Volatizing Zinc, Cadmium, Or Mercury Patents (Class 423/107)
  • Patent number: 11344916
    Abstract: A system for recycling asphalt millings and methods thereof are provided. In exemplary embodiments, an apparatus for recycling asphalt millings may comprise a blender comprising a basin having an interior volume, an agitator disposed within the interior volume, the agitator adapted to agitate asphalt millings, a blender grate disposed on the bottom of the basin, the blender grate comprising apertures adapted to allow bitumen to pass through the blender grate, a heating conveyor comprising a heating apparatus for heating the asphalt millings, a cooling conveyor comprising an input for receiving asphalt millings and an opening adapted to receive a cold material applicator, a cold material applicator disposed in the opening, the cold material applicator adapted to apply cold material to asphalt millings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: Hector DeFino
  • Patent number: 10602830
    Abstract: A dispensing system has a dispenser for delivering a variable colour mixture, and a computer system having a touch screen on which the mixture colour can be displayed, and a selection movable on the screen, to vary the dispensed mixture colour. A method for learning to use such a dispensing system having a dispenser allows a colour mixture to be dispensed, and a computer system, making it possible to select a colour and to memorize data, including: selecting at least one colour with the aid of a computer system interface, delivering, with the aid of the dispenser, at least one selected colour mixture, evaluating the one or more dispensed mixtures after application to at least one face zone, memorizing the at least one mixture characteristics, in particular a mixture that the user wishes to be able to recover, and of at least one zone on which it has been tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: L'OREAL
    Inventors: Franck Giron, Henri Samain, Jean-Baptiste Blanc
  • Patent number: 10471384
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of emission control equipment for boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices (e.g., those located at power plants, processing plants, etc.) and, in particular to a new and useful method and apparatus for: (i) reducing halogen levels necessary to affect gas-phase mercury control; (ii) reducing or preventing the poisoning and/or contamination of an SCR catalyst; and/or (iii) controlling various emissions. In still another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for: (A) simultaneously reducing halogen levels necessary to affect gas-phase mercury control while achieving a reduction in the emission of mercury; and/or (B) reducing the amount of selenium contained in and/or emitted by one or more pieces of emission control equipment for boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices (e.g., those located at power plants, processing plants, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Mandar R Gadgil, Bryan J Jankura
  • Patent number: 10471386
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of emission control equipment for boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices (e.g., those located at power plants, processing plants, etc.) and, in particular to a new and useful method and apparatus for capturing, oxidizing, lowering the concentration and/or level of, and/or eliminating mercury present in any flue gas and/or combustion gas stream. In one embodiment, the method and/or apparatus of the present invention is applied to boilers, heaters, kilns, or other flue gas-, or combustion gas-, generating devices that have connected thereto at least one type of flue gas, or combustion gas, scrubber device (i.e., a wet scrubber or a dry scrubber).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Steven Feeney, Mandar R Gadgil
  • Patent number: 8945489
    Abstract: A process for recovering a metal chloride or mixed metal chloride from a solid waste material comprising recoverable metal containing constituents produced by lead, copper or zinc smelting and refining processes, said process comprising the steps of: (i) heating the solid waste material; (ii) treating the heated material of step (i) with a gaseous chloride to form a gaseous metal chloride containing product; and (iii) treating the gaseous metal chloride containing product of step (ii) to recover the metal chloride or mixed metal chloride. The metal chloride may be further treated to extract the metal itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Minex Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Robert John Bowell, Keith Phillip Williams, Brian Matthew Dey
  • Patent number: 8410013
    Abstract: Provided is a catalyst for treating exhaust gas capable of reducing the amount of a highly corrosive mercury-chlorinating agent to be added while keeping the mercury oxidation efficiency high in an exhaust gas treatment. By the catalyst for treating exhaust gas, nitrogen oxide in the exhaust gas is removed upon contact with ammonia serving as a reducing agent, and mercury is oxidized using a halogen serving as an oxidant. The catalyst includes: TiO2 as a support; an oxide of at least one selected from the group consisting of V, W and Mo, which is supported as an active component on the support; and at least one selected from the group consisting of Bi, P, and compounds containing Bi and/or P, which is supported as a co-catalyst component on the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Nochi, Yoshiaki Obayashi, Masashi Kiyosawa
