VALE S.A. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150034795 | PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION AND VIBRATION ISOLATION SYSTEM EMPLOYING LOW FRICTION CABLE ISOLATORS - The present invention provides a suspension and vibration isolation system having cable isolators. The cable isolators employ low-friction air-bearing pneumatic cylinders and cables to isolate a suspended payload from vibrations of a carrier or to isolate the carrier from vibrations of the payload. Using such air-lubricated cylinder to piston interfaces virtually eliminates static friction and so improves the effectiveness of the isolation for small forces and displacement. The use of pneumatic cylinders also permits the system to be tuned to the required resonance frequency to isolate the payload from vibrations in a desired frequency band. | 02-05-2015 |
20140305848 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING SELECTIVITY AND RECOVERY IN THE FLOTATION OF NICKEL SULPHIDE ORES THAT CONTAIN PYRRHOTITE BY EXPLOITING THE SYNERGY OF MULTIPLE DEPRESSANTS - A method of using the synergy of multiple depressants to improve the depression of iron sulphide without compromising the recovery of the valuable sulphide minerals in the flotation of non-ferrous metal sulphides, while reducing or eliminating the use of environmentally problematic chemicals such as polyamines. The method has significant economic and environmental benefits. The multiple depressants comprise at least one organic polymer, at least one sulphur-containing compound and/or at least one nitrogen-containing organic compound. | 10-16-2014 |
20140285206 | BUCKING CIRCUIT FOR ANNULLING A MAGNETIC FIELD - A method and apparatus is provided for bucking a magnetic field of known geometry and time variation by means of a plurality of bucking loops. It utilizes multiple loops, each of which is energized by an electric current that creates a magnetic field of the known time variation. The multi-loop field forms a bucking magnetic field that better opposes the spatial variation in the known magnetic field over a volume than can the magnetic field from a single loop. The present invention is useful in electromagnetic measurements, where the magnetic field of a controlled source transmitter must be annulled at a magnetic field sensor. It is particularly useful for cases where the magnetic sensor may move relative to the transmitter, such as in certain airborne electromagnetic measurements. | 09-25-2014 |
20140216987 | PROCESS FOR CONCENTRATING MANGANESE ORES VIA REVERSE CATIONIC FLOTATION OF SILICATES - A process for concentrating manganese from the tailing of a manganese-carrying mineral including removing a coarse particle size fraction from the tailing, desliming and conducting an acidic or a basic reverse cationic flotation. The manganese-carrying minerals are typically minerals with low manganese content from the lithologies “Tabular Pelite” (or PETB), Pelite Siltite (or PEST), Detritic (or DETR), Rich Pelite (or PERC) and Metallurgical Bioxide (or BXME). In another aspect, the present invention also relates to a reverse cationic flotation used to concentrate manganese which is carried out using depressor agents and collector agents as flotation reagents. | 08-07-2014 |
20140206808 | COMPOSITE MATERIAL COMPRISING UHMWPE AND IRON ORE TAILING AND USE OF IRON ORE TAILING IN PREPARATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL - The present invention relates to a composite material that comprises a polymeric constituent and iron ore powder. The polymeric constituent of the present invention is preferably UHMWPE. The iron ore powder used for the purposes of the present invention is the raw iron ore tailing resulting from iron ore pelletizing processes and it is used in an amount of 3-5% (w/w). The present invention is also related to the use of iron ore tailing in the preparation of composite materials comprising UHMWPE which presents improved properties such as creep resistance, stiffness and wear resistance, as well as cost reduction and reuses tailings of industrial plant. The present invention is also related to the use of the composite material of interest in the preparation of composite polymeric sheets for use in mining companies facilities. | 07-24-2014 |
20140205154 | SYSTEM FOR MAPPING AND IDENTIFICATION OF PLANTS USING DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING AND ROUTE GENERATION - The present invention relates to a system and method for mapping of plants. Homogenous and heterogeneous flora areas called clusters are identified in remote sensing images and routes to the plant clusters are generated. The plants are classified using morphological data from foliar images of plants present in the clusters. | 07-24-2014 |
