Patents by Inventor Ralph E. Worthington

Ralph E. Worthington 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: 4652431
    Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid utilizing an alkyl pyrophosphoric extractant. The extractant also contains a modifier for retaining the alkyl pyrophosphoric acid in solution in an essentially water-immiscible organic diluent during stripping. After extracting the uranium from wet-process acid, the APPA extractant is treated with an oxidizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide and the uranium stripped into an alkaline stripping solution. The alkaline stripping solution is an aqueous solution of an alkali metal or ammonium carbonate or hydroxide. The barren extractant is recycled for contacting with fresh wet-process acid. The uranium and any ferric iron present is precipitated in the stripping solution. The uranium is dissolved in an aqueous solution such as an aqueous solution of ammonium uranyl tricarbonate (AUT), any precipitated ferric solids are separated from the solution, and the uranium is reprecipitated, separated, dried and calcined to a U.sub.3 O.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Prodeco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Alex Magdics
  • Patent number: 4652432
    Abstract: A process is described for the recovery or uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid utilizing an alkyl pyrophosphoric extractant. The extractant also contains a modifier for retaining the alkyl pyrophosphoric acid ester in solution in an essentially water-immiscible organic diluent during stripping. After extracting the uranium from wet-process acid, the APPA extractant is treated with an oxidizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide and the uranium stripped into an alkaline stripping solution. The alkaline stripping solution is an aqueous solution of an alkali metal or ammonium carbonate unsaturated in uranium. The barren extractant is recycled for contacting with fresh wet-process acid. Any ferric iron present is precipitated in the stripping solution and then separated from the solution. The uranium is precipitated, separated, dried and calcined to a U.sub.3 O.sub.8 product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Prodeco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Alex Magdics
  • Patent number: 4588573
    Abstract: Potassium chloride and sulfuric acid are reacted in a recycled aqueous solution in the stoichiometric ratio required for potassium sulfate production. Hydrogen chloride produced by the reaction of the potassium chloride and sulfuric acid is evaporated in admixture with water or in anhdrous form. The resulting solution is cooled to crystallize a potassium sulfate salt, preferably potassium bisulfate. The potassium sulfate salt is separated from the mother liquor and the mother liquor is recycled to the reaction step. The potassium sulfate salt is dissolved in an aqueous solution and sequentially decomposed to produce potassium sulfate and a mother liquor rich in sulfuric acid. The mother liquor rich in sulfuric acid is concentrated and recycled to the reaction step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1986
    Assignee: Prodeco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Alex Magdics, Donald B. Stain
  • Patent number: 4554139
    Abstract: A process for producing K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 from potassium chloride salts, calcium sulfate salts and another sulfate source wherein syngenite is formed and then decomposed with mineral acid to produce crystalline K.sub.3 H(SO.sub.4).sub.2. The K.sub.3 H(SO.sub.4).sub.2 crystals are recrystallized to produce K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: Prodeco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Alex Magdics
  • Patent number: 4554151
    Abstract: A process for producing K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 from potassium chloride salts, calcium sulfate salts and another sulfate source wherein syngenite is formed and then decomposed with mineral acid to produce crystalline K.sub.3 H(SO.sub.4).sub.2. The K.sub.3 H(SO.sub.4).sub.2 crystals are recrystallized to produce K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: Prodeco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Alex Magdics, Donald B. Stain
  • Patent number: 4490336
    Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of tetravalent uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid utilizing an alkyl pyrophosphoric acid extractant or the like. After extracting the tetravalent uranium from wet-process acid, iron is stripped from the pregnant extractant into an oxalic acid stripping solution and then the tetravalent uranium is stripped from the pregnant extractant into an oxalate stripping solution. The oxalate stripping solution is an aqueous solution of an alkali metal or ammonium oxalate. The barren extractant is recycled for contacting with fresh wet-process acid. The uranium is oxidized and then precipitated in the oxalate stripping solution. The precipitated solids are separated from the solution, and the uranium is dried to a UO.sub.3 product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Assignee: Prodeco, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Alex Magdics
