Abstract: An electrically augmented vacuum filtration apparatus and process wherein a suspension of solids is dewatered in a bath located between electrodes of opposite polarity with intermediate biodes (a biode being in a sense a combined anode and cathode structure) positioned in the bath between the electrodes.

Abstract: A treatment system for liquids includes apparatus for dissolving gas in the liquid and a container for providing the necessary reaction time between the gas and liquid or constituents thereof. The device for dissolving the gas in the liquid includes gas injection means for introducing gas into the liquid and a contact chamber for containing a downflowing stream of the liquid to be treated. The pressure within the downflowing stream increases as it descends and at the elevated pressure the capacity of the liquid to take gas into solution is greatly increased. This apparatus for dissolving gas may conveniently be located below ground level. A conduit return means is provided for routing undissolved gas from a region at high pressure to an upstream portion of the liquid stream so that the gas can be reintroduced for dissolution.

Abstract: The invention provides resin compositions which are particularly suitable for utilization in electron cured coated abrasives. The resin systems of the instant invention have been devised to be particularly suitable for the backing fill of a cloth which is to form the base of a coated abrasive. The formation of a treated base cloth for coated abrasive formation by electron beam curing resins creates a product which in addition to being suitable for immediate formation into a coated abrasive by application of grain is further a product which may be stored for later use or sold to other parties that have need for a waterproof stretch-resistant cloth or that make coated abrasives without doing cloth finishing. The invention also encompasses the formation of electron curing resin systems which are particularly desirable for the make coat and size coat utilized in forming coated abrasives.

Abstract: A fluidized bed boiler having a water-wall type construction has a steam-water natural circulation system for heat exchange. Vertical in-bed heat exchange tubes are provided and the steam drum of the boiler extends across the full length of the boiler combustion chamber and the convection heat exchange chamber. An air distributor grate is provided for introduction of fluidizing air into the combustion chamber and the air flow therefrom can be controlled to afford a flexible turn-down capability.

Abstract: The resistance-heated boat of the present invention is comprised of a heating portion and a crucible portion separated by a heat conducting, substantially non-electrical conducting portion.The heating portion is fabricated of an electrically conductive material capable of being resistance heated to high temperatures. Mixtures of titanium diboride with boron nitride, aluminum nitride or silicon carbide typically provide electrical conductivity in the desired range. Zirconium diboride, mixtures of boron nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride or titanium diboride, or mixtures thereof are also useful.The crucible portion of the boat provides a vaporization surface and is fabricated of materials selected for their ability to provide wettability by the metal to be vaporized, a desired chemical and physical resistance to the metal, or impurities in the metal, to be vaporized and to the vaporization atmosphere.

Abstract: Oxide refractory materials (for example, alumina-zirconia mixtures) can be cast to have an extremely fine crystal structure by casting them onto a non-reactive, non-melting particulate solid cooling media of a material other than that of the oxide refractory material (for example, steel spheres having a size ranging from about 5 to about 60 mm). By using steel spheres as the cooling media, the spheres can be removed from the solidified material with a magnet. The solidified material, when crushed and graded, has exceptional utility as an extremely tough abrasive grain.

Abstract: A flotation separation cell is disclosed having a rotor-stator pump assembly wherein a rotor body comprises integrally formed hub, blade and top plate members. These members form a gas chamber in an upper sector of the rotor. The blades are curvilinear and of parabolic or vortex shape. A gas stream which is conveyed to the gas chamber is discharged from the gas chamber in a transverse direction and flows in gas pockets along surfaces of moving blades for dispersion in a slurry.

Abstract: A strong, relatively inert filter cloth is impregnated with an ion exchange resin to provide, for an electrofiltration process, a reinforced solid polymeric electrolyte having ion transport properties and at the same time constituting a positive barrier to mass transport.

Abstract: An electrical resistor is described which is comprised of a resistor core having at least one electrically conductive end cap mounted thereon. The end cap is in electrical contact with the butt end portion of the core and electrically insulated from the side, or periphery, portion of the core member. The end cap has an outward-extending radial portion thereon, positioned contiguous to the junction between the core and the cap.The present electrical resistors are produced by forming a resistive core member of a conductor in a dielectric matrix material and an end cap, having an internal contact surface and a receiving portion. The receiving portion is larger than the outside diameter of the core. The end cap has an outward-extending radial position adjacent the receiving portion. The end cap is mounted on the core to place the butt end portion of the core in electrical contact with the internal contact surface of the end cap, but otherwise spacedly within the end cap.

Abstract: A fluid bed reactor includes an integral flow circulator which eliminates the need for recirculation equipment external to the reactor and permits utilization of multiple distributor modules to provide a wide range of reactor capacities.

Abstract: A fluorocarbon polymer gasket is disclosed which has been compression formed from a fluorocarbon polymer sheet heated to its gel state, cooled in its compressed state, and shaped into a gasket. The gasket so manufactured has a "living memory" thus enabling it to tend to return to its pre-compression form when exposed to elevated temperatures.

Abstract: An inerting chamber and enclosure or access member are formed such that the escutcheon plate or outer member of the closure is hinged and the same hinges may be utilized to both swing the escutcheon plate out for cleaning and servicing of the chamber and also if the fastening devices for the access plate are loosened may be utilized to swing the entire inerting chamber and access plate out of the way for servicing of the electron beam unit.

Abstract: A cam-actuated stop member in an electrode stripping mechanism prevents any lifting of the electrode away from the hooked lifting elements during lowering of the electrode against the doctor blades and so avoids damaging the electrode and/or lifting elements by dropping the electrode after doctoring.

Abstract: A system for the comminution of coal, slurry formation and feed of the coal slurry to a fluidized bed reactor.

Abstract: An ultrafiltration step is used in the production of cream cheese to provide a cheese pre-mix which is cultured to form cream cheese without generating whey. The raw materials for this process include whole milk, cream and whey protein solids. The whey protein solids are substituted for the skim milk powder formerly used. Ultrafiltration yields a retentate having the butterfat and non-fat solids content required for cream cheese manufacture.

Abstract: A fluid bed heater or vaporizer unit has a generally cylindrical configuration with its major axis horizontally disposed. A mixture of coal and limestone is fed into the elongated fluidized bed within the unit for combustion; the limestone being present to minimize sulfur emissions due to the sulfur present in the coal. The wall of the unit in the region of the freeboard is lined with horizontally disposed heat exchange tubing. The delivery of air to the fluidized bed is regulated so as to establish a combustion zone of high turbulence and one or more heat transfer zones of lower turbulence. A plurality of heat exchange tubes are located in the heat transfer zone or zones and within the expanded bed level of the fluidized bed but above the region occupied by the slumped bed. Economizer heat exchange coils may be located in the passageway for exhaust gases.

Abstract: In the alkaline digestion of silica-contaminated paper pulp raw material, an addition of aluminum oxide in the form of bauxite ore is made to the liquor, the aluminum oxide being present in the bauxite as a hydrated oxide such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.H.sub.2 O or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.3H.sub.2 O, to insolubilize silica as a sodalite precipitate, and thereby minimize scaling evaporation, avoid undesirable increase in the viscosity of the liquor, as well as assuring recovery of lime by avoiding formation of calcium silicate during causticizing.

Abstract: A corner sweep mechanism for a square shaped settling tank and which mechanism is pivotally connected to the end of a main rotary rake structure and comprises a lightweight buoyant frame structure which includes a rake or sweep arm adapted to be extended into the corner areas of the tank bottom under the control of a tension spring without the use of counterweights during rotation of the main rake structure.

Abstract: A fluidized bed reactor is provided with heat exchange coils for controlling the temperature of the fluidized bed, with only vertically oriented sections of the coils exposed to the erosive conditions in the fluidized bed. The vapor-liquid circuit, of which the heat exchanger coils are a part, is arranged to operate on the principle of natural circulation. At least some of the tuyere elements discharge fluidizing gas at a level substantially above the constriction plate and the bed solids below the level of the tuyere gas discharge constitute a static layer during fluidization in which the lower angle bends of the heat exchange coils are embedded and so shielded from erosion by the fluidized solids of the bed proper. The static layer of bed solids also accommodates thermal expansion of the lower angle bend due to elevated temperatures and insulates the constriction plate from the high temperatures in the reactor.

Abstract: In order to increase or maintain the capacity of fluid bed calciners in the calcination of phosphate rock containng large amounts of organic matter ("hot rocks"), the calciner is modified to permit a pyrolysis reaction to occur in the freeboard zone of the calciner. The hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide gas produced by the pyrolysis reaction are removed from the calciner and burned in an afterburner unit. Dust and fines entrained in the exhaust from the calciner are sent to a dust oxidation chamber outside the calciner for oxidation by addition of air.