Abstract: Sour sulfhydryl group containing oils are treated with an effective amount of a sweetening, hydrogen sulfide vapor reducing quaternary ammonium compound of the formula ##STR1## (a) wherein (i) R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are hydrocarbon groups including alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or arylalkyl groups, of up to 24 carbon atoms, and if an alkyl group, may include a cycloalkyl; with the proviso that two of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be in saturated heterocyclic ring which includes said nitrogen atom and may also include an oxygen atom; and (ii) at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 has two or more carbon atoms; and (b) wherein R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 independently are hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group of up to six carbon atoms, with the proviso that two of R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 may be in a cycloalkane ring. The compounds used in this treatment are especially suitable for high boiling, heavy residual fuels under low mix conditions.

Abstract: The invention consists of a liquid end for a plunger pump, having vertical inlet and outlet, with the suction and discharge valves readily accessible for maintenance without disturbing the suction and discharge piping. The liquid end also includes a relief valve which is accessible without disturbing suction or discharge piping. The passages to and from the relief valve are internal to the housing. Inserts are provided in the valves to eliminate dead space and to facilitate the removal of any trapped air which might adversely affect the performance of the pump.

Abstract: A catalytic chemical reactor of a sandwiched configuration is described. The reactor has at least one plate with a major surface and two minor ends opposite one another across the major surface. A plurality of reaction chambers are present in the plate, parallel to one another and the major surface, extending from one of the minor ends to the other. The reactor additionally comprises at least one heating panel adjacent and parallel to the flat plate. The plates may be configured in modular pairs with a heating panel in between each pair. The reactor is particularly adapted to produce organic chemicals, such as acrolein, in significant, but moderate quantities. Additionally, the reactor is of such a size that it is readily portable. Unusually, the reactor plates, or at least their inner surfaces, may be made from materials such as aluminum, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, niobium and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Materials such as amines, alcohols, aminoalcohols, ethers and mixtures thereof, including halogenated adducts thereof, have been found to be useful floc modifiers for water clarifiers to form an effective overall water clarifier composition. The water clarifier portion of the composition is a dithiocarbamate. The floc modifier of a particular water clarifier composition need not be the same compound that is reacted with carbon disulfide (CS.sub.2) to make the water clarifier portion of the novel compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the determination of a spatial formation parameter such as slowing down length and porosity in a measurement while drilling ("MWD") tool. The invention, more particularly, relates to the use of a neutron source and multiple neutron detectors in an MWD tool to determine the slowing down length of neutrons in the formation and to derive the formation porosity from the determined slowing down length.

Abstract: A catalyst support for use in promoting oxidation reactions composed of metal particles is described. The metal particles are selected from the group of aluminum, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, niobium and mixtures thereof, where aluminum is preferred. The metal particles may have a rough diameter of from 0.02 to 10 mm. The particles may be in the form of spheres, shavings, irregular granules and the like. When the catalyst support is to be used in a tubular reactor, the ratio of the diameter of the reactor to the diameter of the catalyst may range from 1.1 to 200:1. The metal catalyst supports are inert in the reaction and give excellent uniformity in heat distribution throughout the catalyst bed. In oxidation reactions, the catalyst support may bear a metal oxide catalyst to give good results. The particulate catalyst support bearing the active catalyst may also be compressed to inhibit channelling and to help provide higher yield to the desired product.

Abstract: A fluid system has been discovered using graded calcium carbonate particle sizes and a modified lignosulfonate. Optionally, a thixotropic polymer such as a welan or xanthum gum polymer is used to keep the CaCO.sub.3 and lignosulfonate in suspension. It is important that the calcium carbonate particles be distributed across a wide size range to effectively prevent filtration or fluid loss into the formation. Further, the lignosulfonate must be polymerized to an extent effective to reduce its water solubility. The modified lignosulfonate (lignin sulfonate) is necessary for the formation of a filter cake essentially on the surface of the well bore. Since the filter cake particles do not invade the well bore due to the action of the modified lignosulfonate, no high pressure spike occurs during the removal of the filter cake which indicates damage to the formation and well bore surface and typically reduces overall permeability of the formation.

Abstract: The invention consists of a liquid end for a plunger pump, having vertical inlet and outlet, with the suction and discharge valves readily accessible for maintenance without disturbig the suction and discharge piping. The liquid end also includes a relief valve which is accessible without disturbing suction or discharge piping. The passages to and from the relief valve are internal to the housing. Inserts are provided in the valves to eliminate dead space and to facilitate the removal of any trapped air which might adversely affect the performance of the pump.

Abstract: A clarifier basin is provided with upflow channels for removing solids from liquid that flows up the channels. The channels are defined by pairs of spaced sheets. Each sheet is provided with three-dimensional (3D) members, such as spherical bubbles or ellipsoids, that are in a two-dimensional array or regular pattern. The sheets are positioned closely adjacent to each other so that the 3D members on one sheet nest with the 3D members of the adjacent sheet to form interstices that collect the solids. The sheets are movable to enlarge the interstices so that air bubbles can flow up a selected channel and remove the solids for collection by a reservoir located above the selected channel. An air supply and the reservoir traverse the channels to remove the solids from the channels on a one-by-one basis. The sheets are formed of a plastic material with a series of protrusions extending from one side in a given pattern.

Abstract: A fluid is provided for the drilling, workover or completion of a subterranean well comprising an aqueous base, the browning reaction product of a carbohydrate, and a cation. Inversion of non-reducing sugars is effected on selected carbohydrates, with the invention also catalyzing the browning reaction.

Abstract: The overall description of this invention is a truncated buttress-type thread form that incorporates a reverse-angle tension load flank with a compression flank and a torque shoulder; the thread does not have any radial interference designed into it, but the hooked tension flank does tend to pull the pin and box together once the torque shoulder is engaged. The mating compression flanks have designed into them a minimum amount of clearance prior to the shouldering action, which then closes to zero or very near zero at the moment the shoulder is engaged. This drawing together is due to the tendency of the hooked threads to pull together at shouldering if there exists no radial interference in the thread body. The thread roots and crests can be tapered, parallel to the taper of the thread body, or flat and parallel to the pipe axis but maintain adequate clearance to allow some closure once the shoulder is engaged so that the compression flanks can draw together.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive composition which is especially useful for bonding polyamide article to surfaces, particularly polyamide surfaces. The composition contains an ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer or a polyamide polymer, and additionally contains a poly(p-hydroxystyrene) homopolymer or a copolymer of poly(p-hydroxystyrene) with a C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl acrylate.