Abstract: An apparatus and method for the protection of a pipe containing an inflammable gas against back fire. The apparatus comprises a container partially filled with liquid extending along a given length of the container and at a give level, at least one gas feed pipe, and at least one horizontal inlet pipe, each immersed in the liquid and sealed at one end and receptive of gas at the other end from the feed pipe. Each inlet pipe has holes in its circumferential surface for the introduction of the gas into the liquid, with the number of holes and the dimensions thereof such that at the maximum gas volume flow rate, the outflow rate through the holes is at the most 40 m/sec and the rate in each gas feed pipe is at the most 20/sec. Additionally, each inlet pipe extends over only part of the length of the liquid in the container. A gas outlet nozzle is positioned above that part of the container where there is no pipe and a calming grid is disposed at the liquid level to subdue waves in the liquid.

Abstract: In the thermal purification of effluent gases charged with noxious substances by burning them with air at high temperatures, the improvement which comprises drawing the effluent gases charged with noxious substances through a zone established by a device which provides protection against back-firing and a combustion zone which is resistant to bursts of pressure of up to about 10 bars, and burning the effluent gases in the combustion zone at a temperature of about 800.degree. to 1000.degree. C. To carry out the process there is provided an apparatus comprising a back-firing safety device followed by a heat exchanger and then a combustion chamber. Components of the heat exchanger are made resistant to pressures of up to about 10 bars and the safety device prevents back-firing to the plant wherein the effluent gases are produced.

Abstract: In the complete and safe purification of waste gases which contain organic or inorganic combustible substances by thermal decomposition at temperatures between about 800.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C., wherein the amount of waste gas supplied to an inlet varies in time within wide limits and also the concentration of oxygen and combustible substances varies in such a way that the lower explosion limit is at times exceeded in the waste gas and wherein supplementary fuel is optionally added for the maintenance of the decomposition temperature, the improvement which comprises(a) adding to the waste gas to be decomposed fresh air or waste gas which contains no combustible substances in a constant amount which maintains the incoming flow rate W.sub.o defined in FIG.

Abstract: A process for the thermal decomposition of polychorinated organic compounds such as polychlorinated phenyls and biphenyls comprising heat treating the polychlorinated organic compounds in a flame, in a high-turbulence combustion chamber in a pulsating spiral flow at a temperature of at least about 850.degree. C. with a residence time of at least about 0.1 second, an excess of at least about 5% by weight of oxygen, based on the organic carbon to be burnt, being present in the combustion chamber. Advantageously the polychlorinated organic compound is present in the fuel feed in about 0.1 to 30% by weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to separately removing organic and inorganic impurities from exhaust gases so that the recovered materials are relatively pure and re-usable, using adsorption on carbon for selective removal of the organics and absorption in aqueous media for the inorganics. Carbon is first saturated with the same inorganics so that, when contacted with the exhaust gas, it removes only the organics. The residual gas, free of organics, upon absorption gives an inorganic solution of high purity. Steam regeneration of the carbon liberates the volatile organics. Systems are described using the two carbon beds in series, the second of which is undergoing inorganic presaturation while the first is removing the organics.

Abstract: Advantageously the absorption solution is glutaric acid buffered to a pH of about 3.5 to 6.5, the concentration of the glutaric acid is from about 40% up to 90% of the saturation concentration, its temperature is from about 20 to 25.degree. C, it has a concentration of heavy metal ions no more than about 10.sup.-6 mole/l, and to improve the separation of SO.sub.2 from the absorption solution steam is introduced into at least one separator in from about 0.01 to 0.1 kg/l of solution to be desorbed.

Abstract: Hydrogen sulfide in a gas is converted to sulfur by treatment with sulfur dioxide in the presence of a buffered organic polybasic acid with conversion of excess sulfur compounds in the gas to sulfur dioxide for recycle to the conversion.