Appeal No. 1999-1254
Application No. 08/820,490
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The subject matter on appeal relates to a process for the
removal of mercury from materials and for the recovery of
mercury.
According to the appellants, mercury is a serious form of
pollution that can be introduced into the environment from
manufactured goods. Mercury can be injurious in small doses
that can be rapidly ingested from breathing contaminated air.
Mercury cannot be deposited in solid waste landfills because
of its known hazardous effects on the environment and current
mercury disposal systems cannot fulfill the volume
requirements of mercury waste treatment needs.
Also according to the appellants, the present mercury
removal process solves the insufficiencies of prior methods
for mercury waste management in an environmentally safe and
economic manner. The claimed process heats mercury containing
waste material (waste) producing a gaseous phase (vapor
stream) and recovers mercury from the gaseous phase through
repeated, controlled cooling of the gaseous phase in order to
selectively collect condensate. See appellants' brief, page
7.
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