Abstract: A process for reducing the sulfur oxide content of flue gases produced by combustion of sulfur-containing coal containing cations of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals or both, in ion exchangeable form. Flue gases containing sulfur oxides are recycled to contact coal awaiting combustion. Sulfur oxides are absorbed on the coal during the contact step, which is conducted in the presence of water. Sulfur oxides react with alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, and are oxidized to form sulfate reaction products. When the treated coal is burned, these sulfate reaction products are retained in the coal ash.

Abstract: A pulse accumulator network for receiving a plurality of pulse trains wherein each pulse train includes a plurality of pulses. The pulse accumulator network accumulates the pulses in each of the received pulse trains and the pulse accumulator network outputs each of the accumulated count of pulses in response to receiving polling signals. The pulse accumulator network is adapted to be utilized in a flow monitoring system, for example, wherein the pulse trains are flow signals indicative of the velocity of the fluid flowing through one of the monitored flowlines.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved process for drying and preserving wood products. The improved process comprises the steps of first drying the wood products by submerging them in a naphthalene poor, coal tar based heat transfer medium under conditions of elevated temperature and reduced pressure. The dried wood products then are impregnated with a naphthalene rich, coal tar based wood preservative agent by submerging said dried wood products in said agent under conditions of both elevated temperature and pressure.

Abstract: A nozzle and a method for spraying a liquid into a vessel opening through such a nozzle wherein the nozzle includes a casing assembly and a core. The casing assembly has a casing opening which extends through the upper end of the casing assembly and extends a distance through the casing assembly and a discharge nozzle opening formed through a central portion of the lower end of the casing assembly. The core has an upper and a lower end and an outer peripheral surface and the core is disposed and supported within the casing opening generally between the upper and the lower ends of the casing and spaced a distance above the discharge nozzle opening. The core has swirl openings formed through the core intersecting the upper and the lower ends of the core and being disposed generally near the outer peripheral surface of the core and a central opening formed through a central portion of the core.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvements in impregnated wood preserving processes utilizing naphthalene containing preservative agents comprising recovering that portion of the naphthalene stripped from the preservative agent during a drying phase in the process and returning said recovered naphthalene portion to the impregnation phase of said process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the recovery of a wood preservative chemical from aqueous waste sludges containing said wood preservative chemical in both its liquid and solid phases. The method comprises treating said aqueous waste sludges to effect an initial separation and recovery of the liquid and solid phases, individually. The recovered liquid phase comprises the first liquid phase product stream. The recovered solid phase then is subjected to elevated temperatures sufficient to liquefy the solid phase, said liquefied solid phase comprising the second liquid phase product stream. During the liquefaction of the recovered solid phase, it may be contacted with a quantity of a fresh wood preservative chemical, a portion of a dehydrated first liquid phase product stream or a portion of a dehydrated second liquid phase product stream to prevent the precipitation of any normally solid constituents therein and to enhance the liquefaction of said recovered solid phase.

Abstract: A method of recovering light organic solvent from a liquid mixture containing the solvent and a process material, such as asphaltenes or coal liquefaction products. The solvent-process material mixture is treated in a solvent separation zone to separate a first vapor phase rich in solvent and a first liquid phase rich in process material. At least a portion of the liquid in the solvent separation zone is transferred to a mixing zone, where the liquid is intimately contacted with steam, under shearing conditions. The steam-liquid phase mixture thus produced is returned to the solvent separation zone and treated to separate a second vapor phase, rich in steam and solvent, and a second liquid phase, rich in process material and substantially depleted of solvent. Solvent is recovered from the first and second vapor phases.

Abstract: A multi-stage coal liquefaction method in which coal is slurried with a primary light solvent, such as toluene, hexane and/or cyclohexane, and a process-derived primary heavy solvent. The coal-primary solvent slurry is treated under coal-liquefying conditions to form a first feed solution containing coal liquefaction products. The first feed solution is treated by a multi-stage supercritical solvent extraction procedure. The final heavy phase produced by this procedure is mixed with a secondary solvent, such as pentane, to produce a second feed mixture, which is treated in a second multi-stage supercritical solvent extraction procedure. Heavy phases recovered from the separate stages of both solvent extraction procedures are blended to provide a recycled primary heavy solvent.

Abstract: A process for reducing the sulfur oxide content of flue gases produced by combustion of sulfur-containing coal containing cations of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or both, in ion exchangeable form. Flue gases containing sulfur oxides are recycled to contact coal awaiting combustion. Sulfur oxides are adsorbed on the coal during the contact step, react with alkali metal and alkaline earth metal cations, and are oxidized to form sulfate reaction products. When the treated coal is burned, these reaction products are retained in the coal ash.

