Thermal acid base accounting in mine overburden
OwnerRobert B. LaCountinventor
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Abstract
The present invention is a one-step thermal method for analyzing the acid-base content of earth samples, specifically mine overburden samples. By using a low oxygen concentration, preferably about 3%, the transition metal carbonates in the sample decomposed to produce carbon dioxide at a lower temperature than the alkaline earth metal carbonates. In contrast, alkaline earth metal carbonates decompose at approximately the same (higher) temperature regardless of the oxygen concentration. Any oxidizable sulfur forms present in the sample are also oxidized by using this oxygen concentration so that only one experiment is required to obtain the carbonate and sulfur contents of the sample.
Claims26
A mine overburdens analysis method comprising providing a sample, treating the sample with different concentrations of oxygen in inert gas, varying heat temperatures corresponding to the concentrations of the oxygen in the inert gas, thereby differing decomposition rates of substances in the mine overburdens, detecting the different decomposition rates of the substances, and analyzing the substances present in the mine overburdens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.