Abstract: A residue from petroleum refining is thermally cracked to convert the residue to useful cracked products and to generate fuel gas. The residue is cracked by contact with hot synthesis gas produced by the gasification on the tar/pitch residue remaining after the cracking of the residue feed. Waste heat can be recovered from remaining portions of the synthesis gas from the gasifier in the form of steam which can be used in the gasification process and in the cracking process as needed for coke suppression. The combustible synthesis gas and the combustible gasses form the thermal cracking are separated from the cracked product liquid and used for power generation in a combined cycle plant.

Abstract: Process for dehydrating aqueous ethanol, utilizing a high-pressure distillation (with a single distillation column) of an aqueous ethanol admixture (preferably one derived from a conventional ethanol fermentation process), to achieve a vapor phase ethanol-water admixture containing about 90 percent, by weight, of ethanol, and then drying the vaporous admixture, in the presence of CO.sub.2, with a crystalline zeolite type 3A, utilizing the "pressure energy" derived from the distillation to allow the product ethanol to condense at ambient temperatures, and then, if desired, employing the resultant dried ethanol product in the production of gasohol.

Abstract: In the prevention of atmospheric pollution by sulfur dioxide emissions from acid absorbers in contact process sulfuric acid plants in which the unconverted SO.sub.2 is accumulated by adsorption in a zeolite adsorbent bed and desorbed back into the acid production system, it is found that ambient moist air, after partial dehydration in an acid scrubber is suitably used both to cool down and hot purge desorb the zeolite beds. In addition the pure water derived from the ambient air is advantageously used in the acid-making system.