20140172920 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETERMINING COMPLEXITY OF COLLABORATIVE EFFORT - A method of determining the complexity of a collaborative effort which method includes receiving data via a processor, the data including identities of social actors or sets of social actors in the collaborative effort, and storing the data in a repository accessible by the processor; defining nodes, via the processor, and associating the nodes with each of the social actors of or with each of the sets of social actors in the collaborative effort to define nodes that represent each of the social actors or each of the sets of social actors; identifying, via the processor, one or more dimensions for each social actor; defining a coordination complexity (G), via the processor, and determining, for each dimension, a sum of a difference between every two of the nodes, multiplying the sum by a weight specific for that dimension, and adding each of the multiplied sums for each dimension. In another aspect, the invention includes a system of determining complexity of a collaborative effort. | 06-19-2014 |
20140137703 | PROCESS FOR REMOVING URANIUM IN COPPER CONCENTRATE VIA MAGNETIC SEPARATION - The present invention describes a process for removing uranium from a copper concentrate by magnetic separation (low and high field) to reduce the uranium content to commercially acceptable levels. | 05-22-2014 |
20140117125 | IRON ORE CONCENTRATION PROCESS WITH GRINDING CIRCUIT, DRY DESLIMING AND DRY OR MIXED (DRY AND WET) CONCENTRATION - The present invention discloses an advantageous and effective process for the concentration of iron ores, which can be fully dry or mixed, part of the process being dry, part wet. The invention thereby improves process efficiency as a whole by increasing recovery of concentrators and increasing the useful life of the mines. | 05-01-2014 |
20140093136 | AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF THE DEGREE OF MATURATION FOR IRON ORE PELLETS - An automatic method or the classification of the Degrees of Maturation (DM) for fired iron ore pellets, independent of human intervention, based on the digital acquisition of microscopy images of polished cross sections, and their processing, analysis and classification by a suitable software procedure. | 04-03-2014 |
20140027692 | DEVICE FOR REMOVING HOPPERS FROM RAIL CARS - There is described a device for removing a drawer-type hopper of a railroad car, the device comprising: a first support base positioned on a platform and a second support base supported on the railroad car; and a tackle fastened on the first support base; the tackle comprising a first hook associated to the drawer-type hopper, the first hook and the drawer-type hopper being moved linearly by the tackle in the opposite direction of the railroad car. | 01-30-2014 |
20140027249 | BELT GUIDE DEVICE FOR USE IN CONVEYOR BELTS - The present invention refers to a belt guide device for use in conveyor belts and, more specifically, to a guide roller device that decreases the need to replace the rollers and prevents the formation of rubber strips by contact between the belt of the conveyor and the roller. Thus, the device of the present invention comprises: the guide roller, a sliding board whereon the guide roller is mounted, a support track that receives the sliding board, and an adjustment mechanism connected to the sliding board to trigger, selectively, the sliding thereof in relation to the support track. The support track is fastened to the structure in a position such that the guide roller is situated closely adjacent to the edge of the belt. | 01-30-2014 |
20140020511 | PROCESS FOR THE OPTIMIZED PRODUCTION OF IRON ORE PELLETS - The present invention describes an advantageous and effective streamlined process for the production of iron ore pellets, the green pellets replacing the burnt pellets for covering the metallic surface in “travelling grate” furnace during the burning step, the process comprising at least some or all of the steps of grinding the iron ore; filtering the crushed iron ore; mixing the filtered iron ore with at least one binder; pelletizing the mixture; drying the green pellets; transferring the pellets to the side and bottom grids of a “travelling grate” furnace equipment and screening the burnt iron ore pellets. An optimized process for the production of iron ore pellets is provided that is innovative, efficient and economical when compared to currently known processes. | 01-23-2014 |
20140020510 | RECOVERY OF BASE METALS FROM SULPHIDE ORES AND CONCENTRATES - The present invention discloses a new recovery of base metals from sulphide ores and concentrates, which comprises mixing the base metal's ore with ferric salts, heating the said mixture; adding water to form a pulp, stirring and filtering the pulp. | 01-23-2014 |
