Leaching, Washing, Or Dissolving Patents (Class 423/68)
  • Patent number: 11769915
    Abstract: A system and method for extracting recyclable material from an object. The system has a station for receiving the object, a station that prepares the object's cover for removal, a station that removes the cover from the object, a station that positions the object with the cover removed for loading, and a station that has one or more extraction devices configured to engage the object and remove the recyclable material therefrom and has one or more collection areas for receiving the removed recyclable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Sturges, Zheng Li, Liurui Li, Tairan Yang
  • Patent number: 11535910
    Abstract: A method (10) for preparing a leach feed material, the method (10) comprising the steps of: passing an ore or concentrate containing vanadium and iron to a reduction step (12) to form a reduced ore or concentrate; and passing the reduced ore or concentrate to a ferric leach step (14) to produce a ferric leachate containing iron and a ferric leach residue containing vanadium, wherein the ferric leach residue is suitable for use as the leach feed material for extracting and recovering vanadium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TNG LIMITED
    Inventors: Damian Edward Gerard Connelly, Denis Stephen Yan
  • Patent number: 9051198
    Abstract: The present invention relates to nitrogen doped A2Nb4O11, which is represented by A2Nb4O11-xNx, to a process for the preparation thereof, and to a method for degradation of organic pollutants. The nitrogen doped A2Nb4O11 is a new photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in the waste water. The A2Nb4O11-xNx catalyst may be prepared by substituting some of the O elements of pure A2Nb4O11 with N elements, and a process for the preparation thereof comprises a step of doping of nitrogen with a nitrogen source through a solid state reaction. The new nitrogen doped A2Nb4O11 catalyst having a general formula A2Nb4O11-xNx has a narrower optical bandgap compared to pure A2Nb4O11, and therefore can be activated under the visible light range and it shows high efficiency in the degradation of organic pollutants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
    Inventors: Taichu Lau, Yongfu Qiu
  • Patent number: 8986425
    Abstract: A method for recovering rare earth compounds, vanadium and nickel from waste vanadium-nickel catalysts, comprising steps of: acid leaching, by soaking waste vanadium-nickel catalysts into a sulfuric acid solution and obtaining a mixture containing alumina silica slag; sedimentation, by filtering out the alumina silica slag from the mixture to obtain a filtrate, and then adding a salt into the filtrate to precipitate rare earth double salts followed by isolating a sediment of rare earth double salts and a liquid solution via filtration; and extraction, by providing and adding an alkali into the sediment of rare earth double salts followed by further soaking the rare earth double salts in an acid solution to precipitate rare earth oxalate or rare earth carbonate, and adding an oxidizer into the liquid solution to adjust the pH value thereof and then extracting vanadium and nickel from the liquid solution via an ion-exchange resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hong Jing Environment Company
    Inventors: Yu-Lung Sun, Ming-Zhe Tsai, Yung-Hao Liu
  • Patent number: 8986634
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a method being easy to recover metals including nickel and aluminum from waste aluminum catalysts, thereby entirely promoting the recovering rate. Said method comprises: preparing and roasting a waste aluminum catalyst with sodium salts, and then obtaining a first solution comprising vanadium and molybdenum, and a dreg comprising nickel and aluminum through leaching and filtrating; collecting and mixing the dreg with alkali powders to obtain a mixture of the dreg and alkali powders, roasting the mixture at 300 to 1000° C. with aluminum in the dreg reacting with hydroxyl generated from the roasting of mixture and further generating aluminum hydroxide, and then obtaining a second solution comprising aluminum and a concentrate having nickel through another leaching and filtrating; and recovering aluminum from the second solution and recovering nickel from the concentrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventor: Ping-Tao Wu
  • Patent number: 8961910
    Abstract: There is provided a technology for decreasing copper and tungsten contained in tantalum-containing wastes, and recovering a high-purity tantalum. The present invention is a tantalum recovery method for recovering tantalum from a tantalum-containing waste, the method comprising subjecting the tantalum-containing waste to an acid treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, thereafter to a roasting treatment and an alkali treatment, and further comprising carrying out a magnetic separation treatment before the acid treatment to thereby separate a tantalum-containing material in the tantalum-containing waste. This is particularly a suitable recovery method for recovering tantalum from wastes containing a relatively large amount of copper and tungsten such as discarded substrates such as printed wiring boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Aoki, Kenji Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8657917
