Patents by Inventor Minh Becker

Minh Becker 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: 10551124
    Abstract: A process for producing high-purity magnesium by means of distillation at reduced pressure, characterized in that, the high-purity magnesium condenses in the liquid state, whereby the starting material in the form of a magnesium-containing melt is present together with the upper region of a condensation vessel in the upper region of a retort, whereby the retort consist of a material that releases no volatile impurities into the magnesium steam, whereby the upper region of the retort is brought to a temperature above the boiling point of magnesium, within the limits of two level lines, and is then held constant, such that steam rises from the boiling magnesium-containing metal melt and fills the interior of the upper region of the retort, whereby the steam infiltrating the upper region of the condensation vessel condenses below the lower level line and collects as high-purity melt in the lower region of the condensation vessel, and whereby in order to prevent contaminated melt that drops from the region above
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: ETH Zuerich
    Inventors: Christian Wegmann, Joerg Loeffler, Peter Uggowitzer, Minh Becker, Heinrich Feichtinger
  • Publication number: 20170247776
    Abstract: A process for producing high-purity magnesium by means of distillation at reduced pressure, characterized in that, the high-purity magnesium condenses in the liquid state, whereby the starting material in the form of a magnesium-containing melt is present together with the upper region of a condensation vessel in the upper region of a retort, whereby the retort consist of a material that releases no volatile impurities into the magnesium steam, whereby the upper region of the retort is brought to a temperature above the boiling point of magnesium, within the limits of two level lines, and is then held constant, such that steam rises from the boiling magnesium-containing metal melt and fills the interior of the upper region of the retort, whereby the steam infiltrating the upper region of the condensation vessel condenses below the lower level line and collects as high-purity melt in the lower region of the condensation vessel, and whereby in order to prevent contaminated melt that drops from the region above
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Christian Wegmann, Joerg Loeffler, Peter Uggowitzer, Minh Becker, Heinrich Feichtinger
  • Patent number: 9677151
    Abstract: A process for producing high-purity magnesium by distillation at reduced pressure, which includes providing an apparatus having a retort formed from a material inert with respect to magnesium and an upper region defined by two vertically spaced level lines, a condensation vessel having a lower region and an upper region extending into the upper region of the retort, wherein the retort and condensation vessel are coupled to one another by an opening arranged in the upper region of the condensation vessel; providing a magnesium-containing metal melt to the retort at a level below the gap; and heating and maintaining the upper region of the retort at a temperature above the boiling point of magnesium to fill the retort with steam, thereby delivering a high purity melt into the condensation vessel via the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: ETH ZUERICH
    Inventors: Christian Wegmann, Jörg Löffler, Peter Uggowitzer, Minh Becker, Heinrich Feichtinger
  • Publication number: 20150128765
    Abstract: A starting material 2 in the form of a magnesium-containing metal melt is present together with the upper region 32 of a condensation vessel 3 in the upper region 11 of a retort 1 heated by the external heating element 5, wherein the steam produced according to the arrows 91, according to arrow 92, enters the upper region 32 of the condensation vessel 3 through the opening 31 below the cover 4 which provides protection from unwanted ingress of contaminated magnesium melt, wherein said steam condenses in the lower region 12 of the retort which is heated by a second heating element 51, below the line 8 corresponding to the melting point isotherm of magnesium, to give the high-purity magnesium melt 21 in the lower region 33 of the condensation vessel 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Christian Wegmann, Jörg Löffler, Peter Uggowitzer, Minh Becker, Heinrich Feichtinger