  • Patent number: 8293196
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an additive, primarily for combustion of low sulfur and high alkali coals, that includes a transition metal to impact positively bottom ash slag and optionally a halogen to effect mercury oxidation and collection in the flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: ADA-ES, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth E. Baldrey, Sharon Sjostrom, Nina Bergan French, Michael D. Durham
  • Patent number: 8288309
    Abstract: A highly durable mercury oxidation catalyst contains V2O5 and MoO3 as active components, and is capable of preventing volatilization of MoO3 in the mercury oxidation catalyst. A method of producing the mercury oxidation catalyst is provided. A mercury oxidation catalyst oxidizing mercury in an exhaust gas into mercury oxide includes: TiO2 as a carrier, V2O5 and MoO3 supported on the carrier as active components, and at least one kind of element or compound selected from the group consisting of W, Cu, Co, Ni, and Zn or the compounds thereof supported on the carrier as a MoO3 volatilization preventing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Nochi, Masanao Yonemura, Masashi Kiyosawa
  • Patent number: 8163258
    Abstract: A method of removing lead sulfide contained in refined molybdenite powder concentrates (major component; MoS2) is provided. More specifically, in order to solve the problems associated with a leaching method using a leaching agent that is employed for conventional hydrometallurgical process, oxygen-free inert gas is circulated in a furnace for pyrometallurgical treatment to evaporate lead sulfide at high temperature, followed by condensing process to recover lead sulfide at low temperature. The method is characterized in that, it can reduce environmental contamination and can easily recover sulfides of valuable metals such as lead, indium, zinc and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)
    Inventors: Young-Yoon Choi, Sang-Bae Kim, Byung-Su Kim, Hoo-In Lee
  • Patent number: 8142743
    Abstract: Provided is a method for forming zinc oxide which includes introducing a zinc vapor and a water vapor to a reactor; providing a zinc particulate to the reactor to promote the reaction between the zinc vapor and water vapor, thereby forming zinc oxide and hydrogen. An apparatus for forming zinc oxide is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Hung-Min Chien, Yu-Du Hsu
  • Patent number: 8124036
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an additive, primarily for combustion of low sulfur and high alkali coals, that includes a transition metal to impact positively bottom ash slag and optionally a halogen to effect mercury oxidation and collection in the flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: ADA-ES, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth E. Baldrey, Sharon Sjostrom, Nina Bergan French, Michael D. Durham
  • Patent number: 8048194
    Abstract: A system and associated process are provided for recovering cadmium telluride (CdTe) that has plated onto components, such as components used in the manufacture of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The system includes a vacuum oven configured for maintaining a vacuum and being heated to a temperature effective for sublimating CdTe off of components placed within the oven. A collection member is disposed so that sublimated CdTe generated in the oven diffuses to the collection member. The collection member is maintained at a temperature effective for causing the sublimated CdTe to plate thereon. The collection member is subsequently processed to collect the plated CdTe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Primestar Solar, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Rathweg
  • Patent number: 7943109
    Abstract: The invention relates to the manufacture of high purity silicon as a base material for the production of e.g. crystalline silicon solar cells. SiCU is converted to Si metal by contacting gaseous SiCU with liquid Zn, thereby obtaining a Si-bearing alloy and Zn-chloride, which is separated. The Si-bearing alloy is then purified at a temperature above the boiling point of Zn. This process does not require complicated technologies and preserves the high purity of the SiCU towards the end product, as the only reactant is Zn, which can be obtained in very high purity grades and continuously recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Umicore
    Inventors: Eric Robert, Tjakko Zijlema
  • Patent number: 7928033
