CN101838087B - Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof - Google Patents

Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CN101838087B
CN101838087B CN2010101029189A CN201010102918A CN101838087B CN 101838087 B CN101838087 B CN 101838087B CN 2010101029189 A CN2010101029189 A CN 2010101029189A CN 201010102918 A CN201010102918 A CN 201010102918A CN 101838087 B CN101838087 B CN 101838087B
Authority
CN
China
Prior art keywords
air flotation
flotation slot
sulphur
earth
positive pole
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
CN2010101029189A
Other languages
Chinese (zh)
Other versions
CN101838087A (en
Inventor
顾凌霄
彭建华
王魁珽
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
China ENFI Engineering Corp
Original Assignee
China ENFI Engineering Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by China ENFI Engineering Corp filed Critical China ENFI Engineering Corp
Priority to CN2010101029189A priority Critical patent/CN101838087B/en
Publication of CN101838087A publication Critical patent/CN101838087A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CN101838087B publication Critical patent/CN101838087B/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/20Recycling

Landscapes

  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)

Abstract

The invention discloses anode mud treatment equipment, which comprises an air flotation slot, a dryer, a melting slot and a sulfur filter press, wherein the dryer is connected with the air flotation slot and is used for receiving and drying crude sulfur discharged from the air flotation slot; the melting slot is connected with the dryer and is used for melting the dried crude sulfur; and the sulfur filter press is connected with the melting slot and is used for carrying out pressure filtration on the melted sulfur. The invention also discloses the air flotation slot used for the anode mud treatment equipment. According to the invention, three substances in anode mud are simultaneously separated in the same air flotation slot, less equipment is needed, and the separation effect is good. The sulfur content in the separated crude sulfur is high, and the energy consumption in melting is further reduced because the crude sulfur is dehydrated and dried before being melted. Since the sulfur content in the crude sulfur is high, and the sulfide content is low, the operation and the efficiency performance of the sulfur filter press become convenient.

