Molten metal reactor utilizing molten metal flow for feed material and reaction product entrapment

Abstract

A molten metal reactor quickly entrains a feed material in the molten reactant metal and provides the necessary contact between the molten reactant metal and the feed material to effect the desired chemical reduction of the feed material. The reactor includes a unique feed structure adapted to quickly entrain the feed material into the molten reactant metal and then transfer the molten reactant metal, feed material, and initial reaction products into a treatment chamber. A majority of the desired reactions occur in the treatment chamber. Reaction products and unspent reactant metal are directed from the treatment chamber to an output chamber where reaction products are removed from the reactor. Unspent reactant metal is then transferred to a heating chamber where it is reheated for recycling through the system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 817,461 filed Apr. 2, 2004, entitled “Molten Metal Reactor Utilizing Molten Metal Flow for Feed Material and Reaction Product Entrapment,” which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 014,976 filed Dec. 11, 2001, entitled “Molten Metal Reactor Utilizing Molten Metal Flow for Feed Material and Reaction Product Entrapment,” now U.S. Pat. No. 6,717,026, which claimed priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 271,825 filed Feb. 27, 2001, entitled “Molten Metal Reactor Utilizing Molten Metal Flow for Feed Material and Reaction Product Entrapment.” The Applicant claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10 / 817,461 and 10 / 014,976 under 35 U.S.C. §120, and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 271,825 under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The entire content of each of these applications is incorporated herei...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a molten metal reactor that can quickly and efficiently reduce a variety of feed materials to their desired chemical states by introducing them into the molten reactant metal and allowing them to react with the metal. The reactor has a unique feed structure that allows for the quick entrainment of the feed material and any initial reaction products into the treatment chamber, where they are trapped and held for a sufficient amount of time to have the desired chemical reactions. The reactor also induces a swirling flow in the molten reactant metal to enhance the contact between the feed material and the metal. The reactor is particularly useful for treating soils and other bulk solids that have been contaminated with hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, or other chemically reducible materials. The reactor can also produce intermediate reaction products that further reduce the feed material in the molten metal.

Problems solved by technology

A consistent issue with molten metal reactors is providing the necessary contact between the material to be treated or reacted, that is, the “feed material,” and the molten reactant metal.

Although the submerging structure works well with certain types of waste materials, such structures are not well suited for submerging other types of materials.

In particular, plunger structures are not well suited for use in relatively high-volume waste treatment applications in which relatively large quantities of loose or bulk feed materials, such as contaminated soils, for example, must be processed.

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