Patents by Inventor Herbert E. Howe

Herbert E. Howe 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).

  • Low temperature, non-SO.sub.2 polluting, kettle process for separation of lead from lead sulfide-containing material
    Patent number: 4521247
    Abstract: Lead is separated from material containing lead sulfide, e.g., galena ore concentrate, by a substantially autogenous process involving establishing a pool of molten lead in a kettle, adding a metallic alkali metal, e.g., metallic sodium, to the molten lead in an amount sufficient to reduce the combined lead of the lead sulfide to metallic lead, adding the ore concentrate to the molten lead pool, and mixing together the metallic sodium, molten lead and ore concentrate. The sodium reacts rapidly and exothermically with the lead sulfide to reduce the combined lead of the lead sulfide to metallic lead and form sodium sulfide. The thus-liberated metallic lead reports in the molten lead pool, and a matte phase containing the sodium sulfide separates from the molten lead and forms on the surface of the molten lead pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1985
    Assignee: ASARCO Incorporated
    Inventors: Carl R. Di Martini, Herbert E. Howe, William L. Scott, Leo J. Bulvanoski
  • Low temperature, non-SO.sub.2 polluting, kettle process for separation of lead from lead sulfide-containing material
    Patent number: 4333763
    Abstract: Lead is separated from material containing lead sulfide, e.g. galena ore concentrate, by a substantially autogenous process involving establishing a pool of molten lead in a kettle, adding a metallic alkali metal, e.g. metallic sodium, to the molten lead in an amount sufficient to reduce the combined lead of the lead sulfide to metallic lead, adding the ore concentrate to the molten lead pool, and mixing together the metallic sodium, molten lead and ore concentrate. The sodium reacts rapidly and exothermically with the lead sulfide to reduce the combined lead of the lead sulfide to metallic lead and form sodium sulfide. The thus-liberated metallic lead reports in the molten lead pool, and a matte phase containing the sodium sulfide separates from the molten lead and forms on the surface of the molten lead pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: Asarco Incorporated
    Inventors: Carl R. Di Martini, Herbert E. Howe, William L. Scott, Leo J. Bulvanoski