Description

Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof
Technical field
The present invention relates to a kind of anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof, especially relate to and a kind ofly produce Recovered sulphur and the anode mud treatment equipment and the air flotation slot thereof that are rich in the sulfide of valuable metal the byproduct-earth of positive pole of metallic nickel from electrolysis.
Background technology
Traditionally, all will pass through many operations with copper nickel sulfide mineral production metallic nickel and could the impurity in nickel, the mineral and other metals be separated, obtain pure metallic nickel, wherein last operation is the electrowinning process of nickel; Wherein at negative electrode precipitating metal nickel, and the sulphur that contains in the anode be rich in sulfide (for example, nickel sulfide and copper sulfide) other valuable metals (for example; Platinum, lead, gold; Silver) be the solid puree shape and stay in the electrolytic cell, be commonly referred to the earth of positive pole.The earth of positive pole contains a large amount of sulphur and insoluble valuable metal and unworthy impurity.
In order to reclaim sulphur and the organic metal in the earth of positive pole, traditional method be with the earth of positive pole wash, many operations such as screening and precipitate and separate, make sulphur and the separating substances that contains valuable metal, the material after will separating is again handled recovery respectively.Yet all there are some problems in traditional processing method, and for example operation is many, complex equipments, problem such as efficient is low, and energy consumption is high, and sulfur purity is low.
For example, in traditional Canadian thomson anode treatment method, at first use flotation device antianode mud to handle; Need to add medicament, increased cost, and solution has corrosivity to flotation device; Existing flotation device can not be suitable for, and needs special corrosion-resistant flotation device.And the earth of positive pole need pass through scalping, and twice filtration directly melted without drying, has strengthened the consumption of steam in the earth of positive pole fusion process, and equipment is corroded easily during the wet simultaneously earth of positive pole (thick sulphur) fusing, has increased the investment of devices cost.In addition, the sulfide that contains in the thick sulphur is many, when in the end handling with the sulphur filter press, and the inferior separating effect of sulphur and sulfide.
For another example, handle in the method for the earth of positive pole in Jinchuan company, the washing of the earth of positive pole, filtration and fusing are manual operations, and labour intensity is big, and environment is abominable.The inferior separating effect of sulphur and other materials causes the sulfur-bearing of earth of positive pole entering drying machine and melting channel low, and the material treating capacity is big, so energy consumption is big.The normal pressure suction strainer is adopted in simultaneously thick sulphur fusing, and the rate of recovery of sulphur is low, and working condition is poor.
Summary of the invention
The present invention is intended to solve at least one of technical problem that exists in the prior art.For this reason, one object of the present invention be to propose that a kind of operation is simple, equipment is few, the anode mud treatment equipment of good separating effect and air flotation slot thereof.
To achieve these goals,, propose a kind of air flotation slot that is used to handle the earth of positive pole, comprising according to one aspect of the invention: cell body, said cell body open-top and bottom are formed with outlet, and said cell body is processed by the material of sulfuric acid corrosion resistant; And agitator, said agitator is arranged on and is used to stir the earth of positive pole slurries in the cell body in the said cell body.
According to the air flotation slot of the embodiment of the invention, in an air flotation slot, through stirring; Utilize the hydrophobicity and the proportion of contained material in the earth of positive pole; Just can the thick sulphur of precipitate and separate, the aqueous solution and contain the sulfide of valuable metal, therefore simple in structure, technology is simple; Cost is low, for subsequent treatment has been brought facility.
Air flotation slot according to the embodiment of the invention can also have following additional technical feature:
The top of said cell body is cylindrical and the bottom is a frustoconical.
Said cell body is provided with the transparent visor that is used to observe earth of positive pole slurries.
Said agitator is the disc type turbine stirrer.Thus, can be better when stirring, air is brought in the earth of positive pole slurries, and air can be dispersed in the slurries, help thick sulphur and float.
Also be provided with in the said air flotation slot and be used for air fed tracheae in air flotation slot.Thus, further promote the come-up of thick sulphur.
According to a further aspect in the invention, propose a kind of anode mud treatment equipment, comprising: air flotation slot, said air flotation slot are according to the described air flotation slot of first aspect present invention; Drying machine, said drying machine link to each other with said air flotation slot and are used to receive and dry thick sulphur of discharging from air flotation slot; Melting channel, said melting channel link to each other with drying machine and are used to melt dried thick sulphur; With the sulphur filter press, said sulphur filter press links to each other with melting channel, is used for the sulphur after press filtration is melted.
According to the anode mud treatment equipment of the embodiment of the invention, three kinds of materials in the earth of positive pole in an air flotation slot, have been separated simultaneously, few, the good separating effect of equipment.Sulfur-bearing is high in the isolated thick sulphur, has passed through dehydrating before the fusing again, the energy consumption when further having reduced fusing.Because contain the sulphur height in the thick sulphur after the fusing, sulfide content is low, is convenient to the operation of sulphur filter press and the performance of usefulness.
In addition, the anode mud treatment equipment according to the embodiment of the invention can also have following additional technical characterictic:
