Systems and methods for processing lead-containing glass
AssigneeGreene Lyon Group, Inc.
InventorsSvitlana Grigorenko, Andre Brosseau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for processing lead-containing glass are generally described. In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the lead within the bulk of the lead-containing glass is removed from the lead-containing glass and transferred to a liquid leaching medium. Removal of lead from the bulk of the lead-containing glass, as opposed to the surface and areas closely adjacent to the surface of the lead-containing glass, can allow for the production of recycled glass that includes substantially no lead within its boundaries.
Claims30
A method of extracting lead from a lead-containing glass, comprising:
- exposing a plurality of lead-containing glass particles to a liquid leaching medium comprising a lead-complexing agent, such that the lead-complexing agent associates with at least a portion of the lead from within the bulk of the lead-containing glass to facilitate transport of the lead to the liquid leaching medium to produce treated glass;
- and
- separating at least a portion of the treated glass particles from at least a portion of the liquid leaching medium,
- wherein, throughout the exposing step, at least about 50% of the total volume of the glass particles is made up of glass particles having a minimum cross-sectional dimension of at least about 2 micrometers.
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A method of extracting lead from lead-containing glass, comprising:
- exposing the lead-containing glass to a liquid leaching medium comprising a lead-complexing agent, wherein the liquid leaching medium has a pH of at least about 8;
- transporting at least a portion of the lead from within the bulk of the lead-containing glass to the liquid leaching medium to produce treated glass;
- and
- separating at least a portion of the treated glass from at least a portion of the liquid leaching medium.
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7-8. (canceled)
13-18. (canceled)
20-22. (canceled)
25-30. (canceled)
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41-43. (canceled)
An integrated system configured for recycling electronic equipment comprising leaded glass, comprising:
- a first stage in which a substantially intact piece of electronic equipment comprising glass components and non-glass components is disaggregated to produce glass components and non-glass components;
- a second stage in which at least a portion of the glass components are separated from at least a portion of the non-glass components, wherein at least a portion of the glass components comprise lead-containing glass;
- and
- a third stage comprising a liquid leaching medium able to extract at least a portion of the lead from the lead-containing glass.
45-51. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.