Method for making low alpha count lead

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America

PATENT NO RE33313
SERIAL NO

07406063

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)

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Abstract

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Lead with a low alpha particle emission is produced by selecting an orebody wherein lead mineral is present in a coarsely disseminated form and substantially free of impurities. The ore is selected from a host rock that is relatively low in alpha emitters, such as a carbonate rock. The ore is mined and is milled such that the lead mineral can be separated from the host rock and any other minerals. The ground ore may be screened into one or more fractions having a narrow range of particle sizes. Each fraction is formed into a fluid suspension, and each suspension is subjected to gravity separation to remove the host rock and any other minerals which substantially contain the alpha particle-emitting substances, and to recover the lead mineral as a concentrate with a low alpha count. The lead concentrate is subjected to a suitable smelting operation, without the introduction of alpha emitters for the recovery of a low alpha lead. When the lead mineral is galena, the smelting is preferably carried out with sodium carbonate and an oxygen-bearing gas in the presence of sodium chloride as a fluxing agent to form a low melting point slag. The low alpha lead has an alpha count of about 0.02 alpha particles per cm.sup.2 per hour or less, and the count does not substantially increase with time.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
TECK COMINCO METALS LTDVANCOUVER BC V6C 0B3

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Dunlop, John A Veradale, WA 8 132
Smyth, Robert W Trail, CA 6 16
Toop, Gerald W Trail, CA 5 14

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