Optical system and method for metallurgical extraction and refining
US11981977B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 2021 |
| Grant date | May 14, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 20, 2042 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/20
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and a system, the system, comprising a laser source, a ionization and acceleration unit, a separation unit, and a collecting unit, wherein the laser source comprises a large bandwidth laser delivering successive pulses of fixed central wavelength and bandwidth to a surface of a target positioned inside the ionization and acceleration unit, surface atoms of the target being ionized by the pulses, accelerated from the surface of the target to a kinetic energy in the range between 100 eV and 10 KeV, and focused to the separation unit, the separation unit separating received atoms into different ions species, and the collecting unit separately collecting the different ion species. The method comprises positioning a target inside a resistive tube, delivering successive pulses of same selected wavelength and bandwidth from a large bandwidth laser generating a beam of fixed central wavelength and bandwidth to a surface of the target to ionize atoms of the surface of the target, accelerate the ionized atoms to a kinetic energy in a range between 100 eV and 10 KeV, under an electric field in a resistive tube, directing the ionized atoms to a magnetic separator, and collecting ions …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.