    Abstract: A method for recycling metals from waste molybdic catalysts, comprises steps of leaching, by soaking a waste molybdic catalyst into a highly oxidized acid and conducting a reaction between sulfur in the waste molybdic catalyst and the acid to obtain sulfide and vaporizer, wherein metals in the waste molybdic catalyst are dissolved and oxidized by the acid to obtain a first solution and dregs; and refining, by further dissolving metals in the dregs into a second solution, and extracting metals in the waste molybdic catalyst from the first and second solution; wherein, the vaporizer obtained from the step of leaching is converted into highly oxidized acid and recycled in the step of leaching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Hong Jing Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Lung Sun, Ming-Zhe Tsai, Yung-Hao Liu
  • Publication number: 20130336858
    Abstract: There is provided a technology for decreasing copper and tungsten contained in tantalum-containing wastes, and recovering a high-purity tantalum. The present invention is a tantalum recovery method for recovering tantalum from a tantalum-containing waste, the method comprising subjecting the tantalum-containing waste to an acid treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, thereafter to a roasting treatment and an alkali treatment, and further comprising carrying out a magnetic separation treatment before the acid treatment to thereby separate a tantalum-containing material in the tantalum-containing waste. This is particularly a suitable recovery method for recovering tantalum from wastes containing a relatively large amount of copper and tungsten such as discarded substrates such as printed wiring boards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO. LTD
    Inventors: Tatsuya Aoki, Kenji Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8440152
    Abstract: A process for recovering metals from a stream rich in hydrocarbons and carbonaceous residues by means of a treatment section, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: sending said stream to a primary treatment, effected in one or more steps, wherein said stream is treated in the presence of a fluxant agent in a suitable apparatus, at a temperature ranging from 80 to 180° C., preferably from 100 to 160° C., and subjected to liquid/solid separation in order to obtain a clarified product essentially consisting of liquids and a cake (oilcake); possibly subjecting the separated cake to drying, in order to remove the hydrocarbon component having a boiling point lower than a temperature ranging from 300 to 350° C. from the cake; sending the cake, possibly dried, to a secondary thermal treatment comprising: a flameless pyrolysis of the cake effected between 400 and 800° C., preferably between 500 and 670° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: ENI S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Bartolini, Ugo Cornaro, Paolo Pollesel, Paul Dominique Oudenne
  • Patent number: 8404199
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to Vanadium Boride nanoparticle synthesis. In some examples, a method is described that includes fluorine based Vanadium Boride nanoparticle synthesis. In some examples, the method includes providing Vanadium Boride battery waste products, treating the battery waste products to treat precursors for fluorination, heating the precursors for fluorination to form VF3 and BH3 and heating the VF3 and BH3 to form VB2 nanorods in a liquid mixture, wherein the method is performed at less than approximately 700° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: Ezekiel Kruglick
  • Patent number: 8366917
    Abstract: A method of recovering minerals from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be contacted with an agent sufficient to remove minerals therefrom. The agent is typically a solution containing a solvent, leachant, chelating agent and the like via which minerals can be removed having value, toxic minerals, radioactive minerals and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Red Leaf Resources, Inc
    Inventors: Todd Dana, James W. Patten
  • Patent number: 8333941
    Abstract: Mesoporous conductive niobium and niobium-ruthenium particles and methods for forming the same are described. In some cases the particles are suitable for use as a fuel cell catalyst. The described aerosol-based synthesis method allows for single step formation and processing of the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Plamen Atanassov, Elise Switzer, Datye Abhaya, Timothy Olson, Daniel Konopka, Svitlana Pylypenko, Timothy L Ward
  • Patent number: 8323481
    Abstract: A method of sequestering carbon dioxide emissions during recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbonaceous materials can include forming a constructed permeability control infrastructure. This constructed infrastructure defines a substantially encapsulated volume. A comminuted hydrocarbonaceous material can be introduced into the control infrastructure to form a permeable body of hydrocarbonaceous material. The permeable body can be heated sufficient to remove hydrocarbons therefrom. During heating, the hydrocarbonaceous material is substantially stationary as the constructed infrastructure is a fixed structure. Additionally, during heating, any carbon dioxide that is produced can be sequestered. Removed hydrocarbons can be collected for further processing, use in the process, and/or use as recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Red Leaf Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Dana, James W. Patten
  • Patent number: 8282897
