Abstract: A boron-containing heterocyclic compound prepared by reacting a primary amine or ammonia with an alkylene oxide or epoxide and then reacting concurrently or subsequently this reaction intermediate with a boric acid. This boron-containing heterocyclic compound may further be reacted with a metal, metalloid or other metal compound and even further contain sulfur, such as a sulfide group.The boron-containing heterocyclic compound provides extreme pressure anti-wear properties when provided in a lubricating composition. The lubricating composition may also comprise anti-oxidants, copper corrosion inhibitors, and lead corrosion inhibitors. The anti-wear properties of a lubricating composition can be enhanced using the borates of the present invention in conjunction with a copper compound.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for fabricating a broad-based submersible structure useful for deep water installations. In this method the lower portion of said structure is fabricated in two half-sections. The first half-section of said braod-based submersible structure is fabricated in a substantially horizontal position, and then raised from the ground to a height sufficient to enable a second half-section (also fabricated in a substantially horizontal position) to be moved therebeneath. The second half-section is aligned with said raised first half-section and said aligned half-sections are joined to provide the lower portion of the structure. The lower portion of the structure may be then joined to the upper portion of said structure to provide said broad-based submersible structure in a horizontal position, and the structure rotated from a substantially horizontal position to a vertical position.

Abstract: An apparatus and process are provided for depressurizing, cooling, and, optionally, moisturizing retorted oil shale produced in an oil shale retort operated at superatmospheric pressure. Hot retorted oil shale particles are gravitated from the retort and into an elongated, multichambered vessel. In the upper chambers of the vessel the particles are partially cooled by contact with a controlled flow of liquid water. The water, having been totally vaporized, is removed from the particles at a rate which prevents the substantial flow of gases between the vessel and the retort. In the lower chambers of the vessel, the particles are first stripped of entrained hydrocarbon gas by gravitating through a countercurrently flowing stream of stripping gas and then brought to ambient pressure by gravitating through a long, narrow seal leg. Optionally, the depressurized and partially cooled particles are then further cooled and moisturized by admixing with a controlled flow of liquid water.

Abstract: Large surface area oxidative dehydrogenation catalysts which are suitable for converting C.sub.4 to C.sub.8 mono-olefins to conjugated dienes are disclosed, comprising the oxides of vanadium, phosphorus, tin and potassium in combination with hydrogen mordenite having a surface area between 30 M.sup.2 /g to 450 M.sup.2 /g and wherein the vanadium has an average valence in the range of from 3.5 to 4.95.

Abstract: A dry sealing leg apparatus is comprised of four chambers through which a moving bed of retorted shale particulates from an oil shale retort is passed serially: a surge chamber, a gas injection chamber, a seal leg chamber, and a gas disengaging chamber. In the gas injection chamber, a sealing gas penetrates the moving bed of shale and divides into two portions. One portion travels countercurrently to the shale through the surge chamber and enters the retort at a positive pressure to seal product gases therein. A second portion travels co-currently with the shale through the seal leg chamber and gas disengaging chamber and exits at a pressure less than that of the retort, having been reduced in pressure by resistance to its passage through the shale.

Abstract: A stabilized fumigant composition comprises an aqueous solution containing up to about fifty percent by weight of a solute which comprises ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. Elemental sulfur can also be a component of the solute. One preferred composition comprises a solution wherein the molarity of hydrogen sulfide is about 1.5 times the molarity of carbon disulfide, and is about one-half the molarity of ammonia, and wherein the molarity of sulfur is about 1.6 times the molarity of carbon disulfide.The composition decomposes in a soil environment to form sources of available plant nutrients, including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur, and carbon disulfide which inhibits nitrification and decreases the nematode population. Nutrient content can be enhanced by the addition of, for example, ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea and mixtures thereof to the formed composition.

Abstract: Method for treating earthen formations which contain water-sensitive, finely divided particulate matter wherein there is injected into the formation steam or a mixture of steam and hot water containing an effective fines-stabilizing amount of a compound containing ammoniacal nitrogen selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, an ammonium salt of an inorganic acid, an ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid, ammonium cyanate, derivatives of ammonium cyanate, ammonium thiocyanate, and a water-soluble ammonia or ammonium ion precursor selected from the group consisting of amides of carbamic acid and thiocarbamic acid, derivatives of such amides, tertiary carboxylic acid amides and their substituted and akylated derivatives. Preferred additives include ammonium carbonate and urea. If the formation is a subsurface oil-containing formation, the treatment can be part of a method for enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: Hydroprocessing of hydrocarbon oils is carried out utilizing a catalyst containing active metal components on a porous refractory oxide and having a narrow pore size distribution, with essentially all pores being of diameter greater than about 100 angstroms, with less than about 10 percent of the total pore volume being in pores of diameter greater than 300 angstroms, and with at least about 60 percent of the total pore volume being in pores of diameter from about 180 to about 240 angstroms. The catalyst is particularly useful for removing of contaminant metals from residuum hydrocarbon oils.

Abstract: A liquid impregnant containing furfural, an acid catalyst and a pore-forming agent comprising a surfactant, e.g. a polyalkylene oxide adduct, is impregnated into fine grained, isotropic graphite bodies and then polymerized and pyrolyzed. An increase in the density of the impregnated body and an improved surface finish is obtained by means of the liquid impregnant and method of this invention.