20130343972 | METHOD FOR TREATING LIQUID EFFLUENTS AND RECOVERING METALS - A method for treating liquid effluents and recovering metals is described, which comprises the steps of: a) liquid effluent equalization; b) sulphide addition and precipitation of metals in the form of metal sulphides; c) solid/liquid separation of the metal sulphides produced in step (b) and formation of a metal-free liquid phase; d) addition of a 50 to 250 g/L amine solution to the liquid phase precipitating magnesium in the form of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2); and e) recovery of amine by stripping and rectification. | 12-26-2013 |
20130243973 | APPLICATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES ON AGGLOMERATES OF ORE FINES TO INCREASE THE MECHANICAL STRENGTH THEREOF - An application of carbon nanotubes on agglomerates of ore fines to increase the mechanical strength is provided. A process for the preparation of ore agglomerates having enhanced mechanical strength by the application of the carbon nanotubes is also provided. | 09-19-2013 |
20130205521 | DEVICE TO CLEAN BLOCKS OF MAGNETIC SEPARATORS - The present invention is related to a device to clean blocks of magnetic separators, wherein the device comprises a main body provided with a pneumatic system and a spatula associated to this main body through a fastener element. | 08-15-2013 |
20130200248 | PNEUMATIC VIBRATION DAMPING APPARATUS - A pneumatic vibration isolating suspension is disclosed for supporting a payload on a moving carrier while suppressing the transmission of vibrations in the 1 to 50 Hz band between the carrier and the payload. The disclosed invention can be deployed in the air in a towed carrier or sonde, and operated from aircraft power, making it a suitable platform for airborne geophysical instrumentation. It also has particular application to airborne electromagnetic surveying operating in the same frequency band because the sensor vibrations that result in noise created by the modulation of the sensor coupling with the earth's magnetic field are suppressed. Furthermore, the invention can be constructed from resistive composite materials and non-magnetic metals, so it can be operated without producing significant modification to the ambient electromagnetic field being measured. | 08-08-2013 |
20130186718 | BRAKE CYLINDER STROKE ADJUSTMENT DEVICE - A device for adjusting the stroke of a brake cylinder has an elongated body endowed with a first end associated to a gap adjuster and a second end endowed with a flat structure which has a plurality of regulators. The regulators are disposed such that distances between centers of these regulators correspond to pre-determined adjustments to the stroke of the brake cylinder. | 07-25-2013 |
20130149231 | PROCESS FOR OBTAINING POTASSIUM CHLORIDE - Aspects of the present invention relate to a process to obtain potassium chloride that includes submitting brine to concentration, separating brine after concentration, resulting in a first solid content and a first liquid content, cooling the first liquid content, separating the first liquid content after cooling, thus resulting in a second solid content and a second liquid content, enriching the second solid content, and separating the second solid content after enrichment, thus resulting in a third solid content and a third liquid content. Aspects of this process are environmentally safe, as the process includes stages using solvents and equipment which does not harm the environment. Moreover, aspects of this process present a significant energy consumption reduction. | 06-13-2013 |
20130120936 | SCANNER PROTECTION CASING AND SYSTEM OF READING THE HEIGHT OF THE PELLET BED OF GRID CARS INSIDE A GRID FURNACE COMPRISING A SCANNER PROTECTED BY SAID CASING - A scanner protection casing including an external cabinet, an internal cabinet within which a scanner is positioned, a thermal insulation material between the external cabinet and the internal cabinet that reduces the thermal conductivity between the external cabinet and the internal cabinet. Further, the internal cabinet has a first side wall and a second side wall and the space between the first side wall and a second side wall is filled with a cooling fluid. | 05-16-2013 |
20130028816 | SELECTIVE BASE METALS LEACHING FROM LATERITE ORES - A process to use ferric sulphate equilibrium to reduce overall acid consumption and iron extraction, the process comprising the steps of: (i) sulphating; (ii) selective pyrolysis and (iii) selective dissolution. | 01-31-2013 |