    Abstract: A process for the recovery of high purity boehmite with controlled pore size from spent hydroprocessing catalyst includes the step of treating the spent hydroprocessing catalyst composition in order to get recovery of the aluminas after extracting the valuable metals. The process permits easy and resourceful recovery of high quality boehmite from waste catalyst, which can be further used as hydroprocessing catalyst carrier having a pore structure almost identical or better than that used in heavy oil hydroprocessing catalysts. Such catalyst carrier is required to have high pore volume, macro-porosity, high strength and optimum surface area for active metal dispersion. The treating steps include process steps such as decoking, roasting, leaching, dissolving, digestion, precipitation, washing, stripping, and the like. The recovery steps include digestion, hydrothermal treatment, flocculation or precipitation, filtration, drying, calcination and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Kuwait Institute for Scientific Reaearch
    Inventor: Meena Marafi
  • Publication number: 20120034141
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to Vanadium Boride nanoparticle synthesis. In some examples, a method is described that includes fluorine based Vanadium Boride nanoparticle synthesis. In some examples, the method includes providing Vanadium Boride battery waste products, treating the battery waste products to treat precursors for fluoridation, heating the precursors for fluoridation to form VF3 and BH3 and heating the VF3 and BH3 to form VB2 nanorods in a liquid mixture, wherein the method is performed at less than approximately 700° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: Ezekiel Kruglick
  • Patent number: 7846404
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for separating and recovering base metals from a used hydroprocessing catalyst originating from Group VIB and Group VIII metals and containing at least a Group VB metal. In one embodiment, the used catalyst is contacted with an ammonia leaching solution to dissolve and separate the Group VIB and VIII metals from the Group VB metal complex and coke associated with the used catalyst. The resulting Group VIB and VIII metal containing solution is processed through at least two additional precipitation and liquid/solid separation steps to produce, in separate processing streams, a Group VIB metal product solution (such as ammonium molybdate) and a Group VIII metal product solution (such as nickel sulfate). Additionally, two separate filtrate streams are generated from liquid-solid separation steps, which filtrate streams are combined and subjected to hydrolysis and oxidation (oxydrolysis) to generate a purified ammonium sulfate solution for further processing, such as for fertilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Rahul S. Bhaduri, John Stiksma, Roman Berezowsky
  • Patent number: 7837960
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for separating and recovering base metals from a used hydroprocessing catalyst originating from Group VIB and Group VIII metals and containing at least a Group VB metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Rahul S. Bhaduri, John Stiksma, Roman Berezowsky
  • Publication number: 20100226837
    Abstract: A process for producing metal compounds directly from underground mineral deposits including the steps of forming a borehole at a site into a mineral deposit containing metal compounds, inserting a slurry-forming device having a nozzle into the borehole adapted to direct pressurized water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit, supplying pressured water through the nozzle into the mineral deposit forming a mineral slurry containing metal compounds, extracting the mineral slurry containing metal compounds through the borehole, leaching the mineral slurry to convert the metal compounds to a soluble form in a leach solution, and removing metals and metal compounds by treating the leach solution with an extraction treatment adapted to remove the metal products. Steps of leaching the mineral slurry and removing metal products are performed at a location remote from the borehole site. Alternatively, the step of removing metal products from mineral slurry may be accomplished by pyrometallurgical processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: COOPERATIVE MINERAL RESOURCES, LLC
    Inventors: Steven C. CARLTON, Steven G. AXEN, Kevin P. KRONBECK
  • Patent number: 7736607
    Abstract: The process of this invention is directed to the removal of metals from an unsupported spent catalyst. The catalyst is subjected to leaching reactions. Vanadium is removed as a precipitate, while a solution comprising molybdenum and nickel is subjected to further extraction steps for the removal of these metals. Molybdenum may alternately be removed through precipitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc
    Inventor: Paul J. Marcantonio
  • Patent number: 7737068
    Abstract: A process for recovering catalytic metals from fine catalyst slurried in heavy oil comprises pyrolizing fine catalyst slurried in heavy oil to provide one or more lighter oil products and a coke-like material and recovering catalytic metals from the coke-like material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Powers, Donald H. Mohr, Bruce E. Reynolds, Jose Guitian Lopez
  • Patent number: 7718147
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the chemical beneficiation of raw material containing tantalum-niobium such as wastes, scoria, concentrates and ores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Krupinite Corporation Ltd.
