MCHM and the West Virginia Spill

Chemical Tanks ordered removed in West Virginia after Spill 
(Reuters; January 25, 2014)
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA0M03R20140126?irpc=932
    
     In the aftermath of the chemical spill of 4-Methyl Cyclohexane Methanol (MCHM) into the Elk River in West Virginia on January 9, 2014;  there are still some who might be unaware of the function of this particular chemical.

     According to published documentation under US Patent 4915825 A, 4-Methyl Cyclohexane Methanol was originally invented to increase Coal mineral recovery via the flotation process:

"Flotation is a process for separating finely ground minerals such as coal particles from their associate waste or gangue by means of the affinity of surfaces of these particles for air bubbles, which is a method for concentrating coal particles."

The filed US Patent Document is found here:


Process for Coal Flotation using 4-Methyl Cyclohexane Methanol Frothers
(CHRISTIE, FORTIN and GROSS, Nalco Chemical Company; April 10, 1990)
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US4915825.pdf


     As repercussions of MCHM spillage into the West Virginian surface and groundwater supplies remain to be fully manifested, access to more complete information on this chemical is available on the Hazardous Substances Data Bank, and may be found for your perusal at the following link:

Hazardous Substances Data Bank 
[U. S. National Library of Medicine; National Institutes of Health (NIH)]
http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+8182

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