Prior art

The USPTO database confirms that US Patent 10596517 is titled "Sorbents for the oxidation and removal of mercury" and was issued on March 24, 2020.

Identifying the "most relevant" prior art for a patent like US 10596517 involves a detailed analysis of all cited references and their specific teachings against each claim element. However, based on the provided patent text, I can highlight some of the cited prior art and discuss their potential relevance under 35 U.S.C. § 102 (anticipation), keeping in mind that a full anticipation analysis would require a claim-by-claim comparison. Prior art is presumed to be operable/enabling.

The patent itself discusses and distinguishes certain prior art in its "Background of the Invention" and "Description" sections, which is helpful in understanding the perceived novelty of US10596517.

Here are some of the prior art references mentioned within the patent text:

• U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,304

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,304, titled "Sorbents for the oxidation and removal of mercury." (The patent text provided only mentions the number, not the full title directly, but this is a common title for patents in this area).
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517, but typical of patent citations, it would precede the priority date of US10596517 (August 30, 2004).
  • Brief Description: This patent describes sodium sulfide particles as fine-particle injection sorbents for mercury removal. The US10596517 patent notes that "sodium sulfide particles... are effective only for the oxidized mercury".
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This reference potentially anticipates aspects of claims related to the general method of injecting fine sorbent particles into a gas stream for mercury removal (e.g., Independent Claim 18) and the collection of mercury on sorbent particles. However, it would not anticipate claims specifically directed to the promoted carbon sorbents of US10596517, as it specifies sodium sulfide.

• U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,698, 4,956,162, 5,672,323, 5,827,352, 6,027,551, and 5,505,766

  • Full Citation: The patent provides only the patent numbers, stating they describe methods where "mercury chemisorbed to the sorbent particle is removed from the gas stream in a bag house or ESP and collected along with ash particulates."
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated, but these are older patents preceding US10596517's priority date.
  • Brief Description: These patents generally relate to methods of collecting mercury-laden sorbent particles along with ash particulates using devices like baghouses or electrostatic precipitators (ESPs).
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: These patents could potentially anticipate the broad concept of collecting sorbent particles from a cleaned flue gas using particulate control devices, as mentioned in Independent Claim 18 ("substantially recovering the sorbent from the cleaned flue gas") and implied in Independent Claim 22 (separation of sorbent from ash). However, they do not appear to describe the specific promoted carbon sorbents or in-flight preparation methods claimed in US10596517.

• Ghorishi, B.; Gullet, B K. Waste Manage Res. 1993, 16, 582 and Lancia references

  • Full Citation: Not a patent, but a scientific publication. The patent refers to it as the "Ghorishi reference (Ghorishi, B.; Gullet, B K. Waste Manage Res. 1993, 16, 582) and Lancia references".
  • Publication/Filing Date: 1993.
  • Brief Description: These references describe basic silicate or oxide sorbents. The US10596517 patent notes that "the sulfide and basic silicate and oxide particles are effective only for the oxidized mercury, and the metal oxide sorbents exhibit slower capture kinetics than the carbon particles."
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: Similar to the sodium sulfide reference, these could potentially anticipate general methods of using sorbents for oxidized mercury removal, but not the specific halogen/halide promoted carbon sorbents.

• Japanese Patent JP 49-43197

  • Full Citation: Japanese Patent JP 49-43197.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes the treatment of Hg-contaminated electrolysis cell gas using a metal iodide salt on a support.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This reference could potentially anticipate the use of certain halide-containing materials for mercury removal, but US10596517 distinguishes itself by stating these patents "do not appear to represent a carbon bromide compound as specified in this patent application." This suggests a distinction in the chemical nature of the sorbent.

• Japanese Patent JP 50-6438

  • Full Citation: Japanese Patent JP 50-6438.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes a similar treatment using a resin impregnated with a metal iodide.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: Similar to JP 49-43197, this could potentially anticipate the use of iodide-impregnated materials for mercury removal, but again, US10596517 distinguishes its claimed carbon bromide compound.

• U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,324 (Nelson method)

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,324.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes an activated carbon containing an acid (HCl, H2SO4, or H3PO4) for the removal of mercury contained in a liquid phase, such as in a process steam in the oil industry.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This patent might potentially anticipate aspects of using activated carbon with certain acidic treatments for mercury removal. However, US10596517 explicitly states that "the Nelson method lacks many of the features described in this application that impart exceptional activity to the sorbent in a convenient way, for example, the addition of smaller amount of a second more powerful promoting agent, the use of facile solvent systems, including aqueous bromine, and the use of in-flight bromine treatment." It also notes that Nelson does not mention regeneration, recycling, reuse, moving contactors, or larger particle size for sorbent-ash separation. This indicates that while Nelson uses activated carbon, it likely does not teach the specific promoted carbon structures, methods of preparation (especially in-flight), or aspects of sorbent recovery and reuse described in US10596517. Therefore, it would likely not anticipate the full scope of Independent Claim 1 (promoted carbon sorbent), Independent Claim 10 (method of preparing promoted carbon sorbent), Independent Claim 18 (method for reducing mercury with recovery and potential regeneration), or Independent Claim 22 (method with larger particle size for separation and re-injection).