    Inventor: Alexander Krupin
  • Patent number: 7498007
    Abstract: A process for recovery of vanadium dissolved in acid solutions or liquors by precipitating it out as vanadium pentoxide. Separation is carried out by adding calcium hydroxide, quicklime or calcium carbonate to the acid solution or liquor, producing a precipitate of vanadium pentoxide, which is separated from the liquid by physical methods such as filtration or centrifugation. If the acid is other than sulfuric acid, the calcium which remains dissolved in the solution or liquor by the addition of calcium hydroxide, quicklime or calcium carbonate, is removed by adding sulfuric acid, to produce solid calcium sulfate and water. The calcium sulfate is extracted from the solution or liquor or liquor by filtration or centrifugation. With sulfuric acid solution or liquors, after addition of the neutralizing agent, a solid precipitate of vanadium pentoxide and calcium sulfate is formed, which is then separated from the solution or liquor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Inventors: Benjamin Scharifker, Rossana Arenare
  • Patent number: 7485267
    Abstract: The process of this invention is directed to the removal of metals from an unsupported spent catalyst. The catalyst is subjected to leaching reactions. Vanadium is removed as a precipitate, while a solution comprising molybdenum and nickel is subjected to further extraction steps for the removal of these metals. Molybdenum may alternately be removed through precipitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Paul J. Marcantonio
  • Patent number: 7214362
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for purifying a highly pure niobium compound and/or tantalum compound, the method enabling the purification of a highly pure niobium compound and tantalum compound in a simplified manner at a low cost. The object is met by providing a method comprising adding an organic solvent to an aqueous solution containing a niobium compound and/or tantalum compound together with impurities, and then performing extraction via the solution. A niobium compound and/or tantalum compound dissolved in a solution is allowed to precipitate, and said aqueous solution is obtained by dissolving the precipitate in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Stella Chemifa Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohisa Kikuyama, Masahide Waki, Hiroto Izumi, Hirofumi Yazaki, Kenji Aoki, Shinji Hashiguchi, Masatsugu Kawawaki, Yuko Murakami
  • Patent number: 7192564
    Abstract: The method relates to a pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical process for the recovery and recycling of lithium and vanadium compounds from a material comprising spent rechargeable lithium batteries, particularly lithium metal gel and solid polymer electrolyte rechargeable batteries. The method involves providing a mass of the material, hardening it by cooling at a temperature below room temperature, comminuting the mass of cooled and hardened material, digesting with an acid its ashes obtained by incineration, or its solidified salts obtained by molten salt oxidation, or the comminuted mass itself, to give a mother liquor, extracting vanadium compounds from the mother liquor, separating heavy metals and aluminium therefrom, and precipitating lithium carbonate from the remaining solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Avestor Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Francois Cardarelli, Jonathan Dube
  • Patent number: 7182925
    Abstract: A method for the dissolution and purification of tantalum ore and synthetic concentrates is described. The method preferably uses ammonium bifluoride as the fluoride source in place of the hydrofluoric acid used in the conventional methods. Other fluoride compounds such as NaF, KF, and CaF2 may be used alone or in combination with ammonium bifluoride. The tantalum concentrate and fluoride source are combined with sulfuric acid to form a solution containing tantalum values and impurities. The tantalum values are then separated from the impurities by solvent extraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Raj P. Singh Gaur, Robert G. Mendenhall
  • Patent number: 7052660
    Abstract: There is disclosed a wet-processing method for combustion ashes of petroleum fuels, comprising a slurry preparation step of preparing a slurry of the combustion ashes; a metal oxidation step of preparing a slurry containing ammonium metavanadate; a solid/liquid separation step of removing solids from the slurry containing ammonium metavanadate; a double decomposition step for ammonium sulfate, of adding a magnesium compound to an aqueous ammonium sulfate solution recovered from the solid/liquid separation step; and an ammonia recovery step of recovering ammonia from a reaction solution recovered from the double decomposition step. The above metal oxidation step is conducted while controlling an ammonium sulfate concentration of the aqueous solution to 20 to 45% by weight and the temperature of the aqueous solution to not more than 50° C., and the above solid/liquid separation step is conducted using a specific solid/liquid separator while controlling the temperature of the slurry to not more than 40° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Kashima-Kita, Electric Power Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Sakuma