  • Patent number: 4385037
    Abstract: Uranium in wet-process phosphoric acid in the tetravalent state is extracted with an alkylphenyl acid phosphate extractant comprising a mixture of mono- and di(alkylphenyl) esters of orthophosphoric acid. The pregnant extractant is stripped with a suitable stripping solution, and the barren extractant recycled to the extractant step. At least a portion of the recycled extractant is treated with concentrated sulphuric acid to remove organic and inorganic impurities including alkylphenol present in the barren extractant as a result of hydrolysis from the mixture of mono- and di-(alkylphenyl) esters of orthophosphoric acid to regenerate the extractant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: UNC Recovery Corporation
    Inventors: Sandra L. Paris, Alex Magdics, Ralph E. Worthington
  • Patent number: 4374805
    Abstract: Metals such as iron, uranium, vanadium, molybdenum and rare earths are reduced to lower oxidation states in various acid media using silicon metal or an iron-silicon alloy. In particular, ferric iron and hexavalent uranium in wet-process phosphoric acid are reduced to the ferrous and tetravalent states, respectively, using silicon metal or an iron-silicon alloy to provide a feed acid which is suitable for extraction with an extractant which is selective for tetravalent uranium such as a mixture of mono- and di-(alkylphenyl) esters of orthophosphoric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1983
    Assignee: Uranium Recovery Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Michael A. Smith, John M. Tobias
  • Patent number: 4325918
    Abstract: Uranium in wet-process phosphoric acid in the tetravalent state is extracted with an alkylphenyl acid phosphate extractant. The uranium in the pregnant extractant is then oxidized to the hexavalent state and stripped with a phosphoric acid stripping solution. Hydrolysis of the extractant is decreased by decreasing the proton concentration of the extractant which results from acidic impurities, e.g., sulfuric acid and fluorosilicic acid, originally present in the wet-process phosphoric acid. The proton concentration of the extractant is reduced indirectly by treating the phosphoric acid strip solution (1) with reagents which react with the acidic impurities to form water and an insoluble precipitate which is removed from the stripping solution; (2) with reagents to neutralize the acidic impurities in the stripping solution; or (3) by passing the stripping solution through a suitable ion exchange column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1982
    Assignee: UNC Recovery Corporation
    Inventors: Donald A. Luke, Alex Magdics, Sandra L. Paris, Ralph E. Worthington
  • Patent number: 4289609
    Abstract: The solid organic materials contained in wet-process phosphoric acid are removed by froth flotation in a flotation cell in which the solid organic materials overflow with the foam from the top of the cell and the acid, after passing through the cell, is passed to extraction. The froth flotation process can also be used to remove defoamer and organic soluble materials from the wet-process phosphoric acid. Uranium in the partially purified phosphoric acid product is extracted with a suitable organic extractant, typically a mixture of mono- and di-(alkylphenyl) esters of orthophosphoric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignee: Uranium Recovery Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Donald A. Luke, Stanton L. Reese
  • Patent number: 4158558
    Abstract: A process for the production of a potassium polyphosphate liquid fertilizer in which potassium chloride is reacted with phosphoric acid or polyphosphoric acid in a specific molar ratio, steam, air or other inert gas being blown through the reaction mixture to facilitate removal of hydrochloric acid. The reaction product is dissolved in water or a weak solution, of a liquid ferilizer, the pH adjusted and the resulting solution or slurry is suitable for direct use as a solution fertilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1979
    Assignee: Pennzoil Company
    Inventors: William H. Thompson, Ralph E. Worthington, Thomas N. Somers
  • Patent number: 4144315
    Abstract: Hydrogen Fluoride is manufactured from fluorosilicic acid. The fluorosilicic acid is reacted with ammonia to produce aqueous ammonium fluoride and solid silica. The ammonium fluoride is hydrolised in the presence of a mixture of ammonium fluoride and ammonium bifluoride, and the net production of ammonium bifluoride is converted to sodium bifluoride. The sodium bifluoride is decomposed by heating to hydrogen fluoride gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: Goulding Chemicals Limited
    Inventors: Ralph E. Worthington, Padraic S. O'Neill, Paul F. X. Hackett