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalyst for reducing mercury, which comprises a reagent comprising any of the sulfites of potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium, or any of the phosphates thereof, or a combination of them, as a main reagent of a catalyst component. And the present invention relates to the catalyst for reducing mercury, wherein the catalyst component is mixed with a different salt as an agent for inhibiting crystallization of the catalyst component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignees: Horiba, Ltd., Nippon Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Akiyama, Junji Kato, Fujio Koga, Koji Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20110081283
    Abstract: A method of removing lead sulfide contained in refined molybdenite powder concentrates (major component; MoS2) is provided. More specifically, in order to solve the problems associated with a leaching method using a leaching agent that is employed for conventional hydrometallurgical process, oxygen-free inert gas is circulated in a furnace for pyrometallurgical treatment to evaporate lead sulfide at high temperature, followed by condensing process to recover lead sulfide at low temperature. The method is characterized in that, it can reduce environmental contamination and can easily recover sulfides of valuable metals such as lead, indium, zinc and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventors: Young-Yoon Choi, Sang-Bae Kim, Byung-Su Kim, Hoo-In Lee
  • Patent number: 7692058
    Abstract: Mercury is removed from contaminated waste by firstly applying a sulfur reagent to the waste. Mercury in the waste is then permitted to migrate to the reagent and is stabilized in a mercury sulfide compound. The stable compound may then be removed from the waste which itself remains in situ following mercury removal therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Fuhrmann, John Heiser, Paul Kalb
  • Patent number: 7585353
    Abstract: A method for reducing heavy metals, in particular in mercury, present in flue gases, includes the step of bringing the flue gases into contact with a particular class of sorbent material in the dry state. A preferred class of dry sorbent materials can be provided from a mineral compound selected from among halloysites and phyllosilicates of the palygorskite subgroup and the sepiolite subgroup of the palygorskite-sepiolite group according to the Dana classification. Mineral compounds of this group have been shown to provide a reduction in heavy metals, in particular in mercury, present in flue gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: S.A. Lhoist Recherche et Developpment
    Inventors: Amandine Gambin, Alain Laudet
  • Patent number: 7517511
    Abstract: Mercury emissions in an exhaust gas are mitigated. Mercury dichloride is formed upon a surface from a substantial portion of the mercury in the exhaust gas. The mercury dichloride sublimes from the surface, and the sublimed mercury dichloride is subsequently removed from the exhaust stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Keith Schofield
  • Patent number: 6932853
    Abstract: A method of operating mechanical separation devices at high temperatures to separate various volatile metals, metal halides and metal oxides to produce high purity materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Heritage Environmental Services LLC
    Inventors: James E. Bratina, Fred M. Fehsenfeld
  • Patent number: 6921474
    Abstract: Process for the production of ZnCl2 from a Zn bearing primary and/or secondary material comprising the steps of reacting the Zn bearing material with a chlorinating agent such as Cl2 to convert metals into chlorides and vaporising the volatile components of the reaction product at a temperature between the melting point of said reaction product and the boiling point of ZnCl2, thereby recovering a Zn rich chlorinated melt, and thereafter distilling ZnCl2 from this Zn rich chlorinated melt, thereby recovering purified ZnCl2 and a Zn-depleted chlorinated melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Umicore
    Inventors: Joris Vandenhaute, Eric Robert
  • Patent number: 6918947
    Abstract: A method for making reduced iron using blast-furnace sludge is provided. The method includes a mixing step of mixing the blast-furnace sludge and an iron-oxide-containing powder to prepare a mixed material, an agglomerating step of agglomerating the mixed material to form agglomerates, a feeding step of feeding the agglomerates onto a continuously moving hearth, and a reducing step of heating the agglomerates to remove zinc and reduce the agglomerates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Maki, Yoshiyuki Matsui, Takeshi Sugiyama, Takao Harada, Masahiko Tetsumoto, Hiroshi Tamazawa, Tadashi Ueda, Koichi Morioka, Nobuyuki Iwasaki, Hidetoshi Tanaka, Kojiro Fuji, Hiroshi Sugitatsu
  • Patent number: 6855859
    Abstract: Chlorine and sulfide species are separately introduced to a flue gas passing through a scrubber in order to remove the elemental and oxidized mercury from the gas through the precipitation of mercuric sulfide at near 100% efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignees: The Babcock & Wilcox Company, McDermott Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Paul S. Nolan, Ralph T. Bailey, William Downs
