# US 5,976,488 A · Process of making a compound having a spinel structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,976,488 A - Document ID: US5976488A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/696,756 - Filed: 1996-08-14 - Granted: 1999-11-02 - Earliest claimed: 1992-07-02 - Assignees: Phoenix Environmental, Ltd. - Inventors: Jason Workman; Peter DellaValle - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5976488A ## CPC - F23M 5/00: Casings; Linings; Walls - F23G 5/006: {General arrangement of incineration plant, e.g. flow sheets} - F23G 5/085: {High-temperature heating means, e.g. plasma, for partly melting the waste} - F23G 5/16: in a separate combustion chamber - F23J 15/006: {Layout of treatment plant} - F23L 7/007: {Supplying oxygen or oxygen-enriched air} - F23G 2202/20: to temperatures melting waste - F23G 2203/70: Modular furnace - F23G 2204/201: Plasma - F23G 2204/202: Laser - F23J 2217/101: Baghouse type - F23J 2217/103: ultrafine [HEPA] - F23J 2217/50: by cleaning fluids (washers or scrubbers) - F23J 2217/60: using settling/precipitation chambers - F23J 2219/40: Sorption with wet devices, e.g. scrubbers - Y02E 20/34: Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery - F23M: CASINGS, LININGS, WALLS OR DOORS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, e.g. FIREBRIDGES; DEVICES FOR DEFLECTING AIR, FLAMES OR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS IN COMBUSTION CHAMBERS; SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR COMBUSTION APPARATUS; DETAILS OF COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F23G: CREMATION FURNACES; CONSUMING WASTE PRODUCTS BY COMBUSTION - F23J: REMOVAL OR TREATMENT OF COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OR COMBUSTION RESIDUES; FLUES (combustion apparatus for consuming smoke or fumes, e.g. exhaust gases, F23G7/06) - F23L: SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ({air-supply arrangements for fluent fuels F23C;} firebridges with means for feeding air or steam F23M3/04; baffles or shields with air supply passages F23M9/04); VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS {(dampers and throat restrictors for open fire-places F24; air inlet valves for open fire fronts F24)}; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Apparatus and a process are provided for converting and/or removing harmful constituents from solid hazardous or other undesirable waste material by heating the waste in a reactor in the presence of a continuous flow of oxygen and waste metals, wherein the waste material becomes a molten metal oxide bath which when solidified, has a spinel structure to chemically bond harmful constituents within the spinel structure by crystal chemical substitution. The resulting metal oxides are environmentally acceptable. A substantially gaseous effluent which may contain particulate material is also generated. The effluent is conducted through a high temperature zone to destroy organic and other harmful constituents influenced by temperature and dwell time. The effluent is further processed through an emissions treatment system to achieve acceptable environmental quality. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of making a compound having a spinel structure comprising: (a) introducing into a reactor solid phase reactants comprising an iron-containing metal and at least one constituent capable of forming a metal oxide having a spinel structure; (b) introducing pure oxygen into the reactor in a manner to create and maintain in the reactor an oxidizing environment having oxygen present in an amount adequate for forming the compound having a spinel structure; (c) generating sufficient heat within the reactor in the presence of the adequate amount of oxygen to heat and melt the reactants at a temperature of about 2700.degree. F. to about 3000.degree. F. to oxidize the reactants and form a molten oxide bath capable, upon cooling, of forming largely the compound having a spinel; and (d) cooling the oxidized molten reactants in the molten oxide bath to convert iron and at least a portion of the constituent capable of forming a metal oxide having a spinel structure into the compound having a spinel structure, the compound comprising iron and at least the portion of the constituent chemically bound in the spinel structure, the compound having a spinel structure being largely the product formed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the heat generating step (c) comprises generating heat by an exothermic reaction between the oxygen and the reactants. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 wherein the heat generating step further includes initiating the exothermic reaction by heating the reactants in the presence of a combustible material to a temperature sufficient to initiate the exothermic reaction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the constituent comprises an element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Si, V, Ti, Mo, Pb, Al, Cr, and Cd. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein in step (c), the constituent is present in a spinel structure having a formula AD.sub.2 O.sub.4, wherein A is an element having a valence of 2 or 4 and D is an element having a valence of 2 or 3. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process of claim 5 wherein at least one of A and D is Fe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The process of claim 5 wherein A is selected from the group consisting of Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Ti and Zn. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7 wherein at least one of A and D is Fe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The process of claim 5 wherein D is selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn and V. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process of claim 9 wherein at least one of A and D is Fe. ### Claim 11 A method for synthesis of ferrite spinel comprising: (a) introducing into a reactor a solid phase reactant consisting essentially of iron-containing metal; (b) introducing pure oxygen into the reactor in a manner to create and maintain in the reactor an oxidizing environment having oxygen present in an amount adequate for forming the ferrite spinel; (c) generating sufficient heat within the reactor in the presence of the adequate amount of oxygen to generate an exothermic reaction between the oxygen and iron-containing metal to oxidize the iron and produce a molten metal oxide at a temperature of about 2700.degree. F. to about 3000.degree. F., wherein the molten oxide is capable of cooling to form the ferrite spinel; and (d) cooling the molten metal oxide to form the ferrite spinel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the ferrite spinel is magnetite. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising introducing at least one additional metal into the reactor and cooling the molten oxide to produce a ferrite spinel having the at least one additional metal in the ferrite spinel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the additional metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Si, V, Ti, Mo, Al, Cr, and Cd. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the exothermic reaction is self-sustaining. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the ferrite spinel has the formula AD.sub.2 O.sub.4, wherein A is an element having a valence of 2 or 4 and D is an element having a valence of 2 or 3 and wherein one of A and D is Fe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein A is selected from the group consisting of Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Ti, and Zn, and D is Fe.