Environment Inlernafionai, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. I-XVII, 1994 Copyright © 1994 Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in the USA. All rights reserved 0160-4120/94 $6.00 + .00
Pergamon
NEW PATENTS This section contains abstracts and, where appropriate, illustrations of recently issued United States patents and published patent application filed from over 30 countries under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This information was obtained from recent additions to the PATSEARCH ~' online database in accordance with interest profiles developed by the Editors. Further information about online patent searching can be obtained from Research on Demand, Inc., 2421 Fourth Street, Ste. C., Berkeley, CA 94710, U.S.A. [Tel. 510-841 1145; Fax 510-841 6311].
34419 METHOD TO DEMILITARIZE, EXTRACT, AND RECOVER AMMONIUM PERCHLORATE FROM COMPOSITE PROPELLANTS USING LIQUID AMMONIA William S Melvin, James Graham assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Liquid ammonia is maintained at the required operating conditions to efficiently and rapidly achieve propellant demilitarization including recovery of ammonia perchlorate (AP) for reuse, by an environmentally safe method to cornminute and remove propellant from existing rocket motor hardware. The method is also applicable to both solid and ground composite propellant which includes scrap or waste propellant. A disclosed demilitarization unit employed in the ammonium perchlorate recovery method is comprised of a supply and high pressure spray system for liquid ammonia, an extraction system, oxidizer recovery system, and an ammonia recovery, drying,* and recycling system. The method is workable at ambient temperature since ammonia is liquified under its own vapor pressure at 114 psig; however, increased temperature further enhances the extraction efficiency of the system. Solubilized ammonium perchlorate is separated after a phase change takes place through a liquid-gas expansion nozzle which provides a direct method to automatically precipitate and chemically grind so to speak, the solid oxidizer AP particles to a predetermined, uniform size and configuration in accordance with established, solute purification techniques based on various temperature, pressure, and liquid nozzle spray conditions for particle size control when pre-
cipitated from a solvent. This method results in the rapid fall out of AP from liquid ammonia during the phase change or gasification stage since AP is insoluble in gaseous ammonia.
332066 CONTROL PANEL FOR A LIQUID WASTE RECOVERY SYSTEM David A Lamphere, David Bowles assigned to Clean Earth Technology Inc The ornamental design for a control panel for a liquid waste recovery system, as shown.
5173190 RECONDITIONING AND REUSE OF CHILLED WATER FOR POULTRY AND FOOD PROCESSING Charles Picek This invention is directed to a novel automatic process for effectively, reliably and economically reconditioning for direct reuse various waste waters and particularly those in the nature of poultry and food processing such as the overflow waste water from poultry carcass chill tanks without the use of added chemicals and filter-aid compounds. The invention specifically refers to the removal of gross entrained materials, by screening, floatable solids by static flotation, and, emulsified and haze producing particulates which consist primarily of the proteins, lipids and the bulk of the micro-organisms by a continuous self-cleaning microfilter capable of operationg in a tangential and filter mode with