  • Patent number: 6979429
    Abstract: The processes of the present invention include mineral acid leaching of a metal containing material, such as an ore residue, containing fluoridated metal values in the presence of a complexing agent which will complex fluoride ions. The processes of the present invention provide for the separation of valuable metal, fluoride and radionuclide values from a feed material of high mineral content wherein the metals and radionuclides are present as substantially water insoluble fluorides or are trapped within a metal fluorine matrix which is substantially insoluble in typical chemical reactant systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A Hard, Patrick M. Brown, James E. Reynolds
  • Patent number: 6843970
    Abstract: A process for recovering metal values from a metal containing material including the metal values comprising digesting the metal containing material in a sulfuric acid solution comprising sulfuric acid, a reducing agent, and a carbon source, heating the digestion mixture and separating the resulting solution from the remaining solids. The sulfuric acid solution may additionally include hydrofluoric acid (HF) as a source of fluoride ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Hard
  • Patent number: 6835449
    Abstract: A ball valve for use in the pressure acid leaching of nickel ores is disclosed. The valve has a valve body and a ball centrally positioned in the valve body, which has a central passage rotatable in the valve body between open and closed positions. At least one seat is disposed between the ball and the valve body. The ball and seat each comprise a titanium substrate and an ultrafine or nanostructured titania coating. The titania can include from 5 to 45 volume percent of a second phase material that is immiscible with the titania and exhibits corrosion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Mogas Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: George E. Kim, Jimmy Walker, Jr., John B. Williams, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6800259
    Abstract: Methods to control hydrogen sulfide and/or arsine emissions are described. The method involves adding at least one copper compound (such as a copper(II) compound) to the material, such as material containing sulfur in a sufficient amount to control said emissions. The material that is treated with the copper compound(s) is preferably an ore, such as a valve metal containing ore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Hard
  • Patent number: 6777511
    Abstract: An industrially excellent process for producing a poly(meth)acrylate having a reduced metal content which comprises contacting a mixture of a poly(meth)acrylate and an organic solvent with an acidic aqueous solution, such as an aqueous solution obtained by dissolving a polyprotic carboxylic acid having about 2 to 12 carbon atoms in water, is provided, and, by this invention, contents of metals such as sodium, potassium, iron and the like can be remarkably reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Koshiro Ochiai, Akira Kamabuchi
  • Patent number: 6641641
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for preventing concentration of a radioactive substance in a generated extraction residue in a method of producing tantalum, niobium, or a similar substance including collecting and refining a raw material containing the substances through a fluoridation process by use of a hydrofluoric acid-containing solution. The object can be attained by employing an ingredient-regulated raw material prepared from an ore or a concentrate and, as an additive, a substance insoluble to hydrofluoric acid or a mixed acid containing hydrofluoric acid as an essential component; or by increasing the amount of the extraction residue through addition of the insoluble substance to a solvent during the fluoridation process, to thereby reduce the relative radioactive substance content to an arbitrary value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Sohama, Hiromichi Isaka, Hiroyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6608001
    Abstract: A method for producing small spherical particles that are especially useful as catalysts and catalyst supports employed in chemical processes is disclosed. According to some embodiments, the method includes impregnating a porous support with a metal or metal oxide and dissolving the support to release spherical particles. In certain embodiments the support that is employed in the method comprises a number of spherical voids which determine the size of the spherical particles, and preferably have micrometer range diameters. One embodiment of an attrition resistant Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprises a plurality of micrometer size spherical metal and/or metal oxide particles that are prepared according to the above-described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventor: Joe D. Allison
