Abstract: Mineral values, particularly uranium, are recovered "in situ" from a subsurface earth formation by completing at least one well in the mineralized formation adjacent either the top or the bottom of the mineralized formation, completing at least one second well in the mineralized formation adjacent the opposite of the top and the bottom of the mineralized formation, forming a horizontally-oriented fracture in the mineralized formation adjacent at least one of the top and the bottom of the mineralized formation, each of which fractures is in open communication with that well which has been completed at a corresponding vertical level, injecting a leach solution, adapted to solvate the mineral values, into the first or the second well, which thus becomes an injection well, and thence into that fracture which is in communication with the injection well and producing the leach solution, containing solvated mineral values, from the other of the first and second wells, which thus becomes the production well, whereby

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, oil is recovered from a subsurface earth formation by injecting into the subsurface formation an aqueous surfactant system containing a polyvalent metal carboxylate, as a surfactant, a cosurfactant and an electrolyte in concentrations and proportions to form multiphase system with the reservoir oil, thereafter, injecting into the earth formation a drive fluid to drive the multiphase system through the reservoir and displace a significant amount of the reservoir oil and withdrawing the thus displaced oil from the subsurface earth formation. A novel aqueous surfactant system, adapted to thus recover oil from a subsurface formation, comprises a polyvalent metal carboxylate, such as calcium isosteareate, as a surfactant, and an alcohol having at least five carbon atoms, as a cosurfactant, and an electrolyte, such as sodium chloride, in proportions which form a multiphase system with the reservoir oil.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention it has been found that improved recovery of oil from a subsurface earth formation can be attained by injecting into the formation a surfactant system comprising a carboxylate surfactant, a cosurfactant and an electrolyte in concentrations and proportions to form an immiscible three-phase system with the reservoir oil comprising a predominantly oil phase, a microemulsion phase and an aqueous phase. The carboxylate surfactant is preferably selected from the group consisting of branched aliphatic carboxylates and mononuclear aromatic carboxylates. Where aliphatic carboxylates are utilized as a surfactant, it is preferred that the polar organic material utilized as a cosurfactant have a solubility in water less than about ten grams per hundred grams of water at about 20.degree. C.

Abstract: A lightweight, thermoplastic elastomer composition is prepared by mixing a thermoplastic elastomer, such as a styrene/butadiene block copolymer, an extender oil and, optionally, at least part of a dense, particulate filler such as silica, at an elevated temperature to form a viscous, liquid masterbatch and, thereafter, mixing hollow microspheres, such as hollow glass micropheres, and all or the remainder of a dense, particulate filler, if any, with the masterbatch at an elevated temperature to form the lightweight, thermoplastic elastomer composition. The thermoplastic elastomer composition is preferably formed into a flexible, lightweight sheet-type structure particularly suitable for use as a sound or heat insulating material for automotive, aircraft and construction uses.

Abstract: A method of utilizing the energy of a high pressure condensate stream including passing steam at an elevated pressure in indirect heat exchange with a material to be heated, collecting a condensate product condensed from the steam of the heat exchange step at an elevated pressure, passing the condensate directly to a steam stripping step at essentially the same pressure at which the condensate was collected and reducing the pressure of the condensate while simultaneously contacting the condensate with a material to be stripped in the stripping step.

Abstract: A method for thermally flashing gases and liquids from a particle-form, normally solid carbonaceous material, including: contacting the carbonaceous material with a gas, which may supply at least part of the necessary heat, at essentially atmospheric pressure and a temperature and residence time sufficient to maximize the flashing of gases and liquids from the carbonaceous material but insufficient to decompose significant amounts of the flashed gases and liquids. Preferably, the carbonaceous material is entrained in the gas to form an entrained descending body of carbonaceous material in the contact zone. Residual solids containing carbonaceous material may be burned to produce fuel gas or reacted with steam or air and steam to form a synthesis gas and at least part of the flue gas or the synthesis gas utilized as the contact gas.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, mineral values are recovered from subsurface earth formations containing the same as well as calcium-containing materials by injecting into at least one injection well an aqueous sulfuric acid leach solution adapted to extract such mineral values from the subsurface formation and containing a solubility increasing agent, such as sodium chloride, adapted to significantly increase the solubility of calcium sulfates in water, in an amount sufficient to thus increase the solubility of calcium sulfates in water, contacting the subsurface earth formation with the leach solution for a time sufficient to extract significant amounts of mineral values from the formation and produce a pregnant leach solution containing the thus extracted mineral values and to thus solubilized significant amounts of calcium sulfates and withdrawing the pregnant leach solution from at least one producing well.

