The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 21, 1978
Filed:
Apr. 08, 1977
Dimitry J Cognevich, Metairie, LA (US);
Freeport Minerals Company, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method are provided for handling the problem of crud formation in solvent extraction equipment. 'Crud' is the name commonly given to the thick interfacial layer of semi-floatable material that accumulates and interferes with many solvent extraction operations. The apparatus disclosed is used in combination with mixer-settler equipment, and it includes a rotatable shaft, a blade mounted on the shaft, apparatus for moving the shaft and blade across a plane parallel to the surface of the liquid inside a rectangular settler vessel, equipment for rotating the blade and shaft about the shaft's longitudinal axis, and a locking device for locking the blade into an extended or retracted position. The method disclosed provides for lowering the blade into the liquid periodically and slowly traversing the length of the settler vessel; moving the crud mass toward one end of the vessel and causing it to be compressed therein; rotating the shaft and blade which causes the compressed crud to flow over a high-level weir at the end of the vessel; locking the blade with both faces parallel to the settler's surface and returning it to its original position, or to any other convenient predetermined position, from which it can be subsequently lowered again below the liquid level to start another cycle. The invention is particularly applicable to the solvent extraction recovery of uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid.