Abstract: A process for methanol which comprises cracking 100 moles of methanol in admixture with 1 to 99 moles of water, thereby obtaining a gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, is described. The process is preferably carried out using a catalyst which consists of a carrier comprising copper and chromium oxides with or without manganese oxide and/or barium oxide and a catalytic component of nickel oxide or a mixture of nickel oxide and a basic oxide.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the heat treatment of coal which comprises heating and drying low grade coal such as subbituminous coal and brown coal containing less than 80% of carbon and more than 33% of volatile matter (dry mineral matter-free basis) and having a high moisture content and a particle diameter smaller than 2 inches, with a high-temperature gas containing less than 5% of oxygen in a fluidized bed for 2-10 minutes until the coal temperature reaches 180.degree.-400.degree. C., and subsequently cooling the coal by spraying water in a fluidized bed for 2-10 minutes until the coal temperature decreases to 60.degree. C. or below at which time the coal holds the maximum moisture given by wetting. The heating process may be performed in two steps, in which case coal is heated with a high-temperature gas to 80.degree.-150.degree. C. in the first step so that the moisture of coal is reduced below the inherent moisture.

Abstract: In a tray-type gas-liquid contactor, such as a distillation, rectification, or absorption column, in which mass transfer is effected between gas and liquid through a gas-liquid contact, the height of both wing parts of a weir provided along the periphery of the tray is made not less than 1.2 times that of the central part so that, when the contactor is installed, for example, on a floating offshore structure, the performance of the apparatus is not adversely affected by an inclination or oscillating motion.

Abstract: In methods of manufacturing olefines by thermally cracking hydrocarbons, there is disclosed a thermal cracking method for producing olefines from hydrocarbons, characterized in that hydrocarbon in burnt with oxygen in the presence of steam to generate a high-temperature gas containing steam of 1500.degree.-3000.degree. C., methane and hydrogen are supplied into the high-temperature gas containing said steam, with the molar ratio of methane to hydrogen in said high temperature gas being 0.05 or more, then hydrocarbon to be cracked is supplied into said high-temperature gas containing said methane, hydrogen and steam, so that the hydrocarbon is subjected to thermal cracking by maintaining the partial pressure of hydrogen at more than at least 0.1 bar at the outlet of a reactor, under conditions of reaction temperature, 800.degree.-1200.degree. C. and residence time in the reactor 5-300 milli second, and then the reaction product is cooled in a rapid manner.

Abstract: In methods of manufacturing olefines by thermally cracking hydrocarbons, there is disclosed a thermal cracking method for producing olefines from hydrocarbons, characterized in that hydrocarbon is burnt with oxygen in the presence of steam to generate a high-temperature gas containing steam of 1500.degree.-3000.degree. C.; methane and hydrogen are supplied into the high-temperature gas containing said steam, with the molar ratio of methane to hydrogen in said high-temperature gas being 0.05 or more, then hydrocarbon to be cracked is supplied into said high-temperature gas containing said methane, hydrogen and steam, so that the hydrocarbon is subjected to thermal cracking by maintaining the partial pressure of hydrogen at more than at least 0.1 bar at the outlet of a reactor, under conditions of reaction temperature, 800.degree.-1200.degree. C. and residence time in the reactor 5-300 milli second, and then the reaction product is cooled in a rapid manner.