Abstract: Fly ash generated from incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) when placed in landfills can under mild acid conditions can leach lead and cadmium. A process for stabilizing heavy metals in this fly ash is presented which involves calcining the fly ash in the presence of an oxygen containing gas stream at a temperature greater than about 400.degree. C. and less than about 600.degree. C. for times from about 170 seconds up to about 5 hours fly ash which has been subjected to calcium scrubbing for acid gas removal. Such treated MSW fly ash will give leachates containing heavy metal concentrations less than the EPA regulatory limit.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an oxy-fuel flame with lowered NOX products by confining the oxy-fuel flame produced in a concentric orifice burner along a path defined by the rate of flame propagation and the diameter of the burner.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for dispersing cryogenic inert gases over the surface of a bath of molten metal by separating vaporized cryogenic gas from the liquid phase of the gas and introducing the liquid phase and the gaseous phase onto the surface of the molten metal in a swirling pattern. Additional inert gas can be introduced into the middle of the liquid phase.

Abstract: A spiral type freezer constructed and operated to introduce refrigerated atmosphere into the bottom of the insulated chamber and circulate the atmosphere in a circulation flow from the bottom of the chamber to an exit on top of the chamber, the refrigerated atmosphere producing a thermal gradient from the bottom to the top of the chamber so that the freezer is operated non-isothermally.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved cryogenic process for the separation of air to produce an oxygen product and a nitrogen product. The present invention employs a distillation column system with three distillation columns, a low pressure column, a medium pressure column and a high pressure column. The improved three column distillation system process comprises: (a) producing an oxygen product with a product purity of less than 98% purity oxygen and producing no argon product; (b) producing a gaseous nitrogen product which represents greater than 35% of the feed air and which is removed from the medium and/or high pressure columns; (c) recovering a major portion of the oxygen product from the low pressure column; and (d) condensing at least a portion of the high pressure nitrogen overhead from the high pressure column by heat exchange against a liquid stream in the medium pressure column and utilizing at least a portion of the condensed portion to provide reflux to the high pressure column.

Abstract: Graft copolymers of .epsilon.-caprolactam are made by a process in which .epsilon.-caprolactam is polymerized in the presence of a copolymer of an aliphatic acrylate and an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as n-butylacrylate and acrylic acid. Such grafted polymers which have nylon-6 side chains grafted onto the acrylate polymer backbone are useful as hot melt adhesives. In the process for preparing these polymers, the backbone polymer is formed initially by solution polymerization at a moderate temperature and the .epsilon.-caprolactam is then added and the temperature increased in the presence of an acidic catalyst. .epsilon.-Caprolactam can be used as the solvent in the polymerization of the backbone polymer.

Abstract: A process for generating in-situ low-cost atmospheres suitable for annealing and heat treating ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, brazing metals, sealing glass to metals, and sintering metal and ceramic powders in a continuous furnace from non-cryogenically produced nitrogen containing up to 5% residual oxygen is presented. The disclosed process involves mixing nitrogen gas containing residual oxygen with a predetermined amount of a hydrocarbon gas, feeding the gaseous mixture through a nonconventional device into the hot zone of a continuous heat treating furnace, converting residual oxygen to an acceptable form such as a mixture of moisture and carbon dioxide, a mixture of moisture, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, or a mixture of carbon monoxide, moisture, and hydrogen, and using the resultant gaseous mixture for annealing and heat treating metals and alloys, brazing metals, sintering metal and ceramic powders, and sealing glass to metals.

Abstract: A modified polyvinyl alcohol and a solid state process for producing modified polyvinyl alcohol wherein polyvinyl alcohol powder is sprayed with a sufficient amount of a solution of a polymerizable monomer to swell the polyvinyl alcohol powder but not dissolve it or form a slurry. The swollen polyvinyl alcohol powder is sprayed with a free radical source (an initiator) and the temperature is raised to initiate a reaction between polyvinyl alcohol and the polymerizable monomer.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the detackification of stickies in the production of recycled paper products containing secondary fibers. Oxygen is used to reduce the tackiness of stickies in secondary pulps, and optionally is used with alkali and/or detackification agents for optimum stickies control.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for reversibly absorbing acid gases from gaseous mixtures wherein a salt hydrate is heated to a temperature above its melting point and exposed to an acid gas which is absorbed by the salt hydrate to form a salt hydrate melt. This melt is thereafter cooled to a temperature sufficient to solidify the melt and to desorb the acid gas from the solidified salt hydrate. Preferred salt hydrates include tetramethylammonium fluoride tetrahydrate and tetraethylammonium acetate tetrahydrate.

