Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm James C. Simmons
  • Patent number: 5360467
    Abstract: A method for detection of impurities at very low levels in hydrogen, oxygen or specialty gases comprises the metered mixture with high purity helium and subsequent selective separation of hydrogen, oxygen or specialty gas with the detection of impurities remaining in the helium by ionization spectrometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Suhas N. Ketkar, Robert G. Ridgeway, Peter J. Maroulis, Timothy C. Golden
  • Patent number: 5360934
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved hydrogenation process wherein aromatic amines are hydrogenated to their ring hydrogenated counterparts. These aromatic amines are presented by the formulas: ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 aliphatic, R1 and R2 are hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 aliphatic, A is C.sub.1-4 or NH; n is 0-2, x is 1-3 and y is 1 to 2 except the sum of the y groups in Formula I may be 1. The improvement resides in the utilization of a catalyst comprising rhodium carried on a support of kappa, theta or delta alumina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Gamini A. Vedage, John N. Armor
  • Patent number: 5360635
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing inorganic membranes which are capable of separating oxygen from air. The membranes comprise a thin layer of a multicomponent metallic oxide which has been deposited onto a porous substrate by organometallic chemical vapor deposition. The inorganic membranes are formed by reacting organometallic complexes corresponding to each of the respective metals making up the multicomponent metallic oxide and an oxidizing agent under conditions sufficient to deposit a thin layer of the multicomponent metallic oxide onto the porous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin E. Richards, Robert L. Iampietro, Paul N. Dyer
  • Patent number: 5359787
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for delivering hygroscopic, corrosive chemicals such as hydrogen chloride from a source such as a tube trailer to a use point such as a semiconductor fabrication tool minimizing infiltration of moisture, and entrainment of particulates, while still reducing moisture contents below 100 parts per billion and achieving appropriate pressure drops without two phase flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Lewis J. Mostowy, Jr., Naser M. Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 5358985
    Abstract: In an active hydrogen-containing B-side composition for reaction with a polyisocyanate-containing A-side composition to make a polyurethane or polyurethaneurea elastomer by reaction injection molding, the improvement which comprises a mold release composition which is the reaction product of triethylenediamine and a C.sub.2 -C.sub.21 epoxide reacted in the presence of a carboxy functional siloxane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Dewhurst, Ronald M. Pearlstein
  • Patent number: 5356539
    Abstract: A process for removing nitroaromatic and nitrophenolic compounds from an alkaline wastewater stream generated in a process for the nitration of aromatic compounds by the mixed acid technique, which comprises(a) adjusting the pH of the aqueous alkaline waste stream containing nitroaromatic and nitrophenolic compounds to a range from about 2 to 4.5,(b) contacting the acidic aqueous stream with sufficient hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ion under conditions to effect oxidation of the nitrophenolic compounds,(c) adjusting the acidic, oxidized aqueous waste stream having a reduced nitrophenolic content to about pH .gtoreq.4, and(d) contacting the aqueous waste stream with a carbon adsorbent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven B. Peter, Keith B. Adams, Baldomero Casas, John E. Sawicki
  • Patent number: 5355681
    Abstract: The present invention is an improvement to a cryogenic distillation process for the separation of air into its constituent components. The present invention process uses a distillation column system which comprises at least two distillation columns wherein the top of the higher pressure column is in thermal communication with the lower pressure column. The distinctive feature and improvement of the present invention comprise: (a) condensing a portion of the compressed, contaminant-free, feed air by appropriate means, such as against vaporization of liquid oxygen or other source of refrigeration; (b) using at least a portion of this liquid air as impure reflux in one of the distillation columns, and (c) removing a waste vapor stream from a location situated no more than four theoretical stages above the location where the liquid air is fed to the column, such that this waste vapor stream has a nitrogen mole fraction of less than 0.95.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Jianguo Xu
  • Patent number: 5355682
    Abstract: The process of the present invention is a cryogenic air separation process with three important features: (1) at least a portion of a nitrogen-rich liquid from the column system is boosted in pressure before being vaporized and delivered as a product; (2) at least a portion of the feed air is at least partially condensed in indirect heat exchange with the boosted pressure, nitrogen-rich stream; and (3) a portion of the liquid nitrogen condensed from the vapor nitrogen from the top of the higher pressure column is returned to the higher pressure column as reflux with the remaining portion being removed from the column system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Agrawal, Bruce K. Dawson, Jeffrey A. Hopkins, Jianguo Xu
  • Patent number: 5354547
    Abstract: A composite semipermeable membrane comprising microporous adsorbent material supported by a porous substrate is operated in series with a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system and the PSA reject gas is used as a sweep gas to improve membrane performance. The integrated membrane-PSA system is particularly useful for recovering high-purity hydrogen from a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbons, and is well-suited for integration with a steam-methane reformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Madhukar B. Rao, Shivaji Sircar, Joseph M. Abrardo, William F. Baade
  • Patent number: 5354360
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for separating nitrogen from gas mixtures containing nitrogen and less strongly adsorbed components such as oxygen, hydrogen, argon or helium at ambient temperatures or above by use of a magnesium exchanged, sodium A-zeolite in a preferred level of magnesium exchange and an appropriate pressure range for adsorption and desorption of bulk gases which provides improved recovery and reduced bed size factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Coe, James E. MacDougall, Scott J. Weigel
  • Patent number: 5354346