20120308450 | PROCESS OF RECOVERY OF BASE METALS FROM OXIDE ORES - A method for recovering base metal values from oxide ore is provided, where the ore includes a first group metal selected from nickel, cobalt and copper. The method includes reducing ore particle size to suit the latter unit operation, favoring contact for the metal elements, contacting the ore with ferric or ferrous chloride, hydrated or anhydrous, to produce a mix of ore and iron (II or III) chloride subjecting the mixture of the ore and ferric or ferrous chloride to enough energy to decompose the chlorides into hydrochloric acid and a iron oxides from the second group, forming their respective chlorides, selectively dissolve the produced base metal chlorides, leaving the metal as oxides and in the solid state, and recovering the dissolved base metal values from aqueous solution. | 12-06-2012 |
20120272787 | PROCESS FOR INHIBITING PARTICULATE EMISSION DURING FRICTION OF HEAT-TREATED IRON ORE PELLETS AND USE OF AN ALCOHOL BY-PRODUCT TO INHIBIT PARTICULATE EMISSION - A process for the inhibition of particulate emission during friction of heat-treated iron ore pellets includes the following steps: a) removal of heat-treated iron ore pellets at a temperature of 200° C.; and b) spraying of an alcohol by-product on pellets. The use of an alcohol by-product as an inhibitor of particulate emission is further described, with the alcohol by-product being sprayed on heat-treated iron ore pellets, which can partially or completely replace water during the handling, stacking, loading, and unloading of materials such as pellets, granules, fines, and other products from iron ore and other minerals. This process significantly reduces the emission of particulates in an operational area. | 11-01-2012 |
20120269713 | PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF NICKEL CARBONATE - Aspects of the present invention refers to a process for production of nickel carbonate including preparing a magnesium salt solution, contacting the solution with a stream of gaseous CO | 10-25-2012 |
20120213681 | DIRECT PURIFICATION OF A NICKEL LATERITE LEACHING EFFLUENT - The present invention refers to a direct purification process of a nickel laterite leaching effluent including adjusting a pH of a leaching solution, employing an ion exchange resin to adsorb nickel and copper selectively over ferric or ferrous iron, and recovering nickel. | 08-23-2012 |
20120198967 | PROCESS TO PRODUCE ROUGH FERRO-NICKEL PRODUCT - Aspects of the present invention refer to a MHP process do produce rough ferro-nickel product and that may include the steps of mixing nickel hydroxide with an iron source and slagging agents, putting the mixture in contact with a reducing agent producing a ferronickel alloy, and producing a roasted product that has disseminated ferronickel alloy inside the structure. | 08-09-2012 |
20120175311 | METHOD FOR THE REMOVAL OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS AND ORGANOMETALLIC COMPLEXES FROM PROCESS WATER OR OTHER STREAMS OF A MINERAL PROCESSING PLANT USING A ZEOLITE - The present invention relates to a method of removing organic chemicals and organometallic complexes (organic heavy metal complexes) using zeolites from process water or tailings streams of a mineral processing plant where diethylenetriamine (DETA) or triethylenetetramine (TETA) is used as a flotation reagent and DETA-metal complexes are found in process water or tailings streams. The process water or slurry tailings streams of a mineral processing plant containing DETA, DETA-metal complexes and residual heavy metals may be contacted with natural zeolites. This may be carried out by adding the natural zeolites to the process streams or slurries while mixing with a mechanical mixer to efficiently adsorb DETA, DETA-metal complexes and heavy metals from the process streams on the zeolite. The loaded zeolite may then be discarded with the flotation tailings. | 07-12-2012 |
20120138426 | RECLAIMER MACHINE - Aspects of this invention include a reclaimer machine for reclaiming and homogenizing materials such as ore, coal and others, stock-piled in yards. The reclaimer machine may include a bucket wheel having a series of buckets rotating around a shaft, a conveyor belt connected to the bucket wheel and to a transfer chute, the conveyor belt being supported by a mobile upper platform that moves laterally to a pile on tracks attached to a mobile lower platform, wherein a first end of the conveyor belt structure may be connected to the bucket wheel and another end of the conveyor belt structure may be connected to a counterweight which maintains the balance of the reclaimer machine and supports the bucket wheel, upper platform and lower platform movements. | 06-07-2012 |
