Jan R Miller

US Patent:

6341697, Jan 29, 2002

Filed:

Oct 30, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/699967

Inventors:

Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT
Xuming Wang - Salt Lake City UT
Minhua Li - Salt Lake City UT

Assignee:

University of Utah Research Foundation - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

B03D 101

US Classification:

209166, 252 61

Abstract:

A method is disclosed for separating phosphate minerals from a mineral mixture, particularly from high-dolomite containing phosphate ores. The method involves conditioning the mineral mixture by contacting in an aqueous in environment with a collector in an amount sufficient for promoting flotation of phosphate minerals. The collector is a hydroxamate compound of the formula; wherein R is generally hydrophobic and chosen such that the collector has solubility or dispersion properties it can be distributed in the mineral mixture, typically an alkyl, aryl, or alkylaryl group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms. M is a cation, typically hydrogen, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. Preferably, the collector also comprises an alcohol of the formula, wherein Râ is generally hydrophobic and chosen such that the collector has solubility or dispersion properties so that it can be distributed in the mineral mixture, typically an alkyl, aryl, or alkylaryl group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms.

US Patent:

7429621, Sep 30, 2008

Filed:

Mar 11, 2005

Appl. No.:

10/592606

Inventors:

Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US
Jan Hupka - Salt Lake City UT, US
Wlodzimierz W. Zmierczak - Salt Lake City UT, US

Assignee:

University of Utah Research Foundation - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

C07C 27/00
C01B 3/26

US Classification:

518700, 518701, 518702, 518703, 423651, 252373

Abstract:

A method of synthesizing and reacting compounds in a cyclone reactor () is disclosed and described. A liquid carrier can be provided which can include solid catalyst particles, liquid catalysts, and/or liquid reactants. The liquid carrier can be formed into a swirl layer () within the cyclone reactor (). A reactant composition including at least one reactant can also be injected through at least a portion of the swirl layer () such that at least a portion of the reactant is converted to a reaction product. The cyclone reactor () allows for improved contact of reactants and catalyst, with fine temperature control, thus increasing reaction yields and selectivity.

US Patent:

7964761, Jun 21, 2011

Filed:

Oct 31, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/932408

Inventors:

Wlodzimierz W. Zmierczak - Salt Lake City UT, US
Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US

Assignee:

University of Utah Research Foundation - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

C12P 7/06

US Classification:

585242, 44605, 44606, 585 14, 585240, 585254, 585317, 585319, 585357, 585469, 585930, 585934

Abstract:

Processes for conversion of lignin to liquid products such as bio-fuels and fuel additives are disclosed and described. A process for conversion of a lignin material to bio-fuels can include subjecting the lignin material to a base catalyzed depolymerization reaction to produce a partially depolymerized lignin. The partially depolymerized lignin can then be subjected to a stabilization/partial hydrodeoxygenation reaction to form a partially hydrodeoxygenated product. Following partial hydrodeoxygenation, the partially hydrodeoxygenated product can be reacted in a hydroprocessing step to form a bio-fuel. Each of these reaction steps can be performed in single or multiple steps, depending on the design of the process. The production of an intermediate partially hydrodeoxygenation product and subsequent reaction thereof can significantly reduce or eliminate reactor plugging and catalyst coking. A variety of useful bio-fuels such as fuels, fuel additives, and the like, including gasoline and jet or rocket fuels are describe which can be readily produced from renewable lignin materials in an improved conversion process.

US Patent:

8097185, Jan 17, 2012

Filed:

Feb 26, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/468882

Inventors:

Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US
Gustavo A. Munoz - Salt Lake City UT, US
Saskia Duyvesteyn - Holladay UT, US

Assignee:

University of Utah Research Foundation - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

H01B 1/04
C02F 1/48
C04B 35/26
B03C 1/00

US Classification:

252506, 210695, 252 6256

Abstract:

A composition of and method for forming activated carbon with magnetic properties for magnetic separation of the activated carbon from a liquid being treated is disclosed wherein a solution iron magnetic precursor is intimately mixed or absorbed into a porous carbon precursor or mixed with a solution or meltable carbon precursor to form an essentially homogeneous mixture or solution that when dried and pyrolized forms activated carbon particles with magnetic material evenly dispersed throughout the activated carbon material. The activated carbon particles may be of fine particle size, even powdered, and still retain magnetic properties sufficient for magnetic separation. In a particular aspect of the invention, a carbon precursor of soft wood is soaked in a solution of a ferric salt, dried, pyrolized and activated.