  • Patent number: 6682586
    Abstract: A process for separating and recovering a desired metal as metal oxide from raw material is provided. The process includes placing the raw material and a reductant in a container to form a reducing microclimate within the container. A housing having an oxidizing atmosphere is heated to maintain a temperature zone within the housing at a heating temperature sufficient to expose the raw material in the container to a reaction temperature. The container containing the raw material is conveyed through the temperature zone in the housing to expose the raw material and the reductant to the reaction temperature wherein the metal oxide is reduced to a gaseous metal that exits the container. Once outside the container, the gaseous metal is exposed to the oxidizing atmosphere of the temperature zone wherein the desired metal is oxidized to metal oxide and the metal oxide is collected. In preferred embodiments, the raw material is EAF dust and the desired metal is zinc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Heritage Environmental Services, LLC.
    Inventors: Scott W. Frame, Shannon R. Wilson, James E. Bratina
  • Patent number: 6602322
    Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for recovering metal values from Electric Arc Furnace dust, particularly zinc and iron values, by mixing EAF dust and carbonaceous fines to form a particulate mixture; heating the mixture at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to reduce and release volatile metals and alkali metals in a flue gas; collecting the released metals, and removing the metal values from the process as product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Midrex Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: James M. McClelland, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6572782
    Abstract: Recycling process for CdTe/CdS thin film-solar cell modules in which the modules are mechanically disintegrated into module fragments, the module fragments are exposed to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature of at least 300° C. causing a pyrolysis of adhesive material contained in the module fragments in form of a hydrocarbon based plastics material and the gaseous decomposition products that are generated during the pyrolysis are discharged, and, afterwards, the module fragments freed from the adhesive means are exposed to a chlorine-containing gas atmosphere at a temperature of more than 400° C. causing an etching process wherein the CdCl2 and TeCl4 that are generated in the etching process are made to condense and precipitate by cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: ANTEC Solar GmbH
    Inventors: Manuel Diequez Campo, Dieter Bonnet, Rainer Gegenwart, Jutta Beier
  • Patent number: 6399851
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally separating mercury and organic contaminants from inert substrate materials (such as soil, sludges, sediments, drilling muds and cuttings), comprising an essentially air-tight processing chamber having a substrate inlet and a substrate outlet, said chamber having two or more troughs for processing of the substrate, a means for indirectly heating the chamber, a means for moving substrate through the two or more throughs of the chamber from the substrate inlet to the substrate outlet, and a vapour condensate handling system for removing and condensing vapours from the chamber for processing to remove and recover contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventor: Herbert Siddle
  • Patent number: 6214304
    Abstract: A method of removing mercury from a mercury-containing flue gas, especially flue gas from a refuse incinerator, is provided. The mercury-containing flue gas may also contain dust, further heavy metals, and further gaseous noxious gas components. The mercury, using an alkali sulfide solution, especially sodium sulfide solution, and in particular sodium tetrasulfide solution, is converted to mercury sulfide and the mercury sulfide is precipitated out via a dust separator. The alkali sulfide solution is introduced into the flue gas accompanied by the simultaneous addition of heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: L & C Steinmüller GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Rosenthal, Wolfgang Schüttenheim, Marton Klein, Rüdiger Heidrich, Ulrich Nikolai, Uwe Soldner
  • Patent number: 6156281
    Abstract: An improved process for removing mercury and other trace elements from coal containing pyrite by forming a slurry of finely divided coal in a liquid solvent capable of forming ions or radicals having a tendency to react with constituents of pyrite or to attack the bond between pyrite and coal and/or to react with mercury to form mercury vapors, and heating the slurry in a closed container to a temperature of at least about 50.degree. C. to produce vapors of the solvent and withdrawing vapors including solvent and mercury-containing vapors from the closed container, then separating mercury from the vapors withdrawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignees: Howard University, CQ Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Akers, Kenneth N. Ekechukwu, Mobolaji E. Aluko, Howard E. Lebowitz
