Patents by Inventor Robert John Fraser

Robert John Fraser 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).

  • Publication number: 20240035112
    Abstract: A metal-dissolving apparatus and process is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a reactor, a metal inlet for receiving a metal-containing substance, a solution inlet for receiving a metal-dissolving solution, a solution outlet for providing the metal-dissolving solution comprising dissolved metals. The apparatus comprises a length and a height, the height being less than the length. The process comprises providing a metal-dissolving solution into a first location of a reactor comprising metal-containing substances, flowing the metal-dissolving solution through the reactor, dissolving metal from the metal-containing substances into the metal-dissolving solution, and discharging the metal-dissolving solution from the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Tom Plikas, Amreen Khera, Majid Maleki, Dylan Van den Berg, Robert John Fraser
  • Patent number: 11873539
    Abstract: Processes and methods for refining ferronickel alloy, and producing nickel sulfate or other nickel product, are provided, where the ferronickel alloy is treated with an oxidizing leach. The oxidizing leach may be, for example, a pressure oxidation (POX) leach or a leach with peroxide or copper (II) ions. The treatment may be in the presence of added copper, such as by providing a copper sulfate solution. Producing nickel sulfate may comprise removing copper and iron after the leach, removing impurities, and either crystallizing the nickel sulfate or precipitating/winning another nickel product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: HATCH LTD.
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Jacqueline Fossenier, Maryam Neisani, Louiza Kahina Harkouk, Amir Mohammad Nazari, Fangyu Liu
  • Publication number: 20230193423
    Abstract: Processes and methods for refining ferronickel alloy, and producing nickel sulfate or other nickel product, are provided, where the ferronickel alloy is treated with an oxidizing leach. The oxidizing leach may be, for example, a pressure oxidation (POX) leach or a leach with peroxide or copper (II) ions. The treatment may be in the presence of added copper, such as by providing a copper sulfate solution. Producing nickel sulfate may comprise removing copper and iron after the leach, removing impurities, and either crystallizing the nickel sulfate or precipitating/winning another nickel product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Jacqueline Fossenier, Maryam Neisani, Louiza Kahina Karkouk, Amir Mohammad Nazari, Fangyu Liu
  • Publication number: 20230048939
    Abstract: A process and method for producing a crystallized metal sulfate. The crystallized metal sulfate may be battery-grade. The method may comprise receiving a metal ion-containing stream and crystalizing a metal sulfate from the stream. The process may comprise receiving a stream from a metal processing plant, and crystalizing a metal sulfate from the stream. The process may be a metal electrowinning process comprising crystalizing a metal ion-containing stream to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor. The process or method may comprise returning the mother liquor upstream or to the metal electrowinning process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Matthew Wesley Jones, Andrea Winyen Trac, Louiza Kahina Harkouk
  • Publication number: 20230052881
    Abstract: A process for battery chemical production, where a sodium sulfate stream is treated with an ion exchange process to provide potassium sulfate and sodium chloride. The sodium chloride may be treated with a chlor-alkali to produce sodium hydroxide for use upstream in the battery chemical production process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Evangelos Stamatiou
  • Publication number: 20230046474
    Abstract: A process for removing impurities from a crystallized metal sulfate, including contacting crystallized metal sulfate with a liquor rich in metal sulfate. The metal may be cobalt, nickel, or manganese, and the impurities may be magnesium or calcium. The liquor rich in metal sulfate may be an overflow liquor from crystallization of the metal sulfate, and said overflow liquor may be subject to one or more impurities removal steps prior to contacting the crystallized metal sulfate, such that the overflow liquor contains lower levels of impurities than the crystallized metal sulfate to be contacted. A counter-current wash circuit may be used to remove impurities from a crystallized metal sulfate, whereby a plurality of washing tanks are configured to receive crystallized metal sulfate in a sequence, and washing liquor in reverse of said sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Andrew Doolittle, Alexander Sutherland, Adam Best, Firsya Risandi
  • Publication number: 20230049318
    Abstract: A treatment process for crystallizing a metal sulfate involving pre-treating a feedstock comprising calcium, magnesium, and/or lithium impurities, the pre-treating involving pre-leaching the feedstock in the presence of a lixiviant, selectively extracting a first portion of any of the impurities from the feedstock, and forming a leached solution comprising an uncrystallized metal sulfate and any remaining impurities; and/or refining the leached solution and removing a second portion of any of the remaining impurities; and crystallizing the uncrystallized metal sulfate from the leached solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate. So processed, the crystallized metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Henry Christian Immo Von Schroeter, Mark Joseph Machado
  • Publication number: 20220009793
    Abstract: A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Robert John FRASER, Evangelos STAMATIOU, Mark Joseph MACHADO, Henry Christian Immo von SCHROETER, Mahmood ALEMRAJABI
  • Patent number: 10995014
    Abstract: A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: Northvolt AB, Hatch Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Evangelos Stamatiou, Mark Joseph Machado, Henry Christian Immo von Schroeter, Mahmood Alemrajabi
  • Publication number: 20150361576
    Abstract: Provided is an acid mist control apparatus for the control of acid mist emissions in an electrolytic cell. The apparatus includes an elongate hood having longitudinal edges, an upper surface and a lower surface; and a receiving aperture which is adapted to receive therethrough an anode of an electrolytic cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: Hatch Associates Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Robert John Fraser, Timothy George Johnston, Douglas John Robinson, Mathew George White