US Patent:

8299310, Oct 30, 2012

Filed:

May 6, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/102799

Inventors:

Wlodzimierz W. Zmierczak - Salt Lake City UT, US
Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US

Assignee:

University of Utah Research Foundation - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

C12P 7/06

US Classification:

585242, 585 14, 585240, 585254, 585317, 585319, 585357, 585459, 585930, 585934, 44605, 44606

Abstract:

Processes for conversion of lignin to products such as phenolic compounds and biofuels prepared from such phenolic compounds are disclosed and described. A process for conversion of a lignin material to bio-fuels can include subjecting the lignin material to a base catalyzed depolymerization reaction to produce a partially depolymerized lignin. The partially depolymerized lignin can then be subjected to a stabilization/partial hydrodeoxygenation reaction to form a partially hydrodeoxygenated product. Following partial hydrodeoxygenation, the partially hydrodeoxygenated product can be reacted in a hydroprocessing step to form a bio-fuel. Each of these reaction steps can be performed in single or multiple steps, depending on the design of the process. The production of an intermediate partially hydrodeoxygenation product and subsequent reaction thereof can significantly reduce or eliminate reactor plugging and catalyst coking. A variety of useful bio-fuels such as fuels, fuel additives, and the like, including gasoline and jet or rocket fuels are describe which can be readily produced from renewable lignin materials in an improved conversion process.

US Patent:

8313716, Nov 20, 2012

Filed:

Jul 31, 2009

Appl. No.:

13/056720

Inventors:

Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US
Jan Hupka - Gdansk, PL
Robert Aranowski - Starograd Gdanski, PL

Assignee:

University Of Utah Research Foundation - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

B01D 53/00
B01D 53/14
B01J 19/00
B01J 19/12
C01C 3/02
C02F 1/72
D21C 11/00

US Classification:

423210, 423372, 162 29, 208390, 210758, 422122, 422129, 4221863, 95210

Abstract:

A spinning fluids reactor, includes a reactor body () having a circular cross-section and a fluid contactor screen () within the reactor body (). The fluid contactor screen () having a plurality of apertures and a circular cross-section concentric with the reactor body () for a length thus forming an inner volume () bound by the fluid contactor screen () and an outer volume () bound by the reactor body () and the fluid contactor screen (). A primary inlet () can be operatively connected to the reactor body () and can be configured to produce flow-through first spinning flow of a first fluid within the inner volume (). A secondary inlet () can similarly be operatively connected to the reactor body () and can be configured to produce a second flow of a second fluid within the outer volume () which is optionally spinning.

US Patent:

20100176053, Jul 15, 2010

Filed:

Mar 28, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/593582

Inventors:

D. Jack Adams - Park City UT, US
Jan D. Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US

International Classification:

C02F 3/04
C12N 11/08
C08G 63/91
C07K 2/00
C07K 14/00
C12N 11/14
C12N 11/02
C12N 11/10
C08B 37/04
C08B 37/00
C01B 31/08

US Classification:

210614, 525 50, 525 541, 435180, 525418, 525 542, 525 5424, 530300, 530350, 435176, 435177, 435178, 536 3, 536102, 536 56, 210615, 502416

Abstract:

A modified bioreactor support material having high surface area for removing a contaminant () from fluids can include a substrate () having a functionalized surface, The functionalized surface can have inorganic or organic non-living functional groups, such that the functional groups bind to or chemically alter the contaminant. A method for making a modified bioreactor support material can include activating a suitable substrate () and attaching a biologically-derived functional group carrier such as living microbes () or non-living materials () derived from living materials to the activated substrate ().

US Patent:

20110272503, Nov 10, 2011

Filed:

Nov 10, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/741946

Inventors:

Jan Dean Miller - Salt Lake City UT, US
Mehmet Sabri Celik - Istanbul, TR
Orhan Ozdemir - Salt Lake City UT, US
Mustafa Cinar - Kutahya, TR
Vishal Gupta - Salt Lake City UT, US

Assignee:

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RESEARCH FOUNDATION - Salt Lake City UT

International Classification:

B02C 23/10

US Classification:

241 241, 241 79

Abstract:

A process of producing high purity trona concentrate includes crushing a mined raw trona () to form a crushed raw trona, and separating the crushed raw trona into at least two size fractions (), wherein a first size fraction is larger than a second size fraction. At least two magnetic separators can be selectively independently adjusted () to optimize magnetic separation of magnetic impurities from the size fractions. Each of the magnetic separators corresponds to one of the size fractions, which can be separately introduced into the corresponding magnetic separators () to undergo magnetic separation (), which removes magnetic impurities from the size fractions. A first high purity dry trona and a second high purity dry trona may be recovered from the first and second size fractions, respectively. Each of the high purity dry tronas may be combined to form a magnetically purified dry trona.