Patent · US Expired

Recovery of phosphorus from sludge

US4457845A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
3References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 11, 1982
Grant dateJul 3, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 11, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S210/907
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Phosphorus is recovered from the phosphorus sludge formed in the electrothermal production of phosphorus by contacting the sludge with a hydrophobic surface with sufficient force to cause the droplets of phosphorus in the sludge to coalesce and accumulate on the surface, from which it can become detached in the form of large phosphorus drops. One such recovery process involves contacting the sludge, under hydrostatic or other pressure, with a porous membrane formed of a hydrophobic material, through which passes coalesced phosphorus from the sludge, the water and the bulk of the impurities of the sludge being restrained against passage. Other coalescing procedures involve shearing the sludge between sliding hydrophobic surfaces and passing the sludge between hydrophobic surfaces in rolling contact. Typical hydrophobic materials are polyethylene, polypropylene, and rubber.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.