  • Patent number: 6102982
    Abstract: A method for recovering zinc oxide comprises the steps of: agglomerating a dust; charging the agglomerate to a molten iron in a melting furnace; collecting a dust generated from the melting furnace; recycling a part of the collected dust and recovering another part of the collected dust. An apparatus for recovering zinc oxide comprises: an agglomeration unit for agglomerating a dust containing iron oxide and zinc oxide; a melting furnace for accepting the agglomerate and for holding the molten iron for reducing the dust; and at least two units of dust collector for collecting the dust containing zinc oxide generated from the melting furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Isozaki, Noboru Sato, Yoshihito Iwata, Noboru Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6030433
    Abstract: A method for extracting metals from metal-containing materials, especially waste, by pyrohydrolysis. The metal-containing materials which contain at least one or more of the metals from the group consisting of Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Sn (as Sn(0) and Sn(II)), As, Sb, Au, Ag and Bi, are made to react at 700-1100.degree. C., advantageously 800-900.degree. C., with a gas composition which at least comprises 25-45% by volume of water vapor, 0-12% by volume of carbon dioxide, 2-20% by volume of hydrogen chloride, 0-15% by volume of carbon monoxide, the remainder being nitrogen and possibly oxygen. The metals from the above-mentioned group are extracted in the form of volatile metal chlorides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO)
    Inventors: Hendrik Jan Luggenhorst, Edgar Manfred Lawrence Peek
  • Patent number: 6024931
    Abstract: Mercury-contaminated substances are fed through a shredder to a loader that loads a rotary tubular kiln, in which a mercury content is evaporated by a primary burner. A temperature of an unlined rotary kiln is monitored from an outside at various points over an entire length, by infrared sensors. The thus acquired data are supplied to a regulating unit that regulates fuel supply and primary air supply through various control lines. Burned gas is supplied through a duct to a cyclone separator in which solids are separated and returned to the process. The gaseous substances are fed through a postcombustion chamber of a quench to a washer in which mercury is removed. The residual gas reaches a chimney through an active coal filter. This process is particularly easy to control, economical and allows a particularly low residual mercury content to be reached, for example less than 0.1 ppm, in a residual combustion product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Deco-Hanulik AG
    Inventor: Jozef Hanulik
  • Patent number: 5900042
    Abstract: A method is provided to remove elemental mercury from a gas stream by reacting the gas stream with an oxidizing solution to convert the elemental mercury to soluble mercury compounds. Other constituents are also oxidized. The gas stream is then passed through a wet scrubber to remove the mercuric compounds and oxidized constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Marshall H. Mendelsohn, Hann-Sheng Huang
  • Patent number: 5851490
    Abstract: An improved method for the recovery of metal and/or chemical values from an industrial waste stream containing zinc, cadmium, lead and/or iron compounds by heating the waste stream in a reducing atmosphere, treating the resultant fumes in an ammonium chloride solution, separating any undissolved components from the solution, adjusting the pH of the solution, if necessary, to less than about 6.3, displacing undesired metal ions from the solution using zinc metal, treating the solution to remove therefrom zinc compounds, adjusting the pH of the solution to about 6.5 to about 7.0, and further treating the zinc compounds and the undissolved components, as necessary, resulting in the zinc products and the optional iron-carbon feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Metals Recycling Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Allan S. Myerson, Micheal W. Cudahy
  • Patent number: 5728193
    Abstract: A process for recovering iron from an iron oxide bearing mass. The process includes forming a bed of lump coke in a vertical shaft furnace, feeding the iron oxide bearing mass and scrap metal onto the bed of lump coke and combusting the coke in the coke bed while injecting a plasma gas having a temperature greater than about 5,000.degree. F. into the coke bed to form a reaction zone within the coke bed having a temperature in excess of 4,000.degree. F. The iron oxide bearing mass and scrap metal fed onto the bed of lump coke is melted to form a molten phase containing molten iron oxide and molten scrap metal. The molten phase flows into the reaction zone and a film is formed on the lump coke within the reaction zone, the iron oxide in the film being reduced by carbon from the coke to form molten iron in a solid/liquid reduction. The molten iron is discharged from the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Philip Services Corp.