  • Patent number: 6383459
    Abstract: A direct dissolution method for the purification of technical grade hydrated ammonium tantalum oxide (HATO), (NH4)2−xHxTa2O6.nH2O), and related compounds such as tantalum hydroxide and tantalum oxide is described. The method preferably uses ammonium bifluoride as fluoride source in place of the hydrofluoric acid used in the conventional methods. Other fluoride compounds such as NaF, KF, and CaF2 may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Raj P. Singh, Michael J. Miller
  • Patent number: 6214301
    Abstract: Hafnium is recovered from irradiated tantalum by: (a) contacting the irradiated tantalum with at least one acid to obtain a solution of dissolved tantalum; (b) combining an aqueous solution of a calcium compound with the solution of dissolved tantalum to obtain a third combined solution; (c) precipitating hafnium, lanthanide, and insoluble calcium complexes from the third combined solution to obtain a first precipitate; (d) contacting the first precipitate of hafnium, lanthanide and calcium complexes with at least one fluoride ion complexing agent to form a fourth solution; (e) selectively adsorbing lanthanides and calcium from the fourth solution by cationic exchange; (f) separating fluoride ion complexing agent product from hafnium in the fourth solution by adding an aqueous solution of ferric chloride to obtain a second precipitate containing the hafnium and iron; (g) dissolving the second precipitate containing the hafnium and iron in acid to obtain an acid solution of hafnium and iron; (h) selectively ad
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Wayne A. Taylor, David J. Jamriska
  • Patent number: 6180072
    Abstract: There is provided a process to reclaim metals from catalysts, said process comprising collecting one or more catalyst containing at least one metal sulfide; leaching the catalyst in an atmospheric leach step; separating the leached slurry into a first liquid stream and a first solid; leaching the first solid in a pressure leach process; separating the second leached slurry into a second liquid stream and a second solid; collecting the first and second liquid streams; oxidizing the combined liquid stream; cooling the oxidized liquid stream; adjusting the pH of the oxidized liquid stream; contacting the cooled oxidized liquid stream with an organic solvent containing an extractant; stripping the soluble metal species from the organic phase; adjusting the pH of the aqueous phase to selectively precipitate at least one metal as a metal salt; and separating the metal salt from the aqueous phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Jack Thomas Veal, Kevin Arnold Andersen, Ruth Mary Kowaleski
  • Patent number: 6153155
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for recovering the transition metal component of catalysts used in the hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbonaceous materials. In accordance with the invention, a slurry of a transition metal catalyst and hydrocarbon is catalytically desulfurized resulting in a desulfurized product and a solid residue containing the transition metal. The transition metal may be recovered by coking the residue and then dividing the coker residue into two portions are combusted with the flue dust from the first combustion zone being conducted to the second combustion zone. The flue dust from the second combustion zone is treated with ammonia and ammonium carbonate in order to obtain ammonium molybdate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael Y. Wen, Georgui S. Golovin, Mikhail Ja. Shpirt, Leonid A. Zekel, Andrew Sullivan, Stephen Mark Davis
  • Patent number: 6027543
    Abstract: A method for removing a heavy metal from sludge, including the step of putting the sludge into contact with a treating liquid to dissolve the heavy metal contained in the sludge into the treating liquid. The treating liquid is formed of either A or B, where (A) is an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid, and (B) is an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid containing at least one of B1 and B2, where (B1) is at least one acid other than phosphoric acid, and (B2) is at least one oxidant. The concentration of the phosphoric acid in the treating liquid is 3% by weight or more. Alternatively, the sludge is put into contact with the treating liquid at a temperature of 40.degree. C. or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Shiro Yoshizaki
    Inventors: Shiro Yoshizaki, Tahei Tomida
  • Patent number: 5945342
