Abstract: A method for spray drying an aqueous slurry in a spray drying tower. Hot effluent gases containing steam are divided into two portions. One portion is heated and recycled to the spray drying tower as part of the heated gas stream which dries the slurry. The other portion is condensed and subjected to a contaminant-removal operation such as scrubbing or electrostatic precipitation, under controlled conditions.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided wherein organic reactant is sulfonated by injecting it into a stream of gas comprising sulfur trioxide, at a venturi, and the resulting reaction mixture is quenched with a stream of cooled, recycled reaction product immediately downstream of the venturi in a conduit in which particles of reaction mixture are agglomerated into a film of the recycle stream and in which additional sulfonation reaction occurs.

Abstract: A scrubbing system including scrubbers having straight through or direct line gas flow, with steam pretreatment of the gases supplied to the scrubber. The scrubbing solution may be recycled. Where steam is present in the process, the effluent gas is partially recycled to the process upstream of the scrubber to maintain a predetermined level of steam moisture in the gases entering the scrubber.

Abstract: A sewage pump priming system including a sewage pump disposed above a sump for holding sewage to force sewage from the sump through a sewage discharge conduit, a priming chamber receiving sewage from the sewage discharge conduit to be partially filled with sewage to a level above the sewage pump and the sewage discharge conduit, a vacuum pump communicating with the priming chamber for sucking sewage into the priming chamber to prime the sewage pump and a gas relief conduit providing a passage for gas above the level of sewage in the priming chamber to the sewage discharge conduit at a position downstream of the priming chamber such that the priming chamber is utilized to prime the sewage pump and to remove gas from the sewage pump priming system.

Abstract: A class of ceramic mixed oxide, nonstoichiometric electrically neutral rare-earth-type catalyst containing rare-earth-type elements and elements of the first transition metal series and optionally the alkaline earth metals. The catalyst has the following formula:X.sub.n Y.sub.(1.sub.-n) ZO.sub.(3<m) (I)wherein:X is an alkaline earth metal or mixture thereof;Y is a rare-earth-type element or mixture thereof;Z is a metal of the first transition series or a mixture thereof, at least 0.01% of said metal having an oxidation state other than +3;m is a number having a value of between 0 and about 0.11; andn is a number having a value from 0 to about 0.51.These mixed oxide catalysts can be used to catalytically oxidize low molecular weight inorganic compounds and elements, such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, with oxygen, or carbon monoxide with water, sulfur dioxide or nitric oxide.