Between air flotation slot and drying machine, be connected with filter, said filter from air flotation slot receive and filter thick sulphur and will filter after thick sulphur supply to drying machine.
Said melting channel is the steam-melting groove.
Additional aspect of the present invention and advantage part in the following description provide, and part will become obviously from the following description, or recognize through practice of the present invention.
Description of drawings
Above-mentioned and/or additional aspect of the present invention and advantage obviously with are easily understood becoming the description of embodiment from combining figs, wherein:
Fig. 1 is the sketch map of anode mud treatment equipment according to an embodiment of the invention; With
Fig. 2 is the operational flowchart according to the anode mud treatment equipment of the embodiment of the invention.
The specific embodiment
Describe embodiments of the invention below in detail, the example of said embodiment is shown in the drawings, and wherein identical from start to finish or similar label is represented identical or similar elements or the element with identical or similar functions.Be exemplary through the embodiment that is described with reference to the drawings below, only be used to explain the present invention, and can not be interpreted as limitation of the present invention.
The air flotation slot of describing according to the anode mud treatment equipment of the embodiment of the invention with reference to figure 1 below 1.
As shown in Figure 1, air flotation slot 1 comprises cell body 11 and the agitator 12 that is arranged in the cell body 11.The top of cell body 11 is cylindrical shape, and the bottom is a frustoconical, and the bottom is provided with floss hole.Cell body 11 can for example glass, steel or plastics be processed by the material of sulfuric acid corrosion resistant.Transparent visor (not shown) can be set on the cell body 11; For example transparent visor can be arranged on the floss hole place; Be used to observe the earth of positive pole slurries in the air flotation slot 1, especially, when earth of positive pole slurries precipitate and separate in air flotation slot becomes different layer; When discharging different layers, be used to observe the different layers of discharge.
Agitator 12 is used for the earth of positive pole slurries in the air flotation slot 1 are stirred.In a concrete example; Agitator 12 is disc type turbine stirrer and rotating speed adjustable, and the disc type turbine stirrer can be brought into air in the slurries when stirring earth of positive pole slurries; Make air dispersion simultaneously, more advantageously make the sulphur in the slurries float thus.Disc type turbine stirrer for example disc type turbine stirrer is processed by titanium or 316L corrosion resisting steel.
Alternatively, in air flotation slot 1, can be provided with air conduit 13, be used for the slurries bubbling air in air flotation slot 1 when stirring, thereby more advantageously make sulphur float.
Mainly contain sulphur (usually about 90%) in the earth of positive pole, second kind of material is to be rich in valuable metal in sulfide (for example nickel sulfide and copper sulfide) (platinum for example, lead; Gold and silver); Material is the sulfate of nickel and copper in the 3rd, and they are soluble in water, can separate with sulphur and sulfide solid.
According to the hydrophobicity and the proportion of above-mentioned heterogeneity, in water, can make above-mentioned three kinds of separating substances through air-float method.Through in air flotation slot 1, stirring; When stopping to stir the earth of positive pole slurries that make after the stirring then and in air flotation slot 1, stopping one section; Earth of positive pole slurries precipitate and separate in the air flotation slot 1 is three layers: top layer is thick sulphur C, promptly contains the foam-like latax of thick sulphur, and the middle level is light green aqueous solution B; Wherein dissolved in nickelous sulfate and copper sulphate, bottom is the bigger sulfide A of proportion.Thus,, can sequentially give off above-mentioned three layers of material respectively, thus thick sulphur C, the sulfide A that contains valuable metal separated with the aqueous solution B that dissolves in nickelous sulfate and copper sulphate through the floss hole of air flotation slot 1 bottom.
According to air flotation slot 1 of the present invention, can utilize the different hydrophobicitys and the proportion of the material in the earth of positive pole slurries through stirring; Slurries are divided into three layers, thereby order is discharged separation, device structure is simple; Become local, the sulphur content in the thick sulphur is high, thereby has overcome the defective of traditional filter press.
The anode mud treatment equipment of describing according to the embodiment of the invention with reference to figure 1 below.
As shown in Figure 1, anode mud treatment equipment comprises air flotation slot 1, filter 2, drying machine 3, melting channel 4 and sulphur filter press 5.
Described air flotation slot 1 above, no longer be repeated in this description here.
Filter 2 links to each other with the outlet of air flotation slot 1, delivers to filter 2 from the thick sulphur of air flotation slot 1 discharge and filters, thereby leach solution wherein, makes that the water content among the thick sulphur C further reduces, and the solution that leaches send potroom to carry out electrolysis.Filter 2 for example can be filter press.
Drying machine 3 links to each other with filter 2, and the thick sulphur after the filtration is sent to drying machine 3 and carries out drying.Drying machine 3 for example is a steam dryer, through the drying of drying machine 3, can further reduce the water content in the thick sulphur, thereby reduces the steam consumption in the follow-up melting channel 4.
Melting channel 4 links to each other with drying machine 3, and dried thick sulphur is sent to fusing in the melting channel 4.Be provided with steam pipe 42 in the melting channel 4, be used to feed steam, thereby melt thick sulphur.Certainly, the present invention is not limited to the thick sulphur of steam-melting.Also be provided with agitating device 41 in the melting channel 4, agitating device 41 is used for stirring the thick sulphur of fusing, thereby accelerates the fusing of thick sulphur.
