Patents by Inventor Kenneth M. Smith, II

Kenneth M. Smith, II 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).

  • Opposite phase entrainment reduction in solvent extraction/electrowinning circuits by addition of water soluble cationic polymers
    Patent number: 5758255
    Abstract: A method of reducing the entrainment of aqueous mineral acid solutions in organic extractants used in the solvent extraction of metals from the aqueous fluid is disclosed. The method comprises adding an effective, entrainment prevention amount of a water soluble cationic polymer having a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 500,000 to a metal rich aqueous mineral acid solution, immediately prior to, or during mixing with a metal poor organic extractant, and then recovering a metal poor aqueous mineral acid phase, and a metal rich organic extractant phase having a reduced level of entrainment of the aqueous mineral acid solution. In a preferred embodiment the metal is copper, and the polymer is poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Nalco Chemical Company
    Inventors: E. Michael Kerr, Kenneth M. Smith, II