    Inventors: Shyam V. Dighe, William A. Morgan, Jerry L. Penland
  • Patent number: 5698759
    Abstract: A method is described which allows two hazardous waste products, namely PVC and electric arc furnace dust, both of which have negative commercial value, to be combined to produce an iron oxide suitable for steel making and making pure cadmium lead and zinc and chlorine, all of which can be sold. The heat generated during the exothermic reaction may be used to generate electricity which may be sold or used in plants where the reaction is carded out. The method can also be used for metal scraps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Inventor: Derek Fray
  • Patent number: 5667556
    Abstract: This invention describes a method of reprocessing zinc- and iron oxide-containing residual material. Zinc- and iron oxide-containing dust and/or sludge is granulated with water, granules and carbonaceous material are fed to a circulating fluidized bed system, the gas-solids suspension circulated in the circulating fluidized bed system is fed to a second fluidized bed reactor, the solids discharged from the second fluidized bed reactor are recycled to the reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system, 50 to 75% by volume of the oxygen required to gasify the carbonaceous material are fed as fluidizing gas to the reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system and 25 to 50% by volume of said required oxygen are fed as a fluidizing gas and secondary gas to the second fluidized bed reactor, iron oxide-containing material is discharged from the reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system and zinc-containing material is discharged with the exhaust gas from the circulating fluidized bed system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Orth, Peter Weber, Uwe Harter, Ernst Wallis
  • Patent number: 5612008
    Abstract: A process for the removal of volatilizable inorganic contaminants from solid waste is provided. The process comprises the steps of: (a) providing solid waste containing volatilizable inorganic contaminants; (b) heating the waste to a temperature sufficiently high for the volatilization of the inorganic contaminants and sufficiently low so as to prevent slag formation of the solid waste, thereby producing a contaminant-rich vapor phase and a contaminant-poor solid phase; and (c) separating the solid phase and the vapor phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Inventors: Donald W. Kirk, John W. Graydon
  • Patent number: 5607496
    Abstract: in a hot combustion gas stream are removed therefrom by oxidizing the elemental mercury, to form a mercury compound, and adsorbing the mercury compounds on adsorbent particles such as activated alumina. Oxidation is catalytically promoted. After adsorbing a substantial quantity of mercury compounds, the spent adsorbent particles can be regenerated and re-used by heating the particles to decompose and drive off the mercury compounds. In another embodiment, oxidation of the elemental mercury is catalytically promoted at a catalyzing station, and the mercury compounds are removed from the gas stream by scrubbing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Brooks Rand, Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard J. Brooks
  • Patent number: 5582812
    Abstract: A vapor of diethylzinc or dimethylzinc is reacted with water vapor to form very small particles of depleted zinc oxide which are entrained in the gas flow. In accordance with one version of the method, a spray nozzle is used to mix liquid diethylzinc with dry nitrogen to prevent combustion. The nozzle sprays the diluted diethylzinc into a chamber heated up to its boiling point of 118.degree. C. to completely vaporize the diethylzinc. The diluted diethylzinc gas is then reacted with water vapor to form a fume of very small zinc oxide particles entrained in ethane gas without combustion. A similar process can be used to convert dimethylzinc into depleted zinc oxide powder. In accordance with another version of the process, an inert gas stream is saturated with diethylzinc or dimethylzinc vapor by passing a dry inert gas through a vessel containing liquid diethylzinc or dimethylzinc. A second inert gas stream is saturated with water vapor in a similar manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George E. Petersen, Randall N. Robinson
  • Patent number: 5531805
