Abstract: A novel inert environment enclosure includes an object inlet where production objects enter the enclosure and an object outlet where the production objects exit. At least one of the object inlet and the object outlet includes both a top-side flow obstructer and a bottom-side flow obstructer for preventing air from entering the enclosure. In a particular embodiment, the top-side flow obstructer and the bottom-side flow obstructer each include a curtain constructed from a flexible fabric having a plurality of individual adjacent fingers. In another particular embodiment, the inert environment enclosure is a nitrogen hood that houses a wave soldering machine. A inert gas nozzle is mounted at or near the inlet and/or the outlet. The inert environment enclosure maintains a positive pressure with respect to the surrounding environment when production objects are passed through the enclosure.

Abstract: A novel inert environment enclosure includes an object inlet where production objects enter the enclosure and an object outlet where the production objects exit. At least one of the object inlet and the object outlet includes both a top-side flow obstructer and a bottom-side flow obstructer for preventing air from entering the enclosure. In a particular embodiment, the top-side flow obstructer and the bottom-side flow obstructer each include a curtain constructed from a flexible fabric having a plurality of individual adjacent fingers. In another particular embodiment, the inert environment enclosure is a nitrogen hood that houses a wave soldering machine. A inert gas nozzle is mounted at or near the inlet and/or the outlet. The inert environment enclosure maintains a positive pressure with respect to the surrounding environment when production objects are passed through the enclosure.

Abstract: A novel inert environment enclosure includes an object inlet where production objects enter the enclosure and an object outlet where the production objects exit. At least one of the object inlet and the object outlet includes both a top-side flow obstructer and a bottom-side flow obstructer for preventing air from entering the enclosure. In a particular embodiment, the top-side flow obstructer and the bottom-side flow obstructer each include a curtain constructed from a flexible fabric having a plurality of individual adjacent fingers. In another particular embodiment, the inert environment enclosure is a nitrogen hood that houses a wave soldering machine. A inert gas nozzle is mounted at or near the inlet and/or the outlet. The inert environment enclosure maintains a positive pressure with respect to the surrounding environment when production objects are passed through the enclosure.

Abstract: The process uses two steps to separate the sugar ester from the crude sugar ester reaction product. The first step entails forming a precipitate of sugar ester from a mixture of alcohol, water and crude sugar ester reaction product. In a second subsequent step, the recovered sugar ester precipitate is washed with an organic solvent.

Abstract: This method for making sugar esters entails first reacting a sugar and an ter of that sugar having a degree of substitution greater than 2 with a Lewis acid or Lewis base catalyst in an organic solvent to form a sugar ester having a degree of substitution up to 2 and recovering the sugar ester having a degree of substitution up to 2 at ambient temperature. The recovery step must be conducted at a temperature below the distillation or boiling temperature of the organic solvent or else the DS of the resulting sugar ester will be greater than 2. This process is especially suited for sucrose esters. The reaction between the sugar and the sugar ester is conducted in the absence of a methyl ester of a fatty acid.

Abstract: To permit regeneration of an insoluble support for immobilized proteins, the protein is connected to the support by a spacer arm containing a diazo linkage and when the protein is denatured, the spacer arm is broken by reducing the diazo linkage to remove the denatured protein. New native protein of the same or of a different type is joined to the arm to permit reuse of the support. A preferred support containing a spacer arm is p-(N-acetyl-L-tyrosine azo)benzamidoethyl agarose. A protein is coupled to the carboxyl group of N-acetyl-L-tyrosine and when the protein is spent, the azo bond is reduced to remove the protein and leave p-aminobenzamido agarose which is diazotized and recoupled to N-acetyl-L-tyrosine which is then coupled to fresh protein.