US 10596517

US patent 10596517, titled "Sorbents for the oxidation and removal of mercury," provides methods and materials for removing mercury from gas streams.

Summary of US Patent 10596517B2:

• Title: Sorbents for the oxidation and removal of mercury
• Assignee: Birchtech Corp (Current Assignee as of November 7, 2024, by reassignment from Midwest Energy Emissions Corp)
• Inventors: Edwin S. Olson, Michael J. Holmes, John H. Pavlish
• Filing Date: June 4, 2018 (Application No. US15/997,091)
• Issue Date: March 24, 2020
• Abstract: The patent describes a highly effective promoted activated carbon sorbent for mercury removal from flue gas streams. This sorbent features a new modified carbon form that contains reactive halogen and halide compounds. Optional additional components can be included to boost reactivity and mercury capacity, either directly with the sorbent or by co-injection into the flue gas. The claimed mercury removal efficiencies surpass conventional methods, and the sorbent is designed for regeneration and reuse. The patent also details methods for sorbent treatment and preparation, including novel techniques for "in-flight" preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into mercury-contaminated gas streams.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a unique carbon material designed to capture mercury. It's an activated carbon that has been specially treated (or "promoted") by reacting it with either halogens (like bromine or chlorine), halogen-containing compounds (halides), or a combination of both. The result of this reaction is a modified carbon sorbent that is effective at removing mercury from a gas stream.
• Independent Claim 10: This claim covers a method for producing the mercury-removing material described in Claim 1. The process involves taking granular activated carbon and causing it to react with a "promoter," which can be halogens, halides, or a blend of these. The outcome of this reaction is a promoted carbon sorbent capable of effectively removing mercury from a gas stream.
• Independent Claim 18: This claim outlines a method for reducing mercury levels in flue gas. It involves four key steps: 1) providing a mercury-capturing sorbent; 2) injecting this sorbent into a flue gas stream that contains mercury; 3) achieving a high level of mercury removal, specifically collecting more than 70% of the mercury from the flue gas onto the sorbent, which results in a cleaner flue gas; and 4) efficiently collecting the sorbent from the cleaned flue gas for potential regeneration or disposal.
• Independent Claim 22: This claim details a method for reducing mercury in a gas stream that contains both mercury and ash. The method involves injecting activated carbon sorbent particles that are specifically sized to be larger than 40 micrometers into the gas stream. These sorbent particles capture mercury. Subsequently, the larger sorbent particles are separated from the smaller ash particles based on their size. Finally, these separated sorbent particles are re-injected into the gas stream, suggesting a system for recycling or reusing the sorbent.

Litigation Dockets (as of the fetch date of the provided patent text, 2026-05-14):

US Patent 10596517B2 is currently involved in litigation. Specifically, there is a US case filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) with case number 26-1403. This patent is also involved in other district court cases in Kansas, Missouri (Eastern and Western Districts), Wyoming, Wisconsin (Western District), Delaware, Iowa (Southern District), and Arizona, as well as several PTAB cases.