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US 5,855,691 AGranted
Mercury recovery process
AssigneePioneer Licensing Inc.
InventorsPeter G. Oram, John D. Currie, Richard M. Kenno
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AssigneePioneer Licensing Inc.
InventorsPeter G. Oram, John D. Currie, Richard M. Kenno
Estimating the term…
A process for the recovery of heavy metals, and in particular, mercury from a heavy metal-contaminated soil, or the recovery of mercury from a mercury-contaminated material, wherein the particles containing the heavy metal or mercury are separated from soil or mercury-contaminated material by a hydraulic mineral separator. The process may additionally include pre-classification of the soil particles to form a sample having essentially constant soil particle size prior to separation in the mineral separator. The process provides a ready method for removal of mercury from mercury-contaminated materials or heavy metals from heavy metal contaminated soils which process can allow recovery of the mercury or heavy metal for re-use. Alternatively, the process provides a smaller volume of mercury- or heavy metal-contaminated soil or material to be treated.
A heavy metal waste recovery process which process comprises i) classification of a heavy metal contaminated soil to form a soil sample having soil particles of substantially the same particle size, ii) treatment of said soil particles in a hydraulic mineral separator with a liquid which does not react with the heavy metal to form a higher density, heavy metal-containing fraction and a lower density, substantially heavy metal-free fraction, and iii) separation of said higher density fraction from said lower density fraction.
A process for recovery of mercury from a mercury-contaminated material comprising I) treatment of said mercury-contaminated material in a hydraulic mineral separator with a liquid which does not react with mercury to form a higher density, mercury-containing fraction and a lower density, substantially mercury-free fraction, and ii) separation of said higher density fraction from said lower density fraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.