William A Hockings

US Patent:

46860037, Aug 11, 1987

Filed:

Dec 10, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/445224

Inventors:

William A. Hockings - Houghton MI
Duane M. Thayer - Chassell MI

Assignee:

Board of Control of Michigan Technological University - Houghton MI

International Classification:

B01D 100

US Classification:

159 473

Abstract:

Scale-forming metal oxides and carbonates, such as cupric oxide, can be precipitated from an ammoniacal leaching solution with minimum scale buildup by distilling the solution in an externally heated distillation chamber mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. The distillation chamber includes a plurality of axially spaced annular baffles defining a plurality of compartments containing a tumbling medium, such as spherical balls. The solution is continuously introduced into the inlet end of the chamber and heated under pressure to a temperature above its boiling point as it flows over the baffles toward the outlet end of the chamber. A slurry containing the precipitated cupric oxide is continuously withdrawn from the outlet end and the evaporated gases are continuously withdrawn from the inlet end. The balls rub against each other, the interior of the chamber, and the sides of the baffles, as the chamber is rotated at a non-centrifuging speed, to provide a grinding or scrubbing action which minimizes a scale buildup of the precipitating cupric oxide.

US Patent:

50191713, May 28, 1991

Filed:

Aug 18, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/233619

Inventors:

David G. Hanson - Calumet MI
William A. Hockings - Houghton MI

Assignee:

Peninsula Copper Industries, Inc. - Hubbell MI

International Classification:

C03C 2300

US Classification:

134 2

Abstract:

An inorganic reinforcement component, such as fiberglass, is reclaimed from a scrap material including a vaporizable organic resin, such as epoxy, by heating the scrap material in an elongated, rotary furnace to a temperature above the vaporization point of the organic resin and below a point where the structural integrity of the reinforcement material is degraded. A purge gas flowing through the furnace countercurrently to the moving bed of scrap material sweeps away volatized gases, the organic reinforcement component is withdrawn from the outlet end of the furnace and a stream of combined gases including the purge gas and the volatized organic material is withdrawn from the inlet end of the furnace.