Patents by Inventor George F. Vandegrift

George F. Vandegrift 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: 10280483
    Abstract: The invention provides a continuous method for extracting transition metal, the method comprising: supplying a spent generator liquor comprising transition metal in highly alkaline solution; mixing the liquor with acid thereby generating a solution, wherein the transition metal resides within the solution; combining the solution with an organic liquid comprising tributyl phosphate or other neutral extractant to extract the transition metal within the organic liquid; washing the extracted transition metal in the organic liquid with acid so as to remove non-transition-metal salts from the organic liquid phase; and stripping the washed transition metal loadedorganic liquid phase with hydroxide, water or complexing agent to remove the transition metal from the organic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Tkac, George F. Vandegrift, III, David A. Rotsch
  • Publication number: 20160333442
    Abstract: The invention provides a continuous method for extracting transition metal, the method comprising: supplying a spent generator liquor comprising transition metal in highly alkaline solution; mixing the liquor with acid thereby generating a solution, wherein the transition metal resides within the solution; combining the solution with an organic liquid comprising tributyl phosphate or other neutral extractant to extract the transition metal within the organic liquid; washing the extracted transition metal in the organic liquid with acid so as to remove non-transition-metal salts from the organic liquid phase; and stripping the washed transition metal loadedorganic liquid phase with hydroxide, water or complexing agent to remove the transition metal from the organic phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Tkac, George F. Vandegrift, III, David A. Rotsch
  • Patent number: 4851124
    Abstract: A method of removing organic phosphorus-based poisonous substances from water contaminated therewith and of subsequently destroying the toxicity of the substance is disclosed. Initially, a water-immiscible organic is immobilized on a supported liquid membrane. Thereafter, the contaminated water is contacted with one side of the supported liquid membrane to selectively dissolve the phosphorus-based substance in the organic extractant. At the same time, the other side of the supported liquid membrane is contacted with a hydroxy-affording strong base to react the phosphorus-based substance dissolved by the organic extractant with a hydroxy ion. This forms a non-toxic reaction product in the base. The organic extractant can be a water-insoluble trialkyl amine, such as trilauryl amine. The phosphorus-based substance can be phosphoryl or a thiophosphoryl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: George F. Vandegrift, Martin J. Steindler
  • Patent number: 4839133
    Abstract: A target for the reduction of fission product Mo-99 is prepared from uranium of low U-235 enrichment by coating a structural support member with a preparatory coating of a substantially oxide-free substrate metal. Uranium metal is electrodeposited from a molten halide electrolytic bath onto a substrate metal. The electrodeposition is performed at a predetermined direct current rate or by using pulsed plating techniques which permit relaxation of accumulated uranium ion concentrations within the melt. Layers of as much as to 600 mg/cm.sup.2 of uranium can be prepared to provide a sufficient density to produce acceptable concentrations of fission product Mo-99.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventors: George F. Vandegrift, Donald R. Vissers, Simon L. Marshall, Ravi Varma
  • Patent number: 4415412
    Abstract: A process for producing an anhydrous aluminum chloride composition from a water-based aluminous material such as a slurry of aluminum hydroxide in a multistage extraction process in which the aluminum ion is first extracted into an organic liquid containing an acidic extractant and then extracted from the organic phase into an alkali metal chloride or chlorides to form a melt containing a mixture of chlorides of alkali metal and aluminum. In the process, the organic liquid may be recycled. In addition, the process advantageously includes an electrolysis cell for producing metallic aluminum and the alkali metal chloride or chlorides may be recycled for extraction of the aluminum from the organic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: George F. Vandegrift, Michael Krumpelt, E. Philip Horwitz