Patents by Inventor Francis Markun

Francis Markun 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).

  • Fluid clathrate system for continuous removal of heavy noble gases from mixtures of lighter gases
    Patent number: 5743944
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for separation of heavy noble gas in a gas volume. An apparatus and method have been devised which includes a reservoir containing an oil exhibiting a clathrate effect for heavy noble gases with a reservoir input port and the reservoir is designed to enable the input gas volume to bubble through the oil with the heavy noble gas being absorbed by the oil exhibiting a clathrate effect. The gas having reduced amounts of heavy noble gas is output from the oil reservoir, and the oil having absorbed heavy noble gas can be treated by mechanical agitation and/or heating to desorb the heavy noble gas for analysis and/or containment and allow recycling of the oil to the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: University of Chicago
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Gross, Francis Markun, Mary T. Zawadzki