Patents
US 8551429 B2: Methods of processing polyhalite ore, methods of producing potassium sulfate, and related systems
- Granted
- 2013-10-08
- Filed
- 2012-11-06 application 13670170
- Type
- Utility · 21 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Methods of forming potassium sulfate include calcining polyhalite ore particles to convert the polyhalite ore particles to a water-soluble composition. At least a portion of the water-soluble composition is dissolved in an aqueous medium to form an aqueous solution comprising K+, Mg2+, and SO42− ions and a calcium-containing solid. The calcium-containing solid is separated from the aqueous solution to form a filtrate comprising K+, Mg2+, and SO42− ions. A potassium-containing salt is dissolved in the filtrate to increase the concentration of K+ and SO42− ions to from a concentrated liquor, and K2SO4 is crystallized from the concentrated liquor. A system for processing polyhalite ore includes a countercurrent leaching apparatus, a first mix tank, an evaporator, and at least one crystallizer.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg131008.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTERCONTINENTAL POTASH CORP. (USA) 3 patents | US company or organization | Hobbs, NM | Intercontinental Potash Corp. (USA) Form D issuer EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas H. Neuman | Salt Lake City, UT | 4 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Richard W. Chastain | Carlsbad, NM | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Donial M. Felton | Carlsbad, NM | 3 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Daniel C. Neuman | Soda Springs, ID | 1 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Otto C. Schnauber | Rock Springs, WY | 1 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| B01D | Separation | B01D9/0031 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| C01D | Compounds of alkali metals, i.e. lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, or francium | C01D5/00 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-11-06 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | CHASTAIN, RICHARD W. signed 2012-10-09 FELTON, DONIAL M. signed 2012-10-09 NEUMAN, DANIEL C. signed 2012-10-11 SCHNAUBER, OTTO C. signed 2012-10-12 NEUMAN, THOMAS H. signed 2012-10-26 | INTERCONTINENTAL POTASH CORP. (USA) HOBBS, NM | 29251/138 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.