Abstract: This invention relates to improved polyepoxide resins having enhanced physical and elastic properties. The polyepoxide resins comprise an polyepoxide resin based on a polyglycidyl ether of a phenolic type compound and an acrylate terminated urethane prepolymer. The improvement in the polyepoxide resin formulation comprises incorporating an aliphatic, aliphatic ether or ester component having monofunctional reactivity with an amine hydrogen and an amine curative having from 3 to 10, and preferably 3 to 5 epoxide reactive hydrogen atoms into the epoxy resin. The presence of the monofunctional and aliphatic amine reactive component along with the acrylate terminated urethane prepolymer results in an epoxy resin having the enhanced properties.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for chunking or kibbling foodstuffs by moving the foodstuff through a device adapted to produce individual particles of random shape and size. The invention is characterized by adapting the device or utilizing the process so that the foodstuff is exposed to a liquid cryogen prior to entering the device while the portion of the device producing the particle is simultaneously exposed to the liquid cryogen.

Abstract: This invention is a vapor-phase process for cleaning metal-containing contaminants from the surfaces of integrated circuits and semiconductors between the numerous fabricating steps required to manufacture the finished electronic devices. The process employs cleaning agents comprising an effective amount of hexamethyldisilazane. The process comprises contacting the surface to be cleaned with an effective amount of the desired cleaning agent at a temperature sufficient to form volatile metal-ligand complexes on the surface of the substrate to be cleaned. The volatile metal-ligand complexes are sublimed from the surfaces of the substrate providing a clean, substantially residue-free surface.

Abstract: Supplementary cooling for a mechanical refrigeration plant using ammonia as a refrigerant is provided by placing a tube in the vapor space of a buffer vessel and introducing liquid nitrogen into the tube. Although ammonia solidifies at -78.degree. C. and liquid nitrogen enters the tube at -196.degree. C. no ammonia solidifies on the tube even after extended operation. The present invention also provides a method of refrigeration which comprises introducing liquid nitrogen into the heat exchanger of a refrigeration apparatus in accordance with the invention and condensing refrigerant therewith. Preferably, the refrigerant is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and fluorocarbon R22.

Abstract: Color is removed from secondary pulps with non-chlorine based bleaching agents in treating sequences using oxygen with combinations of peroxide, ozone, and/or hydrosulfite at/controlled pH conditions. Acid treatment prior to bleaching steps improves color removal and protects fibers from damage at more severe bleaching conditions.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for separating a multicomponent gas mixture comprising at least three components into three product streams by use of adsorbent membrane zones operating in series. Each product is enriched in a different component based upon the relative strength of adsorption of each component on the adsorbent material. A non-permeate primary component product is obtained by the selective adsorption and permeation through the adsorbent membranes of secondary components which are more strongly adsorbed than the primary components in the gas mixture. Two or more permeate streams enriched in the more strongly adsorbed components are withdrawn from the membrane zones as individual secondary products, each of which contains a different component distribution determined by the relative strength of adsorption of the secondary components on the adsorbent material.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing inorganic membranes which are capable of separating oxygen from oxygen-containing gaseous mixtures. The membranes comprise a porous composite of a thin layer of a multicomponent metallic oxide which has been deposited onto a porous support wherein the pores of the multicomponent metallic oxide layer are subsequently filled or plugged with a metallic-based species. The inorganic membranes are formed by depositing a porous multicomponent metallic oxide layer onto the porous support to form a porous composite having a network of pores capable of transporting gases. The network of pores are plugged or filled by organometallic vapor infiltration to form an inorganic membrane having essentially no through porosity.

Abstract: A method for producing a protective coating on the surface of a carbonaceous substrate is described. A substantially uniform coating of a liquid or solid precursor material is provided on the surface of the substrate. The precursor material is one which has boron-oxygen bonds and is substantially non-reactive with the substrate at a first relatively low temperature and is capable of reacting with the substrate at a second temperature which is substantially higher than the first temperature. The substrate is then raised to the second temperature to react the coating with the substrate to form a porous region of substantially uniform depth in the substrate surface. This region contains interconnecting interstices and boron carbide. The interconnecting interstices are then at least partially filled with a glass forming material such as boron, boron oxide, boron carbide, silicon, silicon alloy, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, germania, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A process for separating a feed gas mixture into a more strongly adsorbable component and a less strongly adsorbable component in a plurality of adsorbent beds containing an adsorbent selective for the more strongly adsorbable component using pressure equalization between beds after initial depressurization to provide a purge gas, using countercurrent evacuation wherein at least two adsorption beds are countercurrently evacuated simultaneously in overlapping countercurrent evacuation steps in the plurality of adsorption beds, and using a combination of less strongly adsorbable component and feed gas mixture to repressurize the adsorbent bed. Oxygen product can be recovered from air at high recovery using the process.

Abstract: A process for separating a feed gas mixture into a more strongly adsorbable component and a less strongly adsorbable component in a plurality of adsorbent beds containing an adsorbent selective for the more strongly adsorbable component using pressure equalization between beds after initial depressurization to provide a purge gas and using a combination of less strongly adsorbable component and feed gas mixture to repressurize the adsorbent bed. Oxygen product can be recovered from air at high recovery using the process.