20120103134 | PROCESS TO PRODUCE MANGANESE PELLETS FROM NON-CALCINATED MANGANESE ORE AND AGGLOMERATE OBTAINED BY THIS PROCESS - It is described a manganese pellet production from non-calcinated manganese ore, comprising the following phases: (a) ore size preparation through ore classification by function of particle size, smaller or equal to 1 mm particles being maintained from the ore particle fraction process so as to have a smaller or equal to 1 mm size, as well as the comminution of these particles; (b) flux addition; (c) agglomerant addition; (d) pelletizing resulting in crude pellets; and (e) thermal processing through crude pellet drying, pre-heating and heating. | 05-03-2012 |
20110232420 | ORE FINE AGGLOMERATE TO BE USED IN SINTERING PROCESS AND PRODUCTION PROCESS OF ORE FINES AGGLOMERATE - An ore fine agglomerate to be used in a sintering process is disclosed, wherein the ore fine agglomerate is formed by a mixture of ore fine particles and an agglomerating agent, and wherein the particles have diameters between 0.01 mm and 8.0 mm. A production process of ore fines agglomerate is disclosed comprising the steps of using ore fine particles with a granulometry lower than 0.150 mm, mixing the ore fine particles with an agglomerating agent in a ratio of 0.5 to 5.0% by mass of sodium silicate, forming wet particles with diameters between 0.01 mm and 8.0 mm with an addition of water, and drying the wet particles at a temperature varying from 100° C. and 150° C. to form dry particles that are resistant to mechanical efforts and the elements. | 09-29-2011 |
20110232347 | ENHANCED PROCESS TO PRODUCE A THERMOFERTILISER FROM POTASSIUM-BEARING MINERALS - A simplified and enhanced process to produce thermofertiliser obtained from potassium and phosphorous-bearing minerals is provided, where these elements may or may not be in citric acid or insoluble in water. The process also includes the use of specific additives, at the beginning of the process or immediately before the beginning of the thermal treatment step, in order to increase the potassium and phosphorous contents in the product and the overall efficiency of the process and also to promote the production of a high quality thermofertiliser. | 09-29-2011 |
20110175604 | STABILIZATION SYSTEM FOR SENSORS ON MOVING PLATFORMS - A stabilized field sensor apparatus collects field data, in particular magnetic field data, with reduced motion noise. The apparatus includes a tear drop shaped housing, a tow frame in the housing, a plurality of vibration isolating dampers spaced around the frame, a base assembly mounted to the dampers, a support pedestal having a bottom end fixed to the base assembly and an upper free end, a single spherical air bearing connected to the upper free end of the pedestal, an instrument platform with a lower hollow funnel having an upper inside apex supported on the air bearing for a one point support, principal and secondary gyro stabilizers for maintaining pivotal and rotational stability, and at least one field sensor mounted to the instrument platform for collecting the field data while being stabilized against motion noise including vibration, pivoting and rotation from the base assembly, from the tow frame and from the housing. Stabilization of the instrument platform is enhanced by preserving accurate balance through a dynamic balancing system whereby small masses are moved under computer control to maintain the center of mass of the instrument platform at the center of rotation of the spherical air bearing. The dynamic stabilization process is made more precise by actively vibrating the instrument platform by a set of linear vibrators. | 07-21-2011 |
20110142736 | PROCESS OF RECOVERY OF BASE METALS FROM OXIDE ORES - A method for recovering base metal values from oxide ore is provided, where the ore includes a first group metal selected from iron, magnesium and aluminum and a second group metal selected from nickel, cobalt and copper. The method includes reducing ore particle size to suit the latter unit operations, favoring contact of the metal elements, contacting the ore with ferric or ferrous chloride, hydrated or anhydrous, to produce a mix of ore and iron(II or III) chloride, subjecting the mixture of the ore and ferric or ferrous chloride to enough energy to decompose the chlorides into hydrochloric acid and a iron oxide, contacting the readily-formed hydrochloric acid with the base metal oxides from the second group, forming their respective chlorides, selectively dissolve the produced base metal chlorides, leaving the metals as oxides and in the solid state, and recovering the dissolved base metal values from aqueous solution. | 06-16-2011 |
20110110832 | MAGNESIUM RECYCLING AND SULPHUR RECOVERY IN LEACHING OF LATERITIC NICKEL ORES - The present invention resides in a process of recovering nickel and cobalt, regenerating the main raw materials, said process including the steps of: granulometric separation; leaching; neutralization; MHP production in only one stage and the pressure crystallization of magnesium sulphite. | 05-12-2011 |