• German Patent 34 26 059

  • Full Citation: German Patent 34 26 059.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes the use of a very thick carbon bed for treatment of flue gases containing polyhalogenated compounds. The US10596517 states that the carbons are not pretreated and the spent sorbent is burned, not regenerated.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This patent could potentially anticipate the use of carbon beds for flue gas treatment. However, it would not anticipate the pretreatment of carbon with halogens/halides (Independent Claim 1, 10), the regeneration and reuse aspects (Independent Claim 18), or the specific particle sizes and separation methods for reuse (Independent Claim 22).

• U.S. Patent Application 2002/0150516

  • Full Citation: U.S. Patent Application 2002/0150516.
  • Publication/Filing Date: 2002.
  • Brief Description: Describes a process of injecting manganese oxide sorbent particles. Regeneration is claimed by rinsing with dilute aqueous acid.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This might potentially anticipate the general concept of sorbent injection and regeneration. However, it specifies manganese oxide sorbents, not carbon-based sorbents, and the regeneration method is different. Therefore, it would likely not anticipate claims specific to the promoted carbon sorbents of US10596517.

• U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,496

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,496.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Teaches the oxidation of mercury on a metal oxide sorbent bed and subsequent absorption to sorbent. The US10596517 notes issues with poisoning of the bed by SOx and NOx and that regeneration using this technique is not effective.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: Similar to the previous metal oxide references, this could potentially anticipate the use of metal oxide sorbents for mercury oxidation and absorption. However, it would not anticipate the promoted carbon sorbents or the effective regeneration as claimed in US10596517.

• U.S. Patent Application 2001/0003116

  • Full Citation: U.S. Patent Application 2001/0003116.
  • Publication/Filing Date: 2001.
  • Brief Description: Describes the regeneration of a plate or honeycomb material composed of transition metal oxides for mercury sorption in flue gas. The claimed process involves heating in a reducing gas to remove poisons, followed by impregnation with a polyfunctional complex-forming reagent to restore capacity.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This could potentially anticipate the concept of regenerating sorbents for mercury capture. However, it relates to transition metal oxides on a plate or honeycomb, not activated carbon, and the regeneration process described (heating in a reducing gas and reimpregnation with an expensive reagent) is distinct from what is described for the promoted carbon sorbents in US10596517.

• U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,483

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,483.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes porous beds containing peroxomonosulfate as a mercury oxidizing reagent on a solid support.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This could potentially anticipate the use of a reagent on a solid support for mercury oxidation. However, the specific reagent (peroxomonosulfate) is different from the halogen/halide promoters of US10596517, and the patent notes that such reagent materials are often destroyed and require expensive reimpregnation for regeneration.

• U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,629; 3,662,523

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,629; 3,662,523.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes porous beds containing triiodide or other mixed halogens as a mercury oxidizing reagent on a solid support.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: These could potentially anticipate the use of certain halogens (like triiodide) on a support for mercury oxidation. However, similar to the peroxomonosulfate reference, the patent points out the issue of reagent destruction and expensive reimpregnation for regeneration.

• U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,629, 4,101,631, 4,708,853, 6,258,334

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,194,629, 4,101,631, 4,708,853, 6,258,334.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes porous beds containing sulfur as a mercury oxidizing reagent on a solid support.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: These could potentially anticipate the use of sulfur on a support for mercury removal. Again, the issue of reagent destruction and costly reimpregnation is raised in US10596517.

• U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,072

  • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,072.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes amalgamating noble metals (gold, silver) on a suitable support, which can be regenerated by microwave heating.
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This could potentially anticipate the concept of regenerating noble metal-based sorbents for mercury. However, it relates to expensive noble metals and a different regeneration mechanism than the promoted carbon sorbents of US10596517.

• Yan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,152

  • Full Citation: Yan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,152.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Described a Hg sorbent comprising elemental sulfur and a metal catalyst on a carbon support. The US10596517 notes that "This method did not appear to employ a halide."
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: This could potentially anticipate the use of a carbon support with sulfur and a metal catalyst for mercury removal. However, the explicit distinction made in US10596517 about the lack of a halide suggests it would not anticipate the core novelty of the halogen/halide promoted carbon sorbents (Independent Claim 1, 10).

• Attia, U.S. Pat. No. 65,080,281 (Typo in patent text, likely referring to a different number or a non-patent reference)

  • Full Citation: Attia, U.S. Pat. No. 65,080,281. (Note: This patent number format appears to be a typo in the original patent text. US patent numbers typically do not have 8 digits with a leading "65," nor a "0" after the first two digits in this position for patents issued in the 2000s). Assuming this is an identifier for a reference, but given the unusual number, it's hard to verify without further context or correction.
  • Publication/Filing Date: Not explicitly stated in US10596517.
  • Brief Description: Describes a sorbent for mercury and other contaminants comprising an inorganic aerogel composition. The US10596517 notes that "This method did not appear to employ a carbon support or halide."
  • Potential Claims Anticipated: If this reference were verifiable, it might potentially anticipate the use of aerogel compositions for mercury removal, but the stated lack of a carbon support or halide would differentiate it from the primary claims of US10596517.

The common thread in how US10596517 distinguishes itself from the cited prior art is often the unique chemical modification of the carbon with halogens/halides, the high initial reactivity without an induction period, the in-flight preparation methods, and the regenerability and reusability of the specific sorbents, especially those with larger particle sizes for easier separation from ash.