    Abstract: A pressure swing adsorption process is set forth for the recovery of two gas products at high recovery and high purity using the steps of adsorption, depressurization, low pressure purge, evacuation and repressurization. The purge effluent and a portion of the depressurization effluent are used to partially accomplish the repressurization step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Ravi Kumar
  • Patent number: 5352523
    Abstract: Graphite carbon surfaces are protected from elevated temperature oxidation and mechanical wear by electric arc thermal spray coating exposed surfaces with a titanium nitride or multi-element (e.g., aluminum-silicon-titanium) coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Zbigniew Zurecki, Edward A. Hayduk, Jr., John G. North, Robert B. Swan, David L. Mitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5351492
    Abstract: The present invention relates an improvement to a cryogenic process for the separation of air which produces at least a nitrogen product and is carried out in a distillation column system having at least one distillation column from which the nitrogen product is produced. The distillation column of the distillation column system must comprise a rectifying section. In the process of the present invention, air is compressed, freed of impurities which will freeze out at cryogenic temperatures, cooled to near its dew point and fractionated in the distillation column system to produce the nitrogen product.The improvement is the operation of the distillation column such that the ratio of downward liquid to upward vapor flow rate (L/V) is no less than 0.65, preferably greater than 0.75, but less than 1.0 in the rectifying section of a distillation column from which the nitrogen product is produced. The flowrates are in moles per unit time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Agrawal, Ajay K. Modi, William T. Kleinberg
  • Patent number: 5350784
    Abstract: A two-component water-dispersible coating composition based on a blend of a water compatible polyamine-epoxy adduct and a resin compatible polyamine-epoxy adduct, and a polyepoxide resin. The water compatible polyamine-epoxy adduct is formed by reacting a polyamine having primary amine groups with a mixture of a monoepoxide and polyepoxide in which the amounts of monoepoxide and polyepoxide are such that the monoepoxide reacts with 10 to 50% of the primary amine groups and the polyepoxide reacts with 5 to 65% of the remaining primary amine groups. The resin compatible polyamine-epoxy adduct is formed by reacting a polyamine having primary amine groups with a monoepoxide or a polyepoxide in an amount which provides from about 0.4 to 1 equivalents epoxide per primary amine group. The amount of polyepoxide resin is such that there is from about 0.5 to 1.5 equivalents epoxide per active hydrogen equivalent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart P. Darwen, David A. Cornforth
  • Patent number: 5350801
    Abstract: A solid state process for modifying polyvinyl alcohol using a Michael-type addition wherein dry polyvinyl alcohol powder is sprayed with a solution of a monomer capable of Michael-type addition in an amount sufficient to swell the polyvinyl alcohol or maintain its swollen state, but not dissolve or form a slurry of the polyvinyl alcohol. The swollen polyvinyl alcohol is sprayed with a catalyst and the temperature is raised to initiate the reaction between the polyvinyl alcohol and the monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Amir Famili, Lori A. Vratsanos, Finn L. Marten
  • Patent number: 5349009
    Abstract: A water-based construction adhesive composition containing an aqueous emulsion polymer binder which comprises a blend, based on 100 weight parts of polymer solids, of 25 to 75 parts aqueous emulsion vinyl acetate/-ethylene copolymer and 75 to 25 parts aqueous emulsion vinyl acetate homopolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne R. Furlan
  • Patent number: 5348593
    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 and ceramics, 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 pre-determined amount of a reducing gas such as hydrogen, a hydrocarbon, or a mixture thereof, feeding the gaseous mixture through a non-conventional device into the hot zone of a continuous heat treating furnace, converting residual oxygen to an acceptable form such as moisture, a mixture of moisture and carbon dioxide, or a mixture of moisture, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and using the resultant gaseous mixture for annealing and heat treating metals and alloys, brazing metals and ceramics, sintering metal and ceramic powders, and sealing glass to metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald J. Bowe, Brian B. Bonner, Diwakar Garg
  • Patent number: 5348592
    Abstract: An improved method for producing substantially moisture- and oxygen-free, nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres suitable for annealing, hardening, brazing, and sintering ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys is disclosed. According to the disclosed method, suitable nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere is produced by 1) generating a nitrogen stream containing about 0.1 to 5% residual oxygen by a known non-cryogenic air separation technique, 2) mixing it with a pre-determined but more than stoichiometric amount of hydrogen required to convert residual oxygen to moisture, 3) converting residual oxygen to moisture by reaction with hydrogen in a catalytic reactor, 4) cooling the reactor effluent stream, and 5) removing moisture from it in a regenerative sorbent dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Diwakar Garg, Brian B. Bonner, Paul T. Kilhefner, Paul A. Mattiola, David L. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 5349000
    Abstract: In a melt extrudable polyvinyl alcohol composition consisting essentially of polyvinyl alcohol and plasticizer, which has been made melt extrudable by adding sufficient energy to the polyvinyl alcohol to both melt and substantially eliminate the crystallinity in the melt while simultaneously removing energy from the melt at a rate sufficient to avoid decomposition of the polyvinyl alcohol, the improvement which comprises 5 to 25 wt % poly(butylene terephthalate)-polytetrahydrofuran block copolymer for improved impact resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Lloyd M. Robeson, Jeffrey A. Kuphal, Amir Famili
  • Patent number: 5347073
    Abstract: Fly ash generated from incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) when placed in landfills can under mild acid conditions 1each lead and cadmium. A process for stabilizing lead in this fly ash is presented which involves calcining a mixture of the fly ash and certain calcium-containing compounds in the presence of an oxygen containing gas stream at a temperature greater than about 475.degree. C. and less than about 600.degree. C. for times from about 30 minutes up to about 5 hours. Such treated MSW fly ash will give leachates containing lead concentrations less than the EPA regulatory limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang A. Hochleitner, Stephen P. Goff