# US 2024/0200162 A1 · Novel process and flotation chemistry for valuable metal recovery from municipal solid waste incineration (mswi) ash > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0200162 A1 - Document ID: US20240200162A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/514,620 - Filed: 2023-11-20 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-21 - Assignees: Phinix, LLC - Applicants: Phinix, LLC; Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc. - Inventors: Subodh Das; Wencai Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200162A1 ## CPC - C04B 18/10: Burned {or pyrolised} refuse - C22B 7/007: {by acid leaching} - B09B 3/30: involving mechanical treatment (involving an extraction step B09B3/80) - B09B 3/35: Shredding, crushing or cutting - B09B 3/70: Chemical treatment, e.g. pH adjustment or oxidation (involving an extraction step B09B3/80) - B09B 3/80: involving an extraction step - C22B 1/24: Binding; Briquetting {; Granulating} - B09B 2101/30: Incineration ashes - Y02P 10/20: Recycling - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS - B09B: DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present disclosure concerns processes and the combinations thereof for the enrichment and/or isolation of valuable metals from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ash. Included are processes of size separation, froth floatation, magnetic separation, specific gravity separation, chemical separation, as well as the removal of lime. BY utilizing two or more, circuits of treatment are also provided that allow for fractionation of enriched valuable metals(s) from which purification thereof can be readily achieved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method to concentrate one or metals from a municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) ash comprising at least one step selected from: a. reducing the MSWI ash in size by crushing and sizing particles thereof from about 100 to about 400 mesh; b. adding the MSWI ash in a froth floatation solution to separate the MSWI ash in a froth floating fraction and a tailings fraction, wherein the froth floatation solution comprises a sulfide and a cationic collector; c. contact of the MSWI ash with a magnetic field to provide a magnetic fraction of the ash and a non-magnetic fraction of the ash; d. adding the MSWI ash to a float/sink solution with a specific gravity of 2.4-3.0 to provide a float fraction and a sink fraction; e. placing the MSWI ash in an aqueous solution and treating with a gas comprised of carbon dioxide to generate calcite-coated lime; f. treating the ash with a leaching solution to provide a leachate; or g. preparing a chemically separated fraction of the ash by solvent extraction, ion-exchange, selective precipitation, or passage through a membrane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the steps are performed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein steps (c) and (d) are performed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the non-magnetic fraction is added to the solution of (d). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a), (b), (f), and (g). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein (e) is performed before any other step. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step comprises (f) and wherein the leaching solution comprises an acid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the leaching solution has a pH of 0.0. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising raising the pH of the leachate to precipitate one or more metals therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein in the pH is raised to 3.5, 5.5, and 10 in three sequential steps, and wherein precipitated metal is isolated from the leachate with sequential step. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step comprises step (b). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the cationic collector comprises a dodecylamine salt. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the MSWI ash is prepared as a slurry in water, followed by the sequential addition of the sulfide and the cationic collector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the sulfide is added first to form a layer of metal sulfates. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein carbon dioxide is provided to the slurry prior to addition of the sulfide and the cationic collector to generate lime particles that can be removed and/or air is bubbled in the slurry. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein 1, wherein step (c) is performed and the non-magnetic fraction is provided into the froth floatation solution of step (b) and the tailings fraction is then added to the float/sink solution of step (d). ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step comprises (e), wherein the MSWI ash is provided to an aqueous solution and the gas is bubbled therein. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein after carbonation of the slurry by the gas, sodium oleate is added to the slurry. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) is added to the slurry.