Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
The method of recovering wet iron-bearing flue dusts collected as a by-product sludge from metallurgical process wet scrubbers for recycling, comprising the step of, reducing the moisture content of the wet flue dust sludge to a level at which the wet dust is of a plastic consistency which will extrude into cohesive agglomerates, by continually mixing with the sludge in pug mill means a metallurgically compatible dry material and sufficient hydraulic cement to rigidly bond the mixture into a cohesive mass after curing, continually extruding the mixture through an extrusion die into cohesive agglomerates, and curing the extruded agglomerates at ambient temperatures.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
102 words
The method of recovering wet iron-bearing flue dusts collected as a by-product sludge from metallurgical process wet scrubbers for recycling, comprising the step of, reducing the moisture content of the wet flue dust sludge to a level at which the wet dust is of a plastic consistency which will extrude into cohesive agglomerates, by continually mixing with the sludge in pug mill means a metallurgically compatible dry material and sufficient hydraulic cement to rigidly bond the mixture into a cohesive mass after curing, continually extruding the mixture through an extrusion die into cohesive agglomerates, and curing the extruded agglomerates at ambient temperatures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the moisture content of the mixture being extruded is 8 to 16 percent by weight.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said hydraulic cement is included in the mixture in the range of approximately 4 to 15 percent by weight.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the iron-bearing flue dust sludge has an average moisture content of greater than 18%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the dry material is included in the mixture in the range of approximately 15 to 60 percent by weight.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the sludge is included in the mixture in the range of approximately 40 to 70 percent by weight.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said dry material is selected from the group consisting of limestone, coke, coke breeze, coal, crushed slag, iron ore, manganese ore, fluorspar, mill scale, lime and by-product dusts.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said dry material is in the form of coarses wherein the majority of the coarse particles are greater than 20 mesh and a significant fraction thereof are larger than one-fourth inch in diameter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said extruded agglomerates are in the approximate range of 3 to 14 inches.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of charging said cured agglomerates to a metallurgical furnace.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
96 words
An iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process comprising the steps of reducing the moisture content of wet flue dust collected as a by-product sludge from metallurgical process wet scrubbers to a level at which the wet dust is of plastic consistency which will extrude into cohesive agglomerates by continually mixing with the sludge in pug mill means a metallurgically compatible dry material and sufficient hydraulic cement to rigidly bond the mixture into a cohesive mass after curing, continually extruding the mixture through an extrusion die into cohesive agglomerates, and curing the extruded agglomerates at ambient temperatures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
96 words
An iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process comprising the steps of reducing the moisture content of wet flue dust collected as a by-product sludge from metallurgical process wet scrubbers to a level at which the wet dust is of plastic consistency which will extrude into cohesive agglomerates by continually mixing with the sludge in pug mill means a metallurgically compatible dry material and sufficient hydraulic cement to rigidly bond the mixture into a cohesive mass after curing, continually extruding the mixture through an extrusion die into cohesive agglomerates, and curing the extruded agglomerates at ambient temperatures.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 11 wherein the moisture content of the mixture being extruded is 8 to 16 percent by weight.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 11 wherein said hydraulic cement is included in the mixture in the range of approximately 4 to 15 percent by weight.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 11 wherein the iron-bearing flue dust sludge has an average moisture content of greater than 18%.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 14 wherein the dry material is included in the mixture in the range of approximately 15 to 60 percent by weight.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 15 wherein the sludge is included in the mixture in the range of approximately 40 to 70 percent by weight.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 14 wherein said dry material is selected from the group consisting of limestone, coke, coke breeze, coal, crushed slag, iron ore, manganese ore, fluorspar, mill scale, lime and by-product dusts.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 11 wherein said dry material is in the form of coarses wherein the majority of the coarse particles are greater than 20 mesh and a significant fraction thereof are larger than one-fourth inch in diameter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 11 wherein the diameter of said extruded agglomerates are in the approximate range of 3 to 14 inches.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The iron-bearing agglomerate manufactured by the process of claim 11 including the step of charging said cured agglomerates to a metallurgical furnace.