Patents by Inventor Foster A. Agblevor

Foster A. Agblevor 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: 11938470
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to red mud compositions. This disclosure also relates to methods of making red mud compositions. This disclosure additionally relates to methods of using red mud compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Foster Agblevor, Hossein Jahromi, Oleksandr Hietsoi, Shereen Hassan
  • Publication number: 20230182124
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to red mud compositions. This disclosure also relates to methods of making red mud compositions. This disclosure additionally relates to methods of using red mud compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Foster Agblevor, Hossein Jahromi, Oleksandr Hietsoi, Shereen Hassan
  • Patent number: 11534746
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to red mud compositions. This disclosure also relates to methods of making red mud compositions. This disclosure additionally relates to methods of using red mud compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Foster Agblevor, Hossein Jahromi, Oleksandr Hietsoi, Shereen Hassan
  • Publication number: 20190308183
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to red mud compositions. This disclosure also relates to methods of making red mud compositions. This disclosure additionally relates to methods of using red mud compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Foster Agblevor, Hossein Jahromi, Oleksandr Hietsoi, Shereen Hassan
  • Patent number: 8979955
    Abstract: Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Foster A. Agblevor, Nii Ofei Mante
  • Publication number: 20150065762
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing bio-oil that include providing a catalyst that includes red mud in a catalyst bed in a fluid state, the catalyst being maintained at a temperature suitable for pyrolysis; providing a flow of a non-reactive fluid into the catalyst bed; entraining a biomass that includes olive mill waste in the flow of non-reactive fluid, so that the biomass is delivered to the catalyst bed; pyrolyzing the biomass; collecting gases and vapors that result from pyrolysis; and condensing the gases and vapors into bio-oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Foster Agblevor, Kamel Halouani
  • Patent number: 8545581
    Abstract: Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Foster A. Agblevor
  • Patent number: 8202332
    Abstract: Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties
    Inventor: Foster A. Agblevor
  • Publication number: 20110213188
    Abstract: Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Foster A. AGBLEVOR, Nii Ofei Mante
  • Publication number: 20110113960
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a biodegradable material for controlling ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, odor, and/or volatile organic compounds emissions from organic wastes. The biodegradable material in accordance with the present invention may be used to control, reduce, or prevent noxious emissions from organic wastes from, for example, animals and animal production, food and food production, pets, composting, organic fertilizer, biosolids, and potting soil mixtures to name a few. The present invention also relates to sachets, bioscrubbers, biofilters, and biomass filters comprising a biodegradable material for controlling such emissions. The present invention further relates to processes for producing and processes for using a biodegradable material to control noxious emissions from organic waste. In particular, the present invention is useful with respect to managing animal wastes, including, for example, pet, poultry, swine, dairy, horse, other livestock, other animal, and human wastes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Foster A. Agblevor, Jactone Arogo-Ogejo, Susan W. Gay
  • Publication number: 20100212215
    Abstract: Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Foster A. Agblevor
  • Publication number: 20090239278
    Abstract: A method producing ethanol by combining an plant fiber material containing calcium carbonate with at least one lignocellulosic agricultural residue into a mixture. The plant fiber material can be a paper sludge. The mixture is then hydrolyzed and the resultant hydrolysate is then fermented into ethanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventor: Foster A. Agblevor
  • Publication number: 20090165378
    Abstract: Methods for fractional catalytic pyrolysis which allow for conversion of biomass into a slate of desired products without the need for post-pyrolysis separation are described. The methods involve use of a fluid catalytic bed which is maintained at a suitable pyrolysis temperature. Biomass is added to the catalytic bed, preferably while entrained in a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen, causing the biomass to become pyrolyzed and forming the desired products in vapor and gas forms, allowing the desired products to be easily separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventor: Foster A. Agblevor
  • Publication number: 20090031616
    Abstract: Methods for converting waste litter into a product slate by pyrolysis are described. Waste litter is entrained in a non-reactive gas and delivered to a fluid reactor bed maintained at a temperature sufficient to cause pyrolysis of the poultry litter. The reactor bed consists of a fluidizing medium, such as sand, which is fluidized by the non-reactive gas. Upon pyrolysis of the poultry litter, products such producer gas, biooil, and char are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventor: Foster A. AGBLEVOR
