Enron Corp.

Henry Epstein

David C Hitchcock

Bohdan Lisowyj

A sand collection system includes a column of coarse sand within a cylindrical container coaxially mounted to the output end of a furnace conduit through which heated gases containing sublimate will pass. A layer of gas permeable material holds sand in position and an aperture in its center assists in directing gases generally to the center of the sand column. The sand column is spaced away from the furnace a distance such that the temperature differential will cause condensation of the heated gases on the surfaces of the sand particles.

Condensate sand collection system

A method for collecting condensate includes filling a cylindrical container with a column of coarse sand and mounting the container coaxially to the output end of a furnace conduit through which heated gases containing sublimate will pass. A layer of gas permeable material holds sand in position and an aperture in its center assists in directing gases generally to the center of the sand column. The sand column is spaced away from the furnace a distance such that the temperature differential will cause condensation of the heated gases on the surfaces of the sand particles.

Sand collection system

A method is disclosed for recovering gallium and/or germanium from fly ash which comprises pelletizing the fly ash, treating the pellets in the presence of an oxidizing gas at a temperature of from about 900.degree. C. to just below the fusion temperature of the pellets, treating the pellets in the presence of a reducing gas at the same temperature range, and recovering gallium and/or germanium suboxides from the gas.

Process for the recovery of gallium and germanium from coal fly ash

A furnace arrangement utilizes a single vertically disposed shaft furnace incorporating the features of pellet drying and hardening, oxidizing heat-up, reducing roast and gas separation. The upper portion of the furnace dries and hardens 'green' pellets while at the same time subjecting them to an oxidizing atmosphere and temperature increase. A stack of the pellets slowly moves downwardly through a transistion zone to a reducing atmosphere in a lower portion of the furnace. A heated reducing gas circulates through this lower portion and out of the furnace through a recovery system of the furnace arrangement. After the sublimate carried by the reducing gas is removed, the reducing gas is supplemented and returned to the lower portion of the furnace to again produce a reducing atmosphere. A smaller branch of cooled reducing gas enters the lower portion of the furnace adjacent the bottom to cool the pellet residue immediately prior to removal from the furnace.

Growing community of inventors

Omaha, NE, United States of America

Henry Epstein