Granted Patent B2

US 12,655,030 · App. 17/382,054 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: Lucien M. Papouchado (Aiken, SC); Barry E. Scheetz (Lemont, PA); Joseph D. Preston (Bainbridge Island, WA)

Assignee: Davy Powersports Inc.

C01C1/244C01F11/182C01P2004/50

Abstract

Claims (21)

1 . A method for processing a waste stream, the method comprising:

configuring a processor to operate a process comprising:

loading a first powder feedstock into a first reactor, wherein the first powder feedstock comprises a calcium sulfate component;

introducing an ammonium carbonate reagent to the first reactor to produce ammonium sulfate and calcium carbonate in a reaction slurry;

pumping the reaction slurry to a second reactor when a reaction to produce ammonium sulfate and calcium carbonate is complete thereby forming a reacted slurry;

filtering the reacted slurry resulting in a calcium carbonate residue and ammonium sulfate filtrate liquor;

loading a second powder feedstock into a third reactor, wherein the second powder feedstock comprises a metal-bearing component, a silica component, and an aluminosilicate component;

leaching the second powder feedstock by at least one of contacting, passing, and percolating an acid and hydrogen peroxide through the second powder feedstock and collecting a metal-bearing leachate formed in the third reactor, wherein after collecting the metal bearing leachate, the third reactor comprises dried solids comprising silicates;

responsive to collecting the metal-bearing leachate, adjusting a pH value of the metal-bearing leachate to a first predetermined pH value to precipitate a first component from the metal-bearing leachate, wherein the first predetermined pH value is 4, and wherein the first component comprises iron and aluminum;

responsive to precipitating the first component, separating by filtration the first component, and collecting a first filtrate in a fourth reactor; and

responsive to collecting the first filtrate, adjusting the first filtrate to a second predetermined pH value to precipitate a second component from the first filtrate, separating by filtration the second component to result in a second filtrate, and collecting the second filtrate in a fifth reactor.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor uses the predetermined pH values to separate the components based on predetermined logic.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein leaching the second powder feedstock is performed in one or more stages.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, or any combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the first filtrate to the second predetermined pH value using a base component that is at least one of calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first component and the second component are hydroxides of at least one of iron, aluminum, and a mischmetal, wherein the mischmetal is a mixed metal alloy of rare-earth elements.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first component or the second component includes a mischmetal, wherein the mischmetal is a mixed metal alloy of rare-earth elements and wherein the mischmetal is at least one of a cerium mischmetal and a rare-earth mischmetal, wherein the rare-earth mischmetal comprises at least one of cerium, lanthanum, scandium, and neodymium.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first component further comprises scandium or uranium.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises calcining the first component.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first component comprises iron in the form of ferric hydroxide, and wherein calcining the first component results in the formation of a ferric oxide product.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the metal-bearing leachate is about 1.5.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (10)

References Cited (38)