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for digesting diphosphonic acid substituted cation exchange resins that have become loaded with actinides, rare earth metals, or heavy metals, in a way that allows for downstream chromatographic analysis of the adsorbed species without damage to or inadequate elution from the downstream chromatographic resins. The methods of the present invention involve contacting the loaded diphosphonic acid resin with concentrated oxidizing acid in a closed vessel, and irradiating this mixture with microwave radiation. This efficiently increases the temperature of the mixture to a level suitable for digestion of the resin without the use of dehydrating acids that can damage downstream analytical resins. In order to ensure more complete digestion, the irradiated mixture can be mixed with hydrogen peroxide or other oxidant, and reirradiated with microwave radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Westinghouse Savannah River Company
    Inventors: Sherrod L. Maxwell, III, Sheldon T. Nichols
  • Patent number: 5787332
    Abstract: A process for treating composite materials comprising metals and having significant radioactivity for separation into concentrated individual products is provided. The process of the invention recovers valuable metals and semi-metal elements including rare earth, transition metal, radioactive elements, and compounds and composites thereof as commercially viable products while isolating the radioactive components. They key components in the composite material which are desired to be recovered are tantalum, niobium, and scandium due to their high commercial values and significant quantities. The process further includes the capability to recover uranium, thorium, rare earth, and zirconium products. Generally, the process consists of an initial sulfate roast followed by a series of hydrometallurgical unit operations designed to separate and purify the desired components into commercially usable products, such as tantalum and/or niobium in the form of metal oxides, M.sub.2 O.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Fansteel Inc.
    Inventors: William D. Black, David R. Tierney, Henrietta Notzl-Loiselle
  • Patent number: 5702500
    Abstract: An integrated process for the treatment of spent catalysts containing mainly molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, cobalt and, alumina to produce ammonium metavanadate, vanadium pentoxide, molybdic trioxide, fused alumina and a high grade nickel/cobalt alloy essentially free of aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Gulf Chemical & Metallurgical Corporation
    Inventors: Zenon R. Llanos, Guido F. Provoost, William G. Deering, Frans J. Debaene
  • Patent number: 5635146
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for the dissolution and purification of tantalum pentoxide. The impure tantalum pentoxide is reacted with a potassium-containing compound to form potassium tantalate. The potassium tantalate is optionally slurried with sulfuric acid and dissolved in an HF medium. The solution is suitable for purification by conventional ion exchange or solvent extraction methods. A potassium fluorotantalate precipitate may also be formed by adding KCl to the solution. The fluorotantalate precipitate may be further processed into a pure tantalum pentoxide by suspending the precipitate in an aqueous solution optionally containing a chelating agent and adding ammonium hydroxide to form ammonium tantalum oxide which can then be converted to tantalum pentoxide by calcining at high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Raj P. Singh, Michael J. Miller
  • Patent number: 5587132
    Abstract: A method for producing an electrolytic solution containing vanadium as positive and negative electrode active material, the electrolytic solutions being suitable for a redox battery which comprises: the steps of (1) a vanadium compound is dissolved in a solvent under an alkaline or neutral condition, a polyvanadate compound is precipitated and isolated by thermal polymerization of vanadium ions under an acidic condition; (2) a part of the polyvanadate compound is baked in an inert or oxidizing gas atmosphere so as to remove ammonium ions; (3) a trivalent vanadium compound is formed by treating another part of the polyvanadate compound under a reductive atmosphere; (4) a trivalent vanadium electrolytic solution is formed by dissolving the trivalent vanadium compound in an acid solution; and (5) vanadium pentoxide and a part of the trivalent vanadium compound are reacted by mixing so that mixed electrolytic solutions of V.sup.4+ and V.sup.3+ are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Kashima-Kita Electric Power Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Nakajima, Toshiaki Akahoshi, Masatoshi Sawahata, Yutaka Nomura, Kanji Sato
  • Patent number: 5494648