Abstract: Mineral values, particularly uranium, are recovered in situ from a heterogeneous subsurface earth formation containing the mineral values, which formation comprises zones of both high and low permeability, including injecting a plurality of separate slugs of leach solution adapted to solvate the mineral values into at least one injection well in communication with all zones of the formation, injecting a slug of a gas which is essentially insoluble in the leach solution between each two successive volumes of leach solution and withdrawing the pregnant leach solution, containing mineral values, from at least one production well in communication with all zones of the formation. The method can be further improved by injecting a mobility modifier, adapted to decrease the mobility of the leach solution, at the trailing end and/or leading end of the leach solution which is in contact with a slug of the gas. In a preferred embodiment, the mineral values contain significant amounts of uranium.

Abstract: In a method of producing carbon black in which a carbonaceous material is burned in the presence of a combustion supporting gas, burning is terminated, by the addition of a quench fluid, to produce hot combustion gas containing carbon black, heat values are recovered from the hot combustion gas, by passing the same in indirect heat exchange with water, the combustion supporting gas and/or a carbonaceous material (usually a liquid feed material), to produce a combustion gas of reduced temperature and part of the combustion gas of reduced temperature is utilized as the quench fluid startup is improved by using a normally gaseous carbonaceous material as a feed, withdrawing at least part of the hot combustion gas, usually after using the same to produce steam, utilizing the withdrawn hot combustion gas at the quench until the combustion gas of reduced temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, usually about 500.degree. F.

Abstract: Flow-restricting materials containing epoxy resins present in a well treated with an epoxy resin, for the purpose of coating and consolidating unconsolidated sand adjacent the well and/or gravel packing in the well, or of coating metallic equipment in the well, to prevent corrosion or the deposition of organic or inorganic solids on the equipment, by contacting the flow-restricting material with a solvent composition, comprising, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and a diluent in an amount of 0 to 80% by wt., for a time sufficient to form a flowable fluid and removing the flowable fluid from the well. Combination well treatments include consolidating sand and/or gravel in a well or coating metallic equipment in the well with an epoxy resin and, thereafter, subjecting the treated well to the above solvent treatment to remove flow-restricting materials from the well.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, microorganisms are controlled in a body of fluid, particularly an aqueous fluid containing such microorganisms, by burning a hydrogen-containing fuel in the presence of an oxidizing agent under conditions sufficient to produce partial oxidation products, containing significant amounts of at least one compound capable of controlling microorganisms, such as hydrogen peroxide and aldehydes controlling the burning step to prevent significant decomposition of the thus produced partial oxidation products and the formation of products of complete combustion therefrom by controlling the burning step by selecting at least one of the type of hydrogen-containing fuel, the fuel/oxidizing agent equivalence ratio, the temperature, the pressure and the residence time, preferrably the residence time by introducing a quench medium, particularly water, into the partial oxidation products, to produce an effluent containing said partial oxidation products containing including at least on

Abstract: A valve having at least one passage through the valve body and terminating in a port at one end of the valve body, a stem means extending through the valve body having a stem operating means on one end thereof and having the other end thereof terminating beyond the one end of the valve body and a closure means mounted on the free end of the stem means adapted to be rotated through an arc from a first position removed from the port to a second position adjacent the port, and having a closure element thereon adapted to close the port in the second position, whereby rotation of the stem moves the closure means from a first position, at which the fluid is admitted to the passage through the port, to the second position, at which fluid is prevented from entering the passage through the port.

Abstract: In order to prevent collapse and stress cracking of heat transfer devices, such as those devices utilized in solar energy systems, a container, particularly one made of plastic, is partially filled with a solid or liquid heat transfer medium which evaporates and condenses over the working temperature range of the device, in an amount sufficient to leave a void space in the device at the highest temperature to which the device is subjected, an inert, solidifiable or liquifiable pressurizing material, such as solid carbon dioxide, which undergoes phase transition to a gaseous state at a temperature at least as high as the lowest temperature to which the device is subjected, in an amount sufficient to create a positive pressure within the void space at the lowest temperature to which the device is subjected, is added and the container is sealed to produce a gas and vapor impervious device. A heat transfer device manufactured in this manner is also disclosed.