    Abstract: Finely divided ferruginous material is intimately mixed with finely divided carbonaceous material and agglomerated and formed into pellets typically of a few cubic centimeters volume to form a feedstock for a smelting operation. The carbonaceous material includes carbon in both high reactivity and low reactivity forms typically provided respectively by sewage sludge or other biosolids and by coke fines, kish graphite, natural graphite, lignite or brown coal. Smelting is conducted in a bath smelting furnace with the bath temperature of at least 1420.degree. C. and preferably 1500.degree. C. in a manner controlled to destroy any organic compounds present, to use carbon as a source of fuel, to carburise the iron to around 4% carbon or higher and to provide an off-gas which can be processed to collect any volatilized metal values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: The Illawarra Technology Corporation Limited
    Inventor: Howard K. Worner
  • Patent number: 5403365
    Abstract: A process for producing low mercury coal during precombustion procedures by releasing mercury through discriminating mild heating that minimizes other burdensome constituents. Said mercury is recovered from the overhead gases by selective removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Western Research Institute
    Inventors: Norman W. Merriam, R. William Grimes, Robert E. Tweed
  • Patent number: 5364441
    Abstract: Steelworks dusts or sludge is mixed into sewage preferably in the presence of a flocculating agent to provide a rapid separation of a clear effluent and a sludge which is dewatered and dried to form a solid material adapted to entrap harmful materials in the sewage such as heavy metals, pathogens and organic chemicals. The solid material is supplied to a smelt reduction furnace from which molten iron is recovered and a hot gas discharge is provided from which recovery of zinc and other materials may be achieved, other waste material being removed as a slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Assignee: Illawarra Technology Corporation Limited
    Inventor: Howard K. Worner
  • Patent number: 5298227
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for the separation of vaporous heavy metal compounds from a carrier gas wherein the heavy metal compounds are cooled and desublimed. An apparatus for carrying out this process has a melting furnace with a discharge opening for a gas/ vapor mixture, which leads to a cooling device.Vaporous heavy metal compounds can be separated from a carrier gas on a large industrial scale. In addition, the apparatus for carrying out this process is easy to operate. The gas/vapor mixture is turbulently mixed immediately after the discharge from the furnace in a mixing section with cold air and is thus cooled. During this cooling, the vaporous heavy metal compounds desublime and are filtered as particles in a filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Hirth, Joachim Jochum, Harald Jodeit, Christian Wieckert
  • Patent number: 5223145
    Abstract: Mercury is often removed as an impurity from process fluid streams by adsorption in fixed beds using any of several well-known adsorbents having the ability to selectively adsorb mercury. It is also common to reintroduce this sequestered mercury into the environment by means of the spent gas used to periodically regenerate the fixed beds. A solution to this problem is provided by the present invention in which the mercury is removed from the process stream using a large non-regenerated adsorption bed in combination with a periodically regenerated secondary adsorption bed, the mercury content of the latter being transferred to the former during the regeneration procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: UOP
    Inventor: John Markovs
  • Patent number: 5178667
    Abstract: A pyrometallurgical refining process for obtaining one or both of zinc and lead from a sulfide concentrate, in which an iron-silicate slag or iron-silicate slag containing lime is formed and the sulfide concentrate, incombustible materials, and flux, together with at least one of industrial oxygen, oxygen-enriched air, or air, are blown into the slag to cause a reaction; as a result of the reaction, the major part of the zinc and part of the lead in the sulfide concentrate and the incombustible materials are dissolved in the slag, to arrange the slag and a matte and/or metal from one part of the lead in the raw material. A reducing agent such as heavy oil, pulverized coal, powdered coke, or the like is blown through the resulting slag, and the zinc and the lead in the slag are volatilized then condensed to obtain molten zinc and molten lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Limited
