Patents by Inventor Norbert RITSCHEL

Norbert RITSCHEL 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).

  • Process for the production of a PGM-enriched alloy
    Patent number: 10202669
    Abstract: A process for production of a PGM (platinum group metal)-enriched alloy containing iron and PGM(s) (platinum, palladium and/or rhodium) includes steps of: (1) providing a sulfur-free PGM collector alloy, (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a molten slag-type composition including silicon dioxide and magnesium and/or calcium oxide, (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and slag-forming material within a converter until a multi-phase system of a lower high-density molten mass of PGM collector alloy and an upper low-density molten mass of slag-type composition has formed, (4) contacting an oxidizing gas with the lower high-density molten mass of step (3) until conversion of the PGM collector alloy into a PGM-enriched alloy, (5) separating an upper molten slag formed in step (4) from the PGM-enriched alloy by difference in density, (6) allowing the separated molten masses to cool down and solidify, and (7) collecting the solidified PGM-enriched alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignees: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Heraeus Precious Metals North America LLC
    Inventors: Norbert Ritschel, Jimmy Taylor, Todd England, Brian Peters, Felix Stoffner, Christoph Röhlich, Steffen Voss, Holger Winkler
  • PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A PGM-ENRICHED ALLOY
    Publication number: 20170002441
    Abstract: A process for production of a PGM (platinum group metal)-enriched alloy containing iron and PGM(s) (platinum, palladium and/or rhodium) includes steps of: (1) providing a sulfur-free PGM collector alloy, (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a molten slag-type composition including silicon dioxide and magnesium and/or calcium oxide, (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and slag-forming material within a converter until a multi-phase system of a lower high-density molten mass of PGM collector alloy and an upper low-density molten mass of slag-type composition has formed, (4) contacting an oxidizing gas with the lower high-density molten mass of step (3) until conversion of the PGM collector alloy into a PGM-enriched alloy, (5) separating an upper molten slag formed in step (4) from the PGM-enriched alloy by difference in density, (6) allowing the separated molten masses to cool down and solidify, and (7) collecting the solidified PGM-enriched alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Norbert RITSCHEL, Jimmy TAYLOR, Todd ENGLAND, Brian PETERS, Felix STOFFNER, Christoph RÖHLICH, Steffen VOSS, Holger WINKLER