Abstract: A networked polymer/clay alloy is produced from a monomer/clay mixture comprising a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture. The clay is chemically integrated with the polymer such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the alloy.

Abstract: A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for producing hollow ceramic membranes by electrophoretic deposition. The hollow ceramic membranes may have a small cross-sectional area of about 1.0×10−5 mm2 to about 25 mm2. The cross-sectional configuration of the hollow ceramic membranes may be any geometry such as circular, square, rectangular, triangular or polygonal. The hollow ceramic membranes produced by the methods of the present invention may have multiple layers but always the innermost layer, or the first deposited layer is porous and made by electrophoretic deposition. Subsequent layers may be porous or non porous and deposited before or after sintering the first layer. If it is deposited after sintering, it may require additional sintering steps. Additional layers may be deposited by further electrophoretic deposition, sol-gel coating, dip coating, vacuum casting, brushing, spraying or other known techniques.

Abstract: Antibody-mediated xenograft rejection is attenuated by (1) removing preformed antibodies to various identified carbohydrate xenoantigens from the recipient's circulation prior to transplantation by extracorporeal perfusion of the recipient's blood over a biocompatible solid support to which the xenoantigens are bound and/or (2) parenterally administering a xenoantibody-inhibiting amount of an identified xenoantigen to the recipient shortly before graft revascularization and thereafter.

Abstract: Paenibacillus polymyxa strain ATCC 202127 capable of producing a peptide antibiotic against fungi, and specifically Leptosphaeria spp. is disclosed. Further, mutants of said strain capable of producing the peptide are also disclosed. In addition, a method of controlling a fungal disease of a crop is disclosed. The method comprises applying an amount of the strain or mutants thereof to at least one of a medium for growing the crop, seeds of the crop prior to planting, and plants of the crop. The strain can also inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Micrococcus spp., Streptomyces spp. or Escherichia spp. The fungi which the strain or mutants thereof capable of producing the peptide are effective against include in addition to Leptosphaeria spp., the fungus selected from Sclerotinia spp., Rhizotonia spp., Pythium spp., Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Sporobolomyces spp., Trichoderma spp., Penicillium spp. or Marasmius spp.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fuel cell sub-stack comprising a plurality of tubular fuel cells, and a solid-state matrix in which the fuel cells are embedded. Each fuel cell comprises an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers. The matrix is electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive, porous enough for a first reactant to flow through the matrix and to the outer electrode of each fuel cell, and strong enough to support the fuel cells in the stack. The fuel cells are embedded such that a second reactant may be flowed through the inside of each tubular fuel cell and to the inner electrode thereof. The sub-stack may be combined with other sub-stacks to form a fuel cell stack.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of producing a hollow inorganic membrane that is particularly suitable for solid oxide fuel cell applications, as well as producing hollow inorganic composite laminated membranes having at least one such hollow inorganic membrane. The method comprises electrodepositing an inorganic material that includes at least some electrically conductive metal and some ionically conductive ceramic onto an electrically conductive combustible core, drying the core bearing the deposited inorganic material, then, sintering the core bearing the deposited inorganic material such that the core combusts, thereby producing a hollow inorganic membrane. The method may further comprises electrophoretically depositing a ceramic composition onto the hollow inorganic membrane, to produce an assembly of hollow inorganic composite laminated membranes.

Abstract: A novel Stewart platform includes electromagnetic linear actuators. The motion platform may be included in an apparatus and method for testing footwear where a stationary shoe is struck by the motion platform.

Abstract: The claimed invention relates to an heated clothing with autonomous heating source and comprise (a) thermally insulated suit adapted to cover the human body, (b) portable, low-temperature heat generation module with combustion process controlled by a control unit, c) infrared window for energy delivery, (d) heat energy distribution system to supply heat to different parts of the body, (e) temperature control system, including the temperature sensors, responsible for maintaining proper temperatures at different parts of the body and f) moisture adsