Abstract: Improved method for maximizing jet fuel from shale oil involves hydrotreating the treated oil at a temperature of about 600.degree.-650.degree. F. in the presence of a catalyst having a relatively low metal content and then hydrotreating the oil at a temperature in excess of about 800.degree. F. in the presence of a catalyst having a relatively high metal content. A 480.degree. F. minus boiling point fraction fractionated from the foregoing process can meet JP-4 jet fuel specifications. Hydrocracking the 480.degree. F. plus boiling point fraction results in substantial additional quantities of jet fuel.

Abstract: In the acid-catalyzed etherification of olefins with alcohols, substantially complete recovery of alcohol and catalyst is obtained when small amounts of water (1-10%) are added to the reaction. The addition of water provides a two-phase reaction medium in which olefin and ether are in the upper phase and alcohol and catalyst are in the lower phase. These phase are maintained during the course of the reaction, which continues as a two-phase system.Certain novel ethers produced by this process are likewise disclosed herein.

Abstract: In gas volume measurement apparatus employing an orifice plate, wear on the edges of the orifice affect its area and hence the accuracy of the volumetric measurement. In order to correct for the effects of such wear, a probe element is inserted into the same flow path as the orifice. The probe element itself wears to change a fundamental characteristic, typically resistance, which can be related to the orifice wear and thus provide a correction factor to the volumetric calculations.

Abstract: A process for converting the raffinate from an HCl-treated shale oil to a suitable feedstock for a hydrocracking reactor for making fuels from the raffinate by hydrotreating the raffinate and thereafter water quenching the hydrotreated product.

Abstract: Sand containing bitumen and like materials containing organic matter is analyzed quantitatively for its hydrocarbon content by use of a remote infrared sensor. In a preferred embodiment the bitumen is on a conveyor to further processing and if found unacceptable for processing by the method of the invention, the sand is automatically diverted. The invention also embodies the apparatus used for the analysis.

Abstract: Paraphenylene diacetate is the predominant product when phenylacetate, acetic acid and acetic anhydride are reacted in the presence of palladium and a gas mixture containing an inert gas and no more than 13 vol.% oxygen.

Abstract: Hydrolyzed wheat, corn, and potato starches are effective flocculants in destabilizing dilute as well as thick sludge suspensions. These starches are equal to, or better than, the synthetic polyacrylamide flocculants in destabilizing sludge suspensions, particularly when used in the treatment of bituminous tar sands tailings.The hydrolyzed wheat starch is especially effective when first contacted with metal salts such as salts containing calcium, aluminum and phosphate ions, and most particularly when first treated with a combination of such salt, formed in situ, and a lower aliphatic alcohol.Among the potato starch flocculants which were found to be generally better than the corn starch flocculants, those containing AlPO.sub.4 were the best. Potato starch flocculants are equally effective on oil-removed and no-oil-removed sludge suspensions.

Abstract: In the process of plasticizing polyvinylchloride, the improvement of using dicyclohexylbiphenyl as a secondary plasticizer.

Abstract: Process of sulfurizing a blend of 90 to 50 and preferably 88 to 70 parts by volume of triglyceride such as lard oil and 10 to 50 and preferably 12 to 30 parts by volume of an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon containing 2 to 24 carbon atoms. The sulfurization is carried out using elemental sulfur. Simultaneous sulfurization and chlorination may be effected by reacting with sulfur monochloride. Phosphosulfurization may also be carried out by addition of small amounts of a phosphorus sulfide to the sulfurized blend followed by heating at 180.degree. F. to 250.degree. F. for from 30 minutes to 10 hours to effect phosphosulfurization. The sulfurization or phosphosulfurization involves reacting at from 330.degree. F. to 445.degree. F. for 20 minutes to 10 hours followed by blowing with a gas at from 125.degree. F. to 250.degree. F. for 30 minutes to 20 hours to remove hydrogen sulfide. The simultaneous sulfurization and chlorination reaction is carried out at from 90.degree. F. to 280.degree. F.

Abstract: In the process of hydrogenating an aromatic dinitrile to the corresponding di-primary amine in the presence of a catalyst, the improvement of using as catalyst a cobalt catalyst promoted with rhodium where the weight ratio of rhodium to cobalt is 1.0 or less.

Abstract: A liquid composition suitable as a high performance fuel and having improved rheological and stability properties comprising a liquid hydrocarbon having carbon particles dispersed therein of at least two disparate particle sizes, said two carbon particles being (1) a semi-reinforcing black having an average particle diameter of about 60 to about 100 mu and (2) a high abrasion furnace black having an average particle diameter of about 20 to about 50 mu.

Abstract: A liquid composition suitable as a high performance fuel and having improved rheological and stability properties comprising a liquid hydrocarbon having carbon particles dispersed therein of at least two disparate particle sizes, one of said carbon particles having an average particle diameter of from about 300 to about 350 mu and the other particle having an average particle diameter of about 60 to about 80 mu.

Abstract: A liquid composition suitable as a high performance fuel and having improved rheological and stability properties comprising a liquid hydrocarbon having carbon particles dispersed therein of at least two disparate particle sizes, one of said carbon particles having an average particle diameter of from about 300 to about 350 mu and the other particle having an average particle diameter of about 20 to about 50 mu, the carbon particles of the smaller size black being present in an amount between about 20 and about 25 weight percent of the total black percent.

Abstract: A method of high sensitivity for measuring leakage of liquid from a storage tank which comprises introducing a sensor into the liquid in the tank, the sensor being coupled to means for sensing displacement of mass, measuring the displacement over a known period of time and calculating the leakage rate. The sensor is designed to compensate for evaporative losses and temperature changes.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon conversion catalyst composition, useful for paraffin-olefin alkylation, can comprise a three dimensional crystalline zeolite molecular sieve having a pore size large enough to adsorb 2,2,3-trimethylpentane and having a composition expressed in terms of mole ratios of oxides asa(I.sub.2 O):b(IIO):c(III.sub.2/3 O):d(IV.sub.1/2 O)Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :eSiO.sub.2wherein I represents a monovalent metal cation; II represents a divalent metal cation; III represents a trivalent metal cation; IV represents a tetravalent cation; a has a value of from zero to 0.15; b has a value of from zero to 0.75; c and d each have values of from zero to 1; e has a value of from 2 to 20; with the proviso that when e has a value of from 2 to 3, the value of ((b+c)=0.75 to 1 and d=0; and with the proviso that when e has a value of > 3 to 4, the value of (b+c+d)=0.6 to 1.0; and with the further proviso that when e has a value of > 4 to 20, the value of (b+c+d)=0.25 to 1.0.

Abstract: An improvement in the solvent extraction of nonhydrocarbons from a synfuel liquid, e.g., shale oil, involves that the extract from the extractor, rather than being recycled directly back to the extractor, is first hydrotreated. A further improvement involves that a portion of the hydrotreated extract is fractionated and a light fraction is returned to the extractor. Use of the hydrotreated extract as recycle increases the efficiency of the extractor. A still further improvement involves the use as a selective solvent of one of the following: dialkylformamide, aldehydomorpholine, keto-morpholine, morpholine or an aliphatic aromatic ketone. These preferred solvents have the advantage of providing a clear interface between the extract and raffinate in the extractor. Removal of the nonhydrocarbons permits production of more hydrocarbons having enhanced utility as a jet fuel from a synfuel liquid than otherwise would be possible.

Abstract: A method for preparing a block copolymer of an ether free polylactam and a polyetheramide, e.g., poly(4,7-dioxadecamethylene adipamide) involves polymerizing a lactam, e.g., caprolactam, in contact with the polyetheramide. Resulting block copolymer has utility, e.g., as a fiber.

Abstract: In order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the cutter units employed in large scale ice disaggregation systems, a cutter configuration is employed characterized by an outwardly extending arm which sweeps rearwardly from the direction of travel to provide clearance for ice chunks and then sharpwardly forwardly to terminate in an ice-engaging portion. The ice-engaging portion includes a relatively long and narrow central "pick" portion for breaking very cold ice, chisel-like cutting edges directed to each side of the base of the "pick" portion to fracture cold ice as well as warm ice, and an inverted skate portion which cleaves the ice and promotes passage of the ice chunks around the tooth structure to facilitate clearing.

Abstract: A process for plasticizing vinyl resins such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) wherein the plasticizer is a linear alkyl substituted biphenyl having from about six to about twelve carbon atoms in the alkyl group. The invention also embodies PVC containing the plasticizer.

Abstract: In the acid-catalyzed etherification of olefins with alcohols, substantially complete recovery of alcohol and catalyst is obtained when small amounts of water (1-10%) are added to the reaction. The addition of water provides a two-phase reaction medium in which olefin and ether are in the upper phase and alcohol and catalyst are in the lower phase. These phases are maintained during the course of the reaction, which continues as a two-phase system. Certain novel ethers produced by this process are likewise disclosed herein.