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US RE48,888 E1Granted
Packaging designed to be a fuel component and methods for making and using same
AssigneeSharps Compliance, Inc. of Texas
InventorsBurton J. Kunik, James C. Berns, David G. Gossman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Containers for disposal of waste materials, used or unused having desired burn properties. The containers have tailored or engineered properties based on material construction so that they are burnable and alter burn properties of the source materials, used or unused, contained therein. The containers may also include cavities into which accelerants, retarders, combustion aids, fuel value enhancing agents, additives to change an ash composition, other additives or the like are added.
Claims20
A method comprising the steps of:
- supplying an engineered burnable container comprising:
- an interior,
- a top,
- a bottom,
- at least one sidewall, and
- at least one opening disposed in the top for depositing a source material into the interior of the container,
- wherein the engineered burnable container has specific container combustion properties and container post-combustion ash properties including at least a container fuel value between 6,000 BTU/lb and 20,000 BTU/lb, a container burn rate, a post-combustion ash composition including post-combustion metal oxide concentrations or mixtures thereof and wherein the container is constructed out of cardboard, a polymer material, a plastic reinforced cardboard, a coated cardboard, or mixtures and combinations thereof,
- delivering or placing the engineered burnable container or a plurality of the engineered burnable containers to or at a location or locations, wherein a source material is generated or a plurality of source materials are generated wherein the source material is unused pharmaceuticals or expired pharmaceuticals,
- filling the interior of each of the containers with the source material or the source materials to form a filled container or filled containers,
- retrieving the filled container or the filled containers from the location or the locations,
- transporting the filled container or the filled containers to a processing facility comprising a power plant, a cement plant or a cement kiln,
- burning the filled container or the filled containers including the engineered burnable container and the source material contained therein as a fuel to generate heat and an ash composition, and
- if the processing facility is a power plant, then converting a portion of generated heat into a usable form of energy and wherein the filled containers have minimal ash production, or
- if the processing facility is a cement kiln or cement plant, converting the ash composition into a clinker or cement composition,
- wherein the source material or the source materials have combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties, wherein each filled container has specific combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties including at least a filled container fuel value, a filled container burn rate, and a filled container resulting ash composition, which have been adjusted, altered, modified, and/or augmented by the engineered burnable container combustion properties and/or the engineered burnable container post-combustion ash properties.
12 more elements
The method 1, further comprising the steps of:
- post-processing the filled container or the filled containers to alter combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties of the filled containers.
A method comprising the steps of:
- supplying an engineered burnable container, the engineered burnable container having specific container combustion properties and container post-combustion ash properties including a container fuel value between 6,000 BTU/lb and 20,000 BTU/lb, a container burn rate, and a container post-combustion ash composition including post-combustion metal oxide concentrations and wherein the engineered burnable container is constructed out of cardboard, a polymer material, a plastic reinforced cardboard, a coated cardboard, or mixtures and combinations thereof,
- delivering or placing the engineered burnable container to or at a location, wherein a source material is generated wherein the source material is unused harmaceuticals or expired pharmaceuticals,
- receiving within the burnable container the source material to form a filled container, wherein the source material has combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties including a source fuel value, a source burn rate, and a source post-combustion ash composition including post-combustion metal oxide concentrations,
- wherein each filled container has specific combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties including at least a filled container fuel value, a filled container burn rate, and a filled container resulting ash composition, which have been adjusted, altered, modified, or augmented by the container combustion properties or the container post-combustion ash properties,
- retrieving the filled container from the location,
- transporting the filled container to a power plant, a cement plant, or a cement kiln,
- burning the filled container at the power plant, the cement plant, or the cement kiln as a fuel to generate heat and an ash composition, and
- when burning the filled container at a power plant, converting a portion of generated heat into a usable form of energy and wherein the filled containers have minimal ash production, or
- when burning the filled container at a cement kiln or cement plant, converting the ash composition into a clinker or cement composition.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.