This technology is available from Temarex Corporation.

FILTRATION SYSTEMS

Title:PERIODIC PRESSURE FILTRATION IN A RIGID, POROUS FILTERING ELEMENT

Inventor(s):G. Chase, S. Kodavanti

Disclosure 245 U.S. Patent not yet issued

This invention relates to a simple, durable filtration apparatus and an associated method for achieving high filtration rates for dilute slurries containing small particles.In general, the invention pertains to an apparatus and method for treating dilute slurries comprised of particulate solids suspended or dispersed within a liquid to obtain a thickened or more concentrated slurry and a clarified liquid or filtrate.

This invention overcomes problems associated with other types of filtration devices such as (1) disassembly and cleaning, as well as associated labor costs or mechanical means for automatically removing solids or filter cake, (2) frequent maintenance and replacement of filter media, (3) long flexible filtration hoses, (4) required multiple passes of the prefilt, and (5) relatively low filtration rates.

Smaller pore sizes and narrower pore size distributions are more easily achievable, thereby facilitating good separations involving micron and submicron sized particles.

This invention is ideally suitable for (1) concentrating clays or pigments, (2) metal particles in a metallurgical slurry such as those produced in mining or mineral refining operations, (3) recovering soils as part of a hazardous waste clean-up operation, or the like.

One particularly promising application for this invention is the recovery of titanium dioxide (often used as a pigment in white paint), having a small average particle size of about 1 Êm, from a dilute slurry, such as one wherein the titanium dioxide is present in an amount from about 0.1 to about 5 percent by volume.

Title:BATTERY POWERED PORTABLE VACUUM UNIT FOR FILTRATION FIELD USE

Inventor(s):T. Quick

Disclosure 80-CIP U.S. Patent 4,863,593

Battery powered vacuum unit, useful for suction filtration of water samples in the field.The vacuum unit comprises a miniature piston type air suction pump, driven by a small direct current (DC) motor which is powered by a battery or other 12 volt DC power source.The motor may be controlled by a timer.The motor has a maximum power requirement of about 75 watts and the suction pump has the ability to produce a vacuum of at least about 12.5mm of mercury.The entire unit is preferably self-contained in a single housing and preferably weighs no more than about 5 kilograms (11 pounds).