Sulphur filter press 5 links to each other with melting channel 4, and the thick sulphur after the fusing is delivered to sulphur filter press 5 and carried out press filtration, thereby isolates the sulfide that contains the valency metal on a small quantity that contains in the thick sulphur, obtains clean sulphur D.Since in air flotation slot 1 initial gross separation thick sulphur C and sulfide A, therefore, slightly the sulfide A content among the sulphur C is few, the usefulness of sulphur filter press 5 is better brought into play, and has further improved the purity of clean sulphur D.Need to prove that the present invention is not limited to sulphur filter press 5 clean sulphur separated with sulfide, those of ordinary skill in the art can use any suitable filter plant to replace sulphur filter press 5 under instruction of the present invention.
With reference to figure 2 operating process of anode mud treatment equipment is according to an embodiment of the invention described below.
As shown in Figure 2, at first the earth of positive pole and water are joined in the air flotation slot 1, antianode mud carries out pulp to form earth of positive pole slurries, and for example, the water-solid ratio of the earth of positive pole can be 4.Certainly, earth of positive pole slurries are not limited in air flotation slot 1, form.
Stir through disc type turbine stirrer 41 antianode mud liquid in air flotation slot 1, disc type turbine stirrer 41 is brought air in the slurries into when stirring, and can make and be beneficial to air dispersion sulphur thus and float.Alternatively, can be in slurries when stirring bubbling air, more help the sulphur come-up.
After stirring the predetermined long time, stop to stir, and make the earth of positive pole slurries after the stirring in air flotation slot 1, stop predetermined long time, for example 0.5-2 hour.
As stated, the earth of positive pole mainly comprises three kinds of materials: thick sulphur, contain sulfide and the nickel of valuable metal, the sulfate of copper, and wherein the sulfate of nickel, copper dissolves in water, and therefore the form with the aqueous solution exists, and sulphur and sulfide are water-insoluble solid.
Because the hydrophobicity of above-mentioned three kinds of materials and the difference of proportion; Therefore through after stirring and stop the predetermined long time; Earth of positive pole slurries precipitate and separate in the air flotation slot 1 is three layers: top layer is yellow thick sulphur C, promptly contains the foam-like latax of thick sulphur, and the middle level is light green aqueous solution B; Wherein dissolved in nickelous sulfate and copper sulphate, bottom is the bigger pitchy sulfide A of proportion.
Sequentially discharge sulfide A, aqueous solution B and thick sulphur C successively from the outlet of air flotation slot 1 bottom, when discharging, can observe the discharge of different layers through transparent visor.Certainly, also color sensor can be set, control the discharge of different layers automatically.Also contain a spot of sulfide A among the thick sulphur C, compare with traditional treatment method, the content of the sulfide A among the thick sulphur C reduces greatly, thus, helps follow-up thick sulphur press filtration.
Alternatively,,, after discharging sulfide A and aqueous solution B, can in air flotation slot 1, add antifoaming agent and stir, thereby help the discharge of thick sulphur C for the ease of the discharge of thick sulphur C because the thick sulphur C that is positioned at top layer is the foam-like latax.
The sulfide A that discharges can send the smeltery to carry out metallurgy, to reclaim valuable metal wherein.The aqueous solution B send potroom, to reclaim nickel and copper wherein.
The thick sulphur C that discharges delivers to filter 2 and filters, and leaching solution B wherein, thereby obtains preliminarily dried.The solution B that leaches also can be delivered to potroom and reclaim.
Thick sulphur C after the filtration carries out drying through steam dryer 3, delivers to melting channel 4 then and melts, and has carried out drying owing to enter into the thick sulphur of melting channel 4, has practiced thrift ability consumption when therefore melting greatly.
Thick sulphur C after the fusing delivers to sulphur filter press 5 and carries out press filtration, thereby sulphur C is separated with sulfide A, obtains clean sulphur D.Isolated sulfide can send the smeltery to handle, and reclaims valuable metal etc.
Because in air flotation slot 1, carried out separating of sulphur and sulfide, the sulfide that contains in the therefore thick sulphur reduces greatly, thick sulphur sulfur-bearing is high; Impurity is few, is convenient to the operation of sulphur filter press, and labour intensity is little; Productivity ratio is high, does not have the sulfur dioxide gas body pollution again.Can know for those of ordinary skill in the art; The sulfide that contains in the thick sulphur is many more, is unfavorable for the operation of sulphur filter press more, and the sulfide content in the therefore thick sulphur reduces; Not only can improve the purity of clean sulphur, and help bringing into play the usefulness of sulphur filter press.
According to the anode mud treatment equipment of the embodiment of the invention, three kinds of materials in the earth of positive pole in an air flotation slot, have been separated simultaneously, few, the good separating effect of equipment.
Sulfur-bearing is high in the isolated thick sulphur, has passed through dehydrating before the fusing again, the energy consumption when further having reduced fusing.
Because contain the sulphur height in the thick sulphur after the fusing, sulfide content is low, is convenient to the operation of sulphur filter press and the performance of usefulness.
Need to prove; Though be that example has been described the present invention with Recovered sulphur and valuable metal from byproduct-earth of positive pole of producing nickel above; But the present invention is not limited to handle the above-mentioned earth of positive pole; For persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that the present invention can also be used for handling the leached mud of hydrometallurgy, therefrom Recovered sulphur and valuable metal.
Although illustrated and described embodiments of the invention; Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that: under the situation that does not break away from principle of the present invention and aim, can carry out multiple variation, modification, replacement and modification to these embodiment, scope of the present invention is limited claim and equivalent thereof.

