Systems and methods of thermochemically reducing metallic elements using thermal shock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024309486-A1
Application number	US-202418591714-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 29, 2024
Priority date	Mar 15, 2023
Publication date	Sep 19, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes a chamber comprising one or more openings and filled with an inert or reducing gas. The system includes a conductive material, at least one set of electrodes coupled to the conductive material, and a power supply configured to apply a voltage across the at least one set of electrodes to allow current to flow through and heat the conductive material. The system is configured to thermochemically reduce particulates by heating the particulates that are in electrical and/or thermal contact with the conductive material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving particulates in a chamber, such that the particulates are in electrical and/or thermal contact with a conductive material in the chamber; and thermochemically reducing the particulates by heating the particulates in an inert or reducing environment by applying a voltage to at least one set of electrodes connected to the conductive material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising grinding electronic waste to form the particulates.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an average diameter of the particulates comprises a diameter less than or equal to about 100 microns.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising extracting rare earth elements from thermochemically reduced particulates using an acid.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particulates are uncompressed during the thermochemically reducing.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermochemically reducing is completed within approximately 15 seconds.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermochemically reducing occurs at a temperature at or below about 2,000 C.

8 . A system comprising:
a chamber comprising one or more openings and filled with an inert or reducing gas; a conductive material; at least one set of electrodes coupled to the conductive material; and a power supply configured to apply a voltage across the at least one set of electrodes to allow current to flow through and heat the conductive material, wherein the system is configured to thermochemically reduce particulates by heating the particulates that are in electrical and/or thermal contact with the conductive material.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising one or more sensors configured to measure temperature, current, and/or an amount of oxygen in the chamber.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the conductive material comprises a carbon felt, a carbon foil, and/or a tungsten foil.

11 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a roller-based processing line configured to move waste particulates into and out of the chamber through the one or more openings.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the particulates are heated for about 15 seconds.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the particulates are heated at a temperature at or below approximately 2,000 C.

14 . A method comprising:
loading particulates onto a sheet of material using a roller-based processing line; moving the sheet of material into a chamber; filling the chamber with an inert or reducing gas; and heating the particulates by thermal shock in an inert or reducing environment to form concentrated particulates.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising automating the loading, moving, filling, and heating.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising removing the concentrated particulates from the sheet of conductive material.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising extracting rare earth elements from the concentrated particulates using an acid.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the particulates are uncompressed during the heating.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the heating is completed within about 15 seconds.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the heating occurs at a temperature at or below approximately 2,000 C.

Assignees

• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Montalbano Timothy J
• Holdren Scott M

Classifications

• C22B59/00

  Obtaining rare earth metals · CPC title

• C22B4/08

  Apparatus ({C22B4/005 takes precedence; } electric heating elements H05B) · CPC title

• C22B7/001 Primary

  Dry processes · CPC title

• C22B1/248 Primary

  of metal scrap or alloys · CPC title