    Abstract: A process for removal of thorium from titanium chlorinator waste comprising: (a) leaching an anhydrous titanium chlorinator waste in water or dilute hydrochloric acid solution and filtering to separate insoluble minerals and coke fractions from soluble metal chlorides; (b) beneficiating the insoluble fractions from step (a) on shaking tables to recover recyclable or otherwise useful TiO.sub.2 minerals and coke; and (c) treating filtrate from step (a) with reagents to precipitate and remove thorium by filtration along with acid metals of Ti, Zr, Nb, and Ta by the addition of the filtrate (a), a base and a precipitant to a boiling slurry of reaction products (d); treating filtrate from step (c) with reagents to precipitate and recover an iron vanadate product by the addition of the filtrate (c), a base and an oxidizing agent to a boiling slurry of reaction products; and (e) treating filtrate from step (d) to remove any remaining cations except Na by addition of Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and boiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Richard S. Olsen, John T. Banks
  • Patent number: 5491078
    Abstract: A leach solution comprises water, glucose and glucose oxidase. The oxidase acts upon the glucose to produce gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The leach solution reacts with mineral elements and compounds to produce a leach reaction solution from which metal values can be obtained. The leach solution can also contain ascorbic acid, catalase, galactose, galactose oxidase and a salt such as water soluble metal cyanides and water soluble metal halides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1996
    Inventor: John R. Clark
  • Patent number: 5437849
    Abstract: To process vanadium-containing residues, the residues are leached in an aqueous slurry with introduction of SO.sub.2, the undissolved solids are removed. To effect a processing which is simple, economical and ecologically satisfactory, vanadium content is precipitated as a tetravalent vanadium compound from the sulfate solution at a pH from 7 to 9 by an addition of alkali metal hydroxide and the precipitate is removed from the alkali metal sulfate solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Metallgesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Wolfgang Fennemann
  • Patent number: 5437848
    Abstract: A process for recovering metal and acid values from a source material containing metallic fluorides comprises digesting the source material in sulfuric acid to form a slurry, separating a fluoride containing solid phase and a metal containing first liquid phase. The solid phase is subjected to pyrohydrolysis, sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids are recovered, and the first liquid phase is processed to recover the metal values by solvent extraction or ion exchanges. The tantalum values are extracted from the first liquid aqueous phase by a water immiscible organic extractant such as methylisobutyl ketone to form a first liquid organic phase containing tantalum and a second liquid aqueous phase. The tantalum is stripped from the first organic phase using water. The process includes the additional steps of heating the separated solid phase from about ambient temperature to an elevated temperature in the presence of water vapor to evolve sulfuric acid and render the gangue chemically inert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Cabot Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Hard
  • Patent number: 5431892
    Abstract: A process for recovering valuable metals from a waste catalyst based on an alumina carrier includes (a) roasting the waste catalyst at a temperature range of 400.degree. to 1,000.degree. C. to obtain a roasted product; (b) preparing a reduction dissolution by dissolving the roasted product with sulfuric acid in the presence of a metal as a dissolution catalyst; (c) separating a large part of the aluminum from the reduction dissolution solution and recovering aluminum as ammonium aluminum sulfate from the solution, optionally after subjecting the reduction dissolution solution to a treatment of removing iron; (d) extracting molybdenum as a molybdate by solvent extraction from the solution after separating and recovering aluminum from the solution; (e) extracting vanadium as a vanadate by solvent extraction from the solution obtained as a residue after extracting molybdenum; and (f) recovering nickel and cobalt each as a hydroxide from the extraction residue after recovering vanadium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Toyabe, Kenji Kirishima, Haruo Shibayama, Hideo Hanawa
  • Patent number: 5415849
    Abstract: A process for dissolving used catalyst includes the steps of roasting, after subjecting to an optional deoiling treatment, the used catalyst at a temperature lower than 1,000.degree. C. but not lower than the temperature at which any of the residual components in the used catalyst undergoes ignition and combustion where the residual components are selected from the group consisting of oils, sulfur components, and carbon components; and dissolving the roasted product using sulfuric acid after adding a metal to the roasted product as a catalyst for accelerating dissolution. The process provides a simple and efficient method for completely dissolving a used catalyst having a carrier containing alumina as the principal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Limited
    Inventors: Keiji Toyabe, Kenji Kirishima, Haruo Shibayama, Yuji Nakano, Hisaaki Shimauchi, Ichiro Matsunaga