Material extracting system and method
OwnerIgor Simon Alexandroffinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for extracting a constituent material from a first material. The system includes a kinetic impactor configured to generate a series of high voltage electrical discharges in a liquid, thereby creating plasma explosions that comminute the particles suspended in the liquid, and can also mechanically, chemically, and/or electrochemically extract the constituent material.
Claims21
A kinetic impactor for extracting from a first material a constituent material that is contained in the first material, the kinetic impactor comprising:
- an extraction chamber;
- a pair of gapped electrodes located within the extraction chamber;
- and
- a reactive liquid located within the extraction chamber, the reactive liquid having a property of extracting the constituent material in a predetermined manner;
- wherein a gap between the pair of gapped electrodes is at least partially submerged within the reactive liquid, and wherein the pair of gapped electrodes is configured to produce an electrical discharge sufficient to cause an electrical breakdown of the reactive liquid in the gap between the pair of gapped electrodes, thereby generating a plasma explosion having an energy level sufficient to fragment the first material, so as to enhance extraction of the constituent material by the reactive liquid.
A method of extracting, a constituent material that is contained in a first material, using a kinetic impactor including an extraction chamber and a pair of gapped electrodes located within the extraction chamber, the method comprising:
- a) at least partially submerging a gap between the pair of gapped electrodes within a reactive liquid having a property of extracting the constituent material in a predetermined manner;
- b) producing an electrical discharge in the gap between the pair of gapped electrodes to cause an electrical breakdown of the reactive liquid, thereby generating a plasma explosion having an energy level sufficient to fragment the first material in a way that enhances extraction of the constituent material by the reactive liquid;
- and
- c) using the reactive liquid to extract the constituent material within the extraction chamber.
A method of extracting a constituent material from a first material, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a kinetic impactor that includes an extraction chamber and a pair of gapped electrodes located within the extraction chamber;
- b) at least partially submerging a gap between the pair of gapped electrodes within a reactive liquid having a property of extracting the constituent material in a predetermined manner;
- c) producing an electrical discharge in the gap between the pair of gapped electrodes to cause an electrical breakdown of the reactive liquid, thereby generating an acoustic shockwave;
- and
- d) using the reactive liquid to both (i) fragment the first material by conducting the generated acoustic shockwave within the extraction chamber;
- and (ii) extract the constituent material from the fragmented first material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.