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:
Jun. 12, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 18, 2008
Jeffrey S. Kanel, Kingsport, TN (US);
Robert L. Clayton, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jeffrey S. Kanel, Kingsport, TN (US);
Robert L. Clayton, Tucson, AZ (US);
Renewable Algal Energy, LLC, Kingsport, TN (US);
Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN (US);
Abstract
A method of concentrating particles in a liquid-particle dispersion feed by adsorptive bubble separation by intimately contacting a gas with a pressurized stream of liquid in a chamber to form an aerated dispersion that retains at least some of the kinetic energy from the pressurized stream, and removing at least some of the kinetic energy from the aerated dispersion to form a dense foam. A liquid-particle dispersion feed is then injected into the dense foam to form a gas-liquid-particle dispersion. The gas-liquid-particle dispersion is injected into a flotation chamber at a point below a surface of a liquid contained therein, where the gas-liquid-particle dispersion forms bubbles of a gas-particle agglomerate, and the bubbles are released from the feed liquid depleted in hydrophobic particles and rise to the surface to form a floating froth enriched in particles. Also described is a device that includes plurality of chambers for aeration and mixing, feed injection, and a duct that is positioned below the liquid-foam line of a flotation chamber, so that the gas-liquid-particle dispersion is released within the chamber, and rises to the surface as a floating froth enriched in particles.