Abstract: An apparatus and method for improved in-car slurrying of dry bulk powder is described. The apparatus includes a plurality of mutually spaced conduits which extend downwardly from a manifold through the center of each hopper compartment in a hopper car, each conduit opening about one foot above the bottom of the compartment. As water is admitted at the bottom of each compartment, air under pressure is dispensed through the conduits to aerate the center of the bulk powder in each compartment, and the conduits themselves provide a path for the water upwardly through the center of the bulk powder.

Abstract: Alumina trihydrate particles coated with alkali metal silicate, alkaline earth metal silicate or alumino silicate are useful as fillers in paper and plastics and provide good opacity and brightness properties as well as fire retardancy. The alumina trihydrate products are prepared by reaction of alumina trihydrate with an alkali metal silicate, an alkaline earth metal silicate, or alumino silicate, or the reaction of alkali metal silicate or alkaline earth metal silicate with aluminum sulfate to produce an alumino silicate precipitate coating in situ.

Abstract: An improved method for slurrying bulk dry powder material within a hopper car is described. The method includes providing a static web of individual strands extending through the interior of the hopper compartment so that when water is admitted to the bottom of the hopper car, the water will travel upwardly along the strands of the web and through the dry bulk material to wet the same.

Abstract: A family of novel and unique synthetic alkali metal alumino-silicates (SAMS) are produced by the hyrothermal reaction between kaolin clay and alkali metal silicates. The integrated composition of the SAMS products is a unique entity having an overall composition ofxM.sub.2 O:Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :ySiO.sub.2 :zH.sub.2 Owhere x is the number of moles of alkali metal oxide and is an integer from 0.01 to 2.0, M is an alkali metal, y is the number of moles of SiO.sub.2 in the unique SAMS composition, and z is the number of moles of bound water and is an integer ranging from 1.0 to 5.0. The composition essentially comprises altered kaolin clay platelets with an integral rim or protuberance of essentially amorphous alkali metal silicate-kaolin reaction product. The unique SAMS compositions are structured materials in which the structure can be controlled, and are therefore useful as functional fillers, as TiO.sub.

Abstract: 16-epiestriol as an anti-inflammatory drug.

Abstract: A process for producing ultrafine ground calcium carbonate is disclosed in which a dry feed stone is slurried to a 15 to 60% by weight solids slurry and dispersed with an organic dispersant. The dispersed slurry is fed to an attrition mill where it is bead ground to 50-70% less than 2 microns. The ground calcium carbonate is classified in a centrifuge into a product stream having from 70-99% of its particles less than 2 microns and an underflow stream of larger particles. The product stream is treated with ozone which serves not only to increase the brightness of the product but to return the slurry to a non-dispersed state. The calcium carbonate slurry is then dewatered to produce a 58-69% solids product suitable for preparing a higher solids slurry or for spray drying.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing silicon carbide whiskers in which silicon and carbon containing feedstock is placed on a series of gas permeable supports and passed through a reaction zone. The feedstock is maintained at 1500.degree. C. to 1700.degree. C. between forty to eighty minutes while the off gases from other reacting feedstock is permitted to pass from one support to another. In this manner uniformity of environment is maintained to produce high quality silicon carbide whiskers having average diameters by mass between 1 and 1.5 microns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved in-car slurrying of dry bulk powder in hopper cars is disclosed. The individual hopper car compartments have ports in the bottom therein for admitting air under pressure and water to form the slurry. The apparatus of this invention includes an open mesh disposed across the upper portion of the hopper car at about the level of the dry material. When air and water are pumped into the bottom of the hopper car compartment, the pumping action causes the dry material to impact the mesh whereby clumps thereof break up and become wetted. Air passes upwardly through the mesh then but clumps of unwetted powder do not. A central port is provided in the mesh for filling the compartment with dry bulk powder.

Abstract: Low structure magnesium silicate pigment is useful as a low cost, low brightness filler for newsprint. The magnesium silicate is prepared by dissolving a serpentine mineral in sulfuric acid and reacting the resulting solution with an alkali metal silicate to precipitate a magnesium silicate pigment.

Abstract: An improved roller-type grinding mill wherein antifriction thrust-type roller bearings and an improved packing are utilized to improve the loading stress absorption characteristics and to prevent dust from entering into the mill structure and thereby shortening the useful life thereof.

Abstract: A mounting assembly 4 is provided for a feed tube 12 of a high-temperature fluid-wall reactor of the type having a vertically oriented reactor tube heated to incandescence for emitting radiation radially inward to a reaction zone. The mounting assembly 4 comprises a tube support 34 having an opening 42 through which the feed tube 12 can pass, and a pivot seat member 30 secured to the reactor. The assembly 4 further comprises a retainer 52 for selectively fixing the orientation of the feed tube relative to the reactor, and a releasable attachment mechanism 70 for allowing the axial position of the feed tube to be adjusted relative to the assembly 4. According to the method of the invention, undesirable conditions within the reactor are detected, and the orientation of the feed tube is pivotably adjusted in response thereto for reducing undesirable reactor operating conditions.