Abstract: A method of liquefying coal in which coal is mixed with a process solvent comprising at least partially hydrogenated coal tar material to produce a coal-solvent slurry. This slurry is treated under coal-liquefying conditions, preferably including a hydrogen atmosphere and elevated temperatures, to produce a solution containing coal liquefaction products. These products are recovered from the solution. Recovered, process-derived solvent material may be recycled in order to supplement the at least partially hydrogenated coal tar material as an ingredient of the process solvent.

Abstract: A method for loading particles, such as coal, into a plurality of railroad cars wherein a control weight of a railroad car loaded with particles is established. Each of the railroad cars is weighed prior to loading particles into the railroad car from a weigh bin to determine an unfilled weight of each railroad car and the unfilled weight of each railroad car is compared with the control weight to determine an unfilled differential weight for each railroad car. The particles are loaded into the weigh bin from a surge bin and the surge bin is weighed as the particles are being loaded into the weigh bin from the surge bin so the loading of particles into the weigh bin can be terminated when a weight of particles has been loaded into the weigh bin about equal to and less than the unfilled differential weight associated with the railroad car to be loaded with the unfilled differential weight of particles.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing caustic soda solutions from naturally occurring alkaline minerals comprising double salts of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate. The process comprises heating said naturally occurring alkaline minerals to temperatures sufficient to dehydrate and partially decarbonate said alkaline minerals and provide an intermediate product of a mixture of sodium carbonate and calcium oxide. This intermediate then is contacted with water to effect causticization of the sodium carbonate and provide a recoverable phase comprising an aqueous solution of caustic soda.

Abstract: An electrode assembly, having improved dimensional stability, for use in the electrolytic production of manganese dioxide and comprising a hanger bar member, at least one corrugated panel member having oppositely opposed upper and lower ends, said at least one panel member being fixedly attached to said hanger bar member at the upper end of said at least one panel member and a stiffening bar member fixedly attached to said lower end of said at least one corrugated panel member.

Abstract: A method for producing carbonaceous-derived solid fuel products comprising subjecting a carbonaceous material to a temperature sufficient to remove a substantial portion of water inherent in said carbonaceous material, pyrolyzing at least a portion of the dried carbonaceous material to form a carbonaceous-based char material and simultaneously recover carbonaceous-based tar by-products and contacting at least one material selected from the group consisting of the dried carbonaceous material and the carbonaceous-based char material with a water-in-tar emulsion, said emulsion being prepared from said recovered carbonaceous-based tar by-products.

Abstract: Broadly, the present invention provides for improvements in the manufacture of compacted or molded articles of blended mixtures of additive metals for use in the preparation of alloys of base metals. The improvements comprise the addition to blended mixtures of additive metals of at least one processing aid comprising at least one polyglycol or a derivative thereof to the blended mixture of metals in a stabilizing and lubricating amount.

Abstract: An improved system for monitoring cathodic protection systems for marine installations wherein a reference electrode is utilized to measure and periodically monitor the cathodic reference potentials. The reference electrode is connected to one end of a cable and the opposite end portion of the cable is operatively connected to a reel. The reel is connected electrically to the marine installation through a voltmeter and the voltmeter provides readouts of the measured cathodic reference potentials. The present invention includes an improved reel which includes a contactor assembly adapted to maintain electrical continuity between the reel and the voltmeter as the cable is being wound onto and unwound from portions of the reel.

Abstract: An improved reel having a hub and a removable hub. The hub has a diameter and the removable hub is adapted to be removably connected to the reel and about the hub. The removable hub has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the hub. The removable hub provides a convenient means for effectively changing the diameter of the portion of the reel about which a cable is wound.

Abstract: In the manufacture of particulated metal oxides by the vapor phase oxidation of volatile metal halides, hot gaseous effluent streams are produced which, after separation of the desired particulated metal oxide therefrom, contain residual amounts of the particulated metal oxide as well as unreacted, volatile metal halide and halogen gas. The method of this invention provides for the recovery of these materials, individually, through a succession of contacting and separating steps utilizing a recycle stream of previously recovered, unreacted, liquid metal halide. Utilization of the recycle stream of metal halide provides for both evaporative cooling of the hot gaseous effluent stream to permit recovery of the residual particulated metal oxide therein and scrubbing of the resulting off-gas to recover the unreacted volatile metal halide therein as a liquid and provide a gas phase containing the by-product halogen gas.

Abstract: Boric acid is crystallized from saturated aqueous solutions thereof by adding to the solutions small proportions of water soluble polymers which control the particle size distribution of the boric acid during crystallization.

Abstract: A monitoring system utilizing an ultrasonic transducer wherein the power level of the transducer operating signals is raised while maintaining the gain about unity for permitting the use of relatively longer signal paths between a signal generator and the transducer.