  • Publication number: 20080050273
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a biodegradable material for controlling ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, odor, and/or volatile organic compounds emissions from organic wastes. The biodegradable material in accordance with the present invention may be used to control, reduce, or prevent noxious emissions from organic wastes from, for example, animals and animal production, food and food production, pets, composting, organic fertilizer, biosolids, and potting soil mixtures to name a few. The present invention also relates to sachets, bioscrubbers, biofilters, and biomass filters comprising a biodegradable material for controlling such emissions. The present invention further relates to processes for producing and processes for using a biodegradable material to control noxious emissions from organic waste. In particular, the present invention is useful with respect to managing animal wastes, including, for example, pet, poultry, swine, dairy, horse, other livestock, other animal, and human wastes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Foster A. AGBLEVOR, Jactone Arogo-Ogejo, Susan W. Gay
  • Publication number: 20070134781
    Abstract: A method producing ethanol by combining an plant fiber material containing calcium carbonate with at least one lignocellulosic agricultural residue into a mixture. The plant fiber material can be a paper sludge. The mixture is then hydrolyzed and the resultant hydrolysate is then fermented into ethanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventor: Foster Agblevor
  • Patent number: 7217545
    Abstract: A method for production of lactic acid involving extracting protein from a natural renewable feedstock, preferably extracted from lignocellulose sources such as soybean hull, separating the feedstock into liquid and solid substrate feedstock, steam exploding the solid substrate feedstock by placing the solid feedstock in a pressure chamber, pressurizing the steam chamber with saturated steam, maintaining the pressure until the solid feedstock reaches temperatures in excess of the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure, and explosively decompressing the pressure to a pressure no greater than atmospheric pressure. Hydrolyzing the steam-exploded feedstock by either acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis, and fermenting the resulting hydrolyzed feedstock to produce lactic acid. The hydrolyzing and fermenting steps may be carried out simultaneously, followed by recovering the lactate from the resultant material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Wessex Incorporated
    Inventors: Foster A. Agblevor, Timothy G. Evans
  • Publication number: 20040229327
    Abstract: A method for production of lactic acid involving extracting protein from a natural renewable feedstock, preferably extracted from lignocellulose sources such as soybean hull, separating the feedstock into liquid and solid substrate feedstock, steam exploding the solid substrate feedstock by placing the solid feedstock in a pressure chamber, pressurizing the steam chamber with saturated steam, maintaining the pressure until the solid feedstock reaches temperatures in excess of the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure, and explosively decompressing the pressure to a pressure no greater than atmospheric pressure. Hydrolyzing the steam-exploded feedstock by either acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis, and fermenting the resulting hydrolyzed feedstock to produce lactic acid. The hydrolyzing and fermenting steps may be carried out simultaneously, followed by recovering the lactate from the resultant material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Foster A. Agblevor, Timothy G. Evans
  • Patent number: 6193837
    Abstract: A process for producing a brightness stabilization mixture of water-soluble organic compounds from biomass pyrolysis oils comprising: a) size-reducing biomass material and pyrolyzing the size-reduced biomass material in a fluidized bed reactor; b) separating a char/ash component while maintaining char-pot temperatures to avoid condensation of pyrolysis vapors; c) condensing pyrolysis gases and vapors, and recovering pyrolysis oils by mixing the oils with acetone to obtain an oil-acetone mixture; d) evaporating acetone and recovering pyrolysis oils; e) extracting the pyrolysis oils with water to obtain a water extract; f) slurrying the water extract with carbon while stirring, and filtering the slurry to obtain a colorless filtrate; g) cooling the solution and stabilizing the solution against thermally-induced gelling and solidification by extraction with ethyl acetate to form an aqueous phase lower layer and an organic phase upper layer; h) discarding the upper organic layer and extracting the aqueous
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Foster A. Agblevor, Serpil Besler-Guran
  • Patent number: 5807952
    Abstract: A process for the production of low molecular weight phenolic compounds from lignins through the pyrolysis of the lignins in the presence of a strong base. In a preferred embodiment, potassium hydroxide is present in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight, the pyrolysis temperature is from about 400.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure, and the time period for substantial completion of the reaction is from about 1-3 minutes. Examples of low molecular weight phenolic compounds produced include methoxyphenols, non-methoxylated phenols, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Foster A. Agblevor