Patents by Inventor Niko Mollen

Niko Mollen 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: 11920210
    Abstract: A process for producing a solder product and a copper product from a first lead-tin based metal composition having at least 40% wt of copper and at least 5.0% wt together of tin and lead. The process includes the steps of partially oxidizing a first liquid bath having the first lead-tin based metal composition, thereby forming a first dilute copper metal composition and a first solder refining slag, followed by separating the slag from the metal composition, and partially oxidizing a second liquid bath having the first dilute copper metal composition, thereby forming a first high-copper metal composition and a third solder refining slag, followed by separating the third solder refining slag from the first high-copper metal composition, whereby the solder product is derived from the first solder refining slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Patent number: 11827953
    Abstract: A disclosed process produces at least one concentrated copper product together with at least one crude solder product, starting from a black copper composition with at least 50% of copper together with at least 1.0% wt of tin and at least 1.0% wt of lead The process includes the step of partially oxidizing the black copper thereby forming a first copper refining slag, followed by partially reducing the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag. The total feed to the reducing step includes an amount of copper that is at least 1.5 times as high as the sum of the amounts of Sn plus Pb present, and the first spent slag includes at most 20% wt total of copper, tin and lead together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Publication number: 20230357887
    Abstract: A dilute copper metal composition includes 57-85% wt Cu, ?3.0% wt Ni, ?0.8% wt Fe, 7-25% wt Sn and 3-15% wt Pb. A process includes the steps of partially oxidizing a black copper composition to obtain a first copper refining slag and a first enriched copper metal, partially oxidizing the first enriched copper metal to obtain a second copper refining slag, whereby at least 37.0% wt of the amount of tin and lead processed is retrieved in the first and second copper refining slags together; and partially reducing the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag. The process further includes the steps of adding the second copper refining slag to the first lead-tin based metal composition, thereby forming a first liquid bath; and partially oxidizing the first liquid bath, thereby obtaining the dilute copper metal composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Patent number: 11767576
    Abstract: A disclosed dilute copper metal composition has 57-85% wt Cu, ?3.0% wt Ni, ?0.8% wt Fe, 7-25% wt Sn and 3-15% wt Pb. A process includes partially b) oxidizing a black copper composition to obtain a first copper refining slag and a first enriched copper metal. The process further includes oxidizing h) the first enriched copper metal to obtain a second copper refining slag, whereby at least 37.0% wt of the amount of tin and lead processed through steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first and second copper refining slags together, partially reducing c) the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag, adding the second copper refining slag to the first lead-tin based metal composition thereby forming a first liquid bath, partially oxidizing d) the first liquid bath, thereby obtaining the dilute copper metal composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Patent number: 11746395
    Abstract: A process for the production of a crude solder composition includes the provision of a first solder refining slag that includes tin and/or lead. The process further includes the steps of partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby forming a crude solder metal composition and a second solder refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining slag from the crude solder metal composition, and partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent slag followed by separating the second spent slag from the second lead-tin based metal composition A copper containing fresh feed is added to step (ii), preferably before reducing the second solder refining slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Patent number: 11739394
    Abstract: A process for a producing crude solder product and a copper product includes the steps of providing a black copper comprising >=50% wt of copper together with >=1.0% wt of tin and/or >=1.0% wt of lead, and refining a first portion of the black copper to obtain a refined copper product together with at least one copper refining slag. The process further includes the steps of recovering a first crude solder product from the copper refining slag, thereby forming a solder refining slag in equilibrium with the first crude solder product, and contacting a different portion of the black copper with the solder refining slag thereby forming a spent slag and a lead-tin based metal, followed by separating the spent slag from the lead-tin based metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Publication number: 20220389538