Claims (7)

1. an air flotation slot that is used to handle the earth of positive pole is characterized in that, comprising:
Cell body, said cell body open-top and bottom are formed with outlet, and said cell body is processed by the material of sulfuric acid corrosion resistant; With
Agitator, said agitator are arranged on the earth of positive pole slurries that mixed by the earth of positive pole and water that are used in the cell body to stir in the cell body, and said agitator is the disc type turbine stirrer.
2. the air flotation slot that is used to handle the earth of positive pole according to claim 1 is characterized in that, the top of said cell body is cylindrical and the bottom is a frustoconical.
3. the air flotation slot that is used to handle the earth of positive pole according to claim 1 is characterized in that, said cell body is provided with the transparent visor that is used to observe earth of positive pole slurries.
4. the air flotation slot that is used to handle the earth of positive pole according to claim 1 is characterized in that, also is provided with in the said air flotation slot to be used for air fed tracheae in air flotation slot.
5. an anode mud treatment equipment is characterized in that, comprising:
Air flotation slot, said air flotation slot are according to each described air flotation slot among the claim 1-5;
Drying machine, said drying machine link to each other with said air flotation slot and are used to receive and dry thick sulphur of discharging from air flotation slot;
Melting channel, said melting channel link to each other with drying machine and are used to melt dried thick sulphur; With
The sulphur filter press, said sulphur filter press links to each other with melting channel, is used for the sulphur after press filtration is melted.
6. anode mud treatment equipment according to claim 5 is characterized in that, between air flotation slot and drying machine, is connected with filter, said filter from air flotation slot receive and filter thick sulphur and will filter after thick sulphur supply to drying machine.
7. anode mud treatment method according to claim 5 is characterized in that, said melting channel is the steam-melting groove.
CN2010101029189A 2010-01-28 2010-01-28 Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof Active CN101838087B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN2010101029189A CN101838087B (en) 2010-01-28 2010-01-28 Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN2010101029189A CN101838087B (en) 2010-01-28 2010-01-28 Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN101838087A CN101838087A (en) 2010-09-22
CN101838087B true CN101838087B (en) 2012-04-18

Family

ID=42741797

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN2010101029189A Active CN101838087B (en) 2010-01-28 2010-01-28 Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CN (1) CN101838087B (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102329965A (en) * 2011-09-28 2012-01-25 界首市骏马工贸有限公司 Device and method for separating lead, antimony slag and alkaline liquor from lead-refined alkali slag by using one-step method
CN103386370A (en) * 2012-05-11 2013-11-13 苏州市金翔钛设备有限公司 Gas floating tank applied to treatment of anode mud
JP5679372B2 (en) * 2013-07-03 2015-03-04 住友金属鉱山株式会社 Method for producing hematite for iron making

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN101838087A (en) 2010-09-22

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN104928483B (en) Method for comprehensively recovering silver, selenium, tellurium and copper from copper telluride residues
CN107190143A (en) The technique that a kind of Whote-wet method reclaims valuable element in complicated low-grade sulphide ore
CN105603186B (en) A kind of technique of efficient selective separation Zinc Content in Zinc Sulphide Concentrate
CN207404839U (en) The device of sulphur is recycled in a kind of wet desulfurizing process from sulphur foam solution
CN101838087B (en) Anode mud treatment equipment and air flotation slot thereof
CN109777958A (en) A kind of technique of the comprehensive reutilization valuable metal from material containing zinc
CN103014779B (en) A kind of multistage ore pulp decomposes Winning cell and decomposes electrodeposition process integration
CN101838088B (en) Anode mud treatment method of preparing metallic nickel by copper sulphide
CN106282588B (en) Reviver refines alkali regeneration method in alkaline residue
CN105502300B (en) One kind separation sulfur-melting technology and equipment
CN102002584A (en) Method of recovering manganese, lead and silver from zinc electrolyzed anode mud by utilizing acid-making tail gas
CN105274334B (en) A kind of method and its purification tank of solution of zinc sulfate continuous purification
CN201648192U (en) Anode mud treatment equipment and air-flotation tank thereof
CN101676229A (en) Fully closed system for regenerating alkaline etching liquid and recovering copper in PCB
CN101886169B (en) New process for extracting copper from copper-cobalt mine leachate
CN206858624U (en) The efficiently concentrating and separator of barium sulfate in a kind of earth of positive pole
CN109355499A (en) A method of removing removing chloride from nickel sulfate solution
CN212925127U (en) Recovery device for valuable metals in scrap copper electrolysis anode mud
CN108706622A (en) A kind of alkali circulation regeneration method
CN212315539U (en) Recovery device of elemental sulfur in sulfur-containing hydrometallurgy slag
CN102796880A (en) Method and equipment for extracting manganese from manganese alloy smelting slag
CN102660756A (en) High-purity manganese metal and preparation method thereof
CN112575205A (en) Device and method for continuously leaching lithium sulfate from spodumene acid clinker
CN102251104B (en) Leaching method of low-grade copper oxide mud ore
CN202724787U (en) Washing water recovery device arranged in anode mud pressure filter

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
C06 Publication
PB01 Publication
C10 Entry into substantive examination
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
C14 Grant of patent or utility model
GR01 Patent grant