Abstract: A reactor tube 20 for a high-temperature fluid wall reactor has a generally cylindrical shape and is made of a refractory material which permits the tube to be heated to incandescence. The reactor tube in turn radiates energy inwardly to a reaction zone to sustain the desired high-temperature reaction. At least a length of the tube 20 is perforated to permit an inert gas to pass through the tube to form a protective fluid wall for preventing the radially-inward reactant products from contacting the inner surface 84 of the tube. Perforations 78 are located, shaped and dimensioned such that inert gas jets 86 are formed each having a substantially radially-directed momentum sufficient to repel the reactants. The injection of inert gas is controlled so that gas jets overlap to form the protective fluid wall, but the gas jets do not disturb flow within the radially-inward reaction zone. Sections of the reactor tube may remain unperforated, but are protected by the downstream flow of the injected inert gas.

Abstract: A reactor tube 20 for a high-temperature fluid wall reactor has a generally cylindrical shape and is made of a refractory material which permits the tube to be heated to incandescence. The reactor tube in turn radiates energy inwardly to a reaction zone to sustain the desired high-temperature reaction. At least a length of the tube 20 is perforated to permit an inert gas to pass through the tube to form a protective fluid wall for preventing the radially-inward reactant products from contacting the inner surface 84 of the tube. Perforations 78 are located, shaped and dimensioned such that inert gas jets 86 are formed each having a substantially radially-directed momentum sufficient to repel the reactants. The injection of inert gas is controlled so that gas jets overlap to form the protective fluid wall, but the gas jets do not disturb flow within the radially-inward reaction zone. Sections of the reactor tube may remain unperforated, but are protected by the downstream flow of the injected inert gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for establishing a quick-connect fluid-tight coupling together of hose sections or the like. A pair of identical couplings are provided each interconnected to and terminating a respective hose section and adapted to be aligned along a common co-axis in mutual sealing engagement. Each coupling includes a body member having a circular seal face disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis. Means are provided on each body member for releasably sealing the seal faces together in fluid-tight engagement by rotation of the body members in opposing directions about the axis. Each body member includes a locking assembly mechanism for automatically locking the respective body members together upon make-up to prevent further relative rotation in either direction or separating movement in the axial direction.

Abstract: A safety chisel especially adapted to shear bolts having a nut permanently attached thereto, while retaining the sheared bolt and nut assembly within a safety container portion of the chisel.

Abstract: The filtration of zeolites, for example sodium alumino silicates, from aqueous slurries containing the zeolites is improved by washing the filter cake with an aqueous solution of any salt which has the capacity to produce a stabilized slurry of the zeolite. Suitable salts include alkali metal carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates and salts of organic acids.

Abstract: Rubber compositions which contain zeolite particles having particle sizes of no more than 1.6 microns in diameter with at least 90% of the weight of the particles being between 0.1 and 3.2 microns in diameter, a binding agent, water, and a solubilizing agent.

Abstract: A safety interlock device is provided for preventing the opening of a vessel containing a pressurized fluid. In a typical application, the interlock device may be used in industrial applications to prevent the inadvertent unscrewing of a cap from the end of a large pressure vessel containing a hazardous gas. A pressure port end of the interlock body is adapted for threaded engagement with the vessel and is open to vessel pressure. A pressure-responsive locking piston movable within the body prohibits removal of a stem when vessel pressure exceeds a selected minimum pressure. A chain may be secured at each end to the stem and vessel cap, so that the cap cannot be unscrewed to open the container unless the stem is first removed. In one embodiment, the locking piston is prevented from manual override by the position of a second piston and a plurality of ball members locked in a groove.

Abstract: Plastic compositions having enhanced tensile, reinforcing, viscosity, opacity, brightness or pigment-extending properties comprise a plastic material having dispersed therein a synthetic sodium aluminum silicate with an average particle size of about 3.0 to 8.0 microns.

Abstract: A stuffing box for use in oil and gas wells having improved sealing. A plurality of ring-like packing glands each has an outer surface defining an inverted frusto-conical shape and a bore therethrough also defining an internal inverted frusto-conical surface whereby the glands nest upon one another in cup-like fashion. A ring-like seal seat also has a bore forming an inverted frustco-conical inner surface which, in assembly, carries the nested glands. The inner wall of a stuffing box body defines a cavity which contains the assembly, the seat thereof being carried by a lower shoulder portion defined by the body. A cylindrical gland cap has a lower gland follower edge portion which exerts downward pressure on the end of the uppermost gland.