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for recovering copper from secondary raw materials including in a feed batch smelting in a furnace a feedstock including copper oxide and elemental iron for forming a concentrated copper intermediate, whereby heat is generated by the redox reactions converting iron to oxide and copper oxide to copper, whereby copper collects in a molten liquid metal phase and iron oxides collect in a supernatant liquid slag phase, whereby at the end of the batch the liquid phases separate and may be removed from the furnace as smelter slag and as the concentrated copper intermediate, wherein during the smelting step an excess of elemental iron is maintained in the furnace relative to the amount required for completing the redox reactions, and further heat input is provided by the injection of an oxygen containing gas for oxidizing the excess iron.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: Aurubis Beerse
    Inventors: Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Bert Coletti, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen
  • Publication number: 20210363606
    Abstract: A process for the production of a crude solder composition includes the provision of a first solder refining slag that includes tin and/or lead. The process further includes the steps of partially reducing the first solder refining slag, thereby forming a crude solder metal composition and a second solder refining slag, followed by separating the second solder refining slag from the crude solder metal composition, and partially reducing the second solder refining slag, thereby forming a second lead-tin based metal composition and a second spent slag followed by separating the second spent slag from the second lead-tin based metal composition A copper containing fresh feed is added to step (ii), preferably before reducing the second solder refining slag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Publication number: 20210172040
    Abstract: A disclosed dilute copper metal composition has 57-85% wt Cu, ?3.0% wt Ni, ?0.8% wt Fe, 7-25% wt Sn and 3-15% wt Pb. A process includes partially b) oxidizing a black copper composition to obtain a first copper refining slag and a first enriched copper metal. The process further includes oxidizing h) the first enriched copper metal to obtain a second copper refining slag, whereby at least 37.0% wt of the amount of tin and lead processed through steps b) and/or h) is retrieved in the first and second copper refining slags together, partially reducing c) the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag, adding the second copper refining slag to the first lead-tin based metal composition thereby forming a first liquid bath, partially oxidizing d) the first liquid bath, thereby obtaining the dilute copper metal composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Publication number: 20210172039
    Abstract: A process for a producing crude solder product and a copper product includes the steps of providing a black copper comprising >=50% wt of copper together with >=1.0% wt of tin and/or >=1.0% wt of lead, and refining a first portion of the black copper to obtain a refined copper product together with at least one copper refining slag. The process further includes the steps of recovering a first crude solder product from the copper refining slag, thereby forming a solder refining slag in equilibrium with the first crude solder product, and contacting a different portion of the black copper with the solder refining slag thereby forming a spent slag and a lead-tin based metal, followed by separating the spent slag from the lead-tin based metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Publication number: 20210071282
    Abstract: A process for producing a solder product and a copper product from a first lead-tin based metal composition having at least 40% wt of copper and at least 5.0% wt together of tin and lead. The process includes the steps of partially oxidizing a first liquid bath having the first lead-tin based metal composition, thereby forming a first dilute copper metal composition and a first solder refining slag, followed by separating the slag from the metal composition, and partially oxidizing a second liquid bath having the first dilute copper metal composition, thereby forming a first high-copper metal composition and a third solder refining slag, followed by separating the third solder refining slag from the first high-copper metal composition, whereby the solder product is derived from the first solder refining slag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans
  • Publication number: 20200392604
    Abstract: A disclosed process produces at least one concentrated copper product together with at least one crude solder product, starting from a black copper composition with at least 50% of copper together with at least 1.0% wt of tin and at least 1.0% wt of lead The process includes the step of partially oxidizing the black copper thereby forming a first copper refining slag, followed by partially reducing the first copper refining slag to form a first lead-tin based metal composition and a first spent slag. The total feed to the reducing step includes an amount of copper that is at least 1.5 times as high as the sum of the amounts of Sn plus Pb present, and the first spent slag includes at most 20% wt total of copper, tin and lead together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: METALLO BELGIUM
    Inventors: Bert Coletti, Jan Dirk A. Goris, Yves De Visscher, Charles Geenen, Walter Guns, Niko Mollen, Steven Smets, Andy Breugelmans