Abstract: Catalytically active amorphous silicas are prepared by dehydrating a silica hydrogel or precipitate prepared from an acidified aqueous silicate solution containing an amine of pK.sub.a above 10 or a cation containing either a nitrogen or phosphorus atom bonded to four carbon atoms. The resultant amorphous silica is catalytically active for, among other chemical reactions, the isomerization of orthoxylene and the cracking of hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A catalytic hydrotreating process of a low sulfur-containing hydrocarbon oil involves the addition of sulfur to maintain the catalyst in a sulfided form.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing needle coke comprising the steps of heating green needle coke at temperatures between about 935.degree. F. and about 1,100.degree. F. for between about 10 minutes and about 24 hours, cooling the coke to below about 250.degree. F., and calcining the coke at calcination temperatures above about 2,000.degree. F.

Abstract: An adhesive composition, particularly useful for laminating carboxylate-containing films, comprises an aqueous dispersion of a film-forming vinylidene chloride copolymer wherein the vinylidene chloride copolymer includes on a comonomer weight basis:(a) from about 45 to about 90 percent vinylidene chloride,(b) from about 5 to about 25 percent of a polar comonomer having one or more hydroxyl groups, and(c) from about 0 to about 30 percent of a plasticizing monomer for vinylidene chloridein combination with:(d) a cross-linking agent dissolved in the continuous aqueous phase of the vinylidene chloride copolymer.

Abstract: This invention provides a detachable sacrificial anode unit comprising a rigid core, e.g. a tubular steel member, and a body of sacrificial anode material, e.g. metals and alloys including zinc, aluminum and magnesium, surrounding and supported by said rigid core, wherein the ends of said rigid core extend beyond the ends of the body of sacrificial anode material, and are adapted to be coupled to the end of another sacrificial anode unit to provide a rigid string.This invention also provides a submergible ferrous metal structure useful in a salt water environment and having a system to provide galvanic protection to the ferrous metal which system comprises a vertically oriented, rigid string of such sacrificial anode units secured to each other by threaded couplings and electrically connected at the ends thereof to such structure in a manner to provide galvanic protection to said structure.

Abstract: A two-stage process for staged combustion of crushed retorted particles, especially sulfur and nitrogen-bearing shale, provides maximum heat from combustible materials in shale while emissions of carbon monoxide and oxides of sulfur and nitrogen are minimized. In the first stage, combustion is maintained under fluidizing conditions with a substoichiometric amount of oxygen. Off-gases from the first stage are burned in a second-stage combustion zone utilizing an oxygen-containing gas stream controlled to limit emission of carbon monoxide in the flue gas. To minimize production of sulfur oxides, combustion temperature is concurrently maintained below a peak value of 1700.degree. F. by introducing inert gas or recycled decarbonized fines to the first-stage combustion zone to reduce temperature therein.

Abstract: The invention provides a sensing device and method to determine irregularities of a pipeline wall arising from corrosion, pitting, gouges, scale and deposits, and dents causing out of round conditions. This sensing device may be carried through a pipeline by a pipeline pig and comprises radial, movable spring-loaded sensing fingers adapted to continuously contact the pipeline inner surface, said sensing fingers preferably being secured to a fluid-tight drum. The sensing fingers are acoustically connected to one or more microphones, which may be confined within the interior chamber of the fluid-tight drum. The microphones, in turn, are electrically connected to a recording device for recording the audio signal the sensing fingers make as they move through the pipeline.

Abstract: A feed supplement, e.g., an animal feed supplement, is prepared by a method comprising treating whey, for example, from the manufacture of cottage cheese or cheddar cheese, with a bisulfite moiety to react the lactose present in said whey and form a lactose-bisulfite addition product. The lactose-bisulfite addition product is more soluble in water than lactose; therefore, the treated whey may be condensed by removing water therefrom, without sedimentation of the lactose during condensation or upon storage. The condensed whey may be mixed with a source of nutrients to provide a full ration animal feed.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for converting alkanols into higher alkanols, e.g. methanol into ethanol, by contacting a basic solution comprising said alkanol in the absence of added hydrogen, with a catalyst comprising a lanthanum moiety. Preferably said catalyst further comprises a rhodium or a ruthenium moiety in combination with said lanthanum moiety. This invention further provides a novel heterogeneous catalyst system adapted for alkanol homologation, which comprises lanthanum hydroxide and a rhodium or ruthenium moiety, e.g. RhCl.sub.3 or RuCl.sub.3.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the deposition of metal-containing scales, such as iron silicate scale, from a hot, aqueous, geothermal brine or the like, without substantial corrosion of brine handling equipment. The brine is contacted with (1) an amount of an acid sufficient to reduce the pH of the brine between 0.1 and 0.5 unit and (2) a greater than stoichiometric amount of a reducing agent for reducing trivalent iron and manganese cations in a high temperature brine solution to divalent ions. An overall decrease in scale deposition, especially of iron silicate scale, is achieved while a silver-rich scale can be recovered from silver-containing brines.

Abstract: A method for selectively reducing the permeability of the higher permeability zones of a subterranean reservoir having heterogeneous permeability, such permeability reduction extending continuously from nearby the well as far into the reservoir as is desired. There is injected into the reservoir an aqueous solution or solutions of a water-soluble polymer, a material capable under certain conditions of at least partially cross-linking the polymer to form a gelatinous precipitate, a water-soluble alkaline material in an amount sufficient to maintain the pH of the polymer-containing composition above the pH at which cross-linking occurs until the composition has passed a desired distance through the reservoir, and a temperature-activated water-soluble acidic material dissolved in the aqueous solution in an amount sufficient to lower the pH of the overall solution to the pH at which cross-linking occurs when said solution is subjected to an elevated temperature.