 25° C. The method produces potassium sulphate with a low amount of chloride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: Yara Dallol BV
    Inventors: Richard W. CHASTAIN, Ingrid T. BUCKHURST, Antoine LEFAIVRE, Thomas H. NEUMAN