    Inventors: Nobumasa Kemori, Akihiko Akada, Hitoshi Takano, Takeshi Kusakabe, Masaru Takebayashi
  • Patent number: 5162107
    Abstract: A zinc- and lead-containing residue from a metallurgical plant is reprocessed by a thermal treatment in a circulating fluidized bed system. A major part of the heat demand is satisfied by a combustion of solid carbonaceous material in the fluidized bed reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system. A reducing fluidizing gas, which is virtually free of free oxygen, is fed to the lower part of the fluidized bed reactor. A solid carbon content of from 5 to 30% is adjusted in the fluidized bed in the lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor, which is supplied in its upper portion with oxygen-containing gases and in which CO.sub.2 is formed only at such a rate that zinc metal is not reoxidized. Substantially all solids are removed in a recycling cyclone from the suspension discharged from the reactor and the removed solids are recycled. The gas is cooled to a temperature at which zinc metal is oxidized to ZnO. The dust-like zinc compounds and lead compounds are removed from the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Hirsch, Albert Kaune, Alpaydin Saatci, Karlheinz Broj, Uwe Harter, Walter Meichsner
  • Patent number: 5108496
    Abstract: A process for the econimic recovery of metallic fractions generated during operation of a cupola furnace comprises the steps of the separating filter dust containing metal fractions from an off-gas stream and recirculating the metal fraction back to the cupola furnace for combustion with additional feedstock so as to enrich the metallic concentration of the filter dust to a level where economic recovery of the metallic fraction can occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Georg Fischer AG
    Inventors: Karl Gut, Rolf Rietzscher, Hans-Ludwig Roes, Ivo Henych
  • Patent number: 5013532
    Abstract: This invention relates to the metallurgy of iron and particularly to the separation and recovery of metals from electric arc furnace (EAF) dusts. While the invention discloses a process for the separation and recovery applicable to zinc, lead, cadmium and antimony contained in such EAF dusts, the invention is particularly applicable to the separation and recovery of zinc. This invention describes a method for reducing the zinc contained in an EAF dust, volatilizing the metallic zinc so produced from the mass of the dust, and reoxidizing the metallic zinc to zinc oxide along with the simultaneous regeneration of hydrogen which can be recycled to treat additional EAF dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: IIT Research Institute
    Inventor: Guggilam C. Sresty
  • Patent number: 4966763
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing high purity mercuric iodide by passing a gaseous source of a mercuric compound through a particulate bed of a low vapor pressure iodide compound which is maintained at an elevated temperature which is the lower of either: (a) just below the melting or volatilization temperature of the iodide compound (which ever is lower); or (b) just below the volatilization point of the other reaction product formed during the reaction; to cause the mercuric compound to react with the iodide compound to form mercuric iodide which then passes as a vapor out of the bed into a cooler condensation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
    Inventor: Nathan L. Skinner
  • Patent number: 4962276
    Abstract: A method for removing mercury from water or hydrocarbon condensate is provided. The mercury-containing liquid is sprayed into a stripper having a packing therein to facilitate its contact with a stripping gas such as air or natrual gas. The stripped product is drawn from the bottom of the stripper. The stripping gas which carries the mercury from the stripper is passed over an active adsorbent to remove the mercury. The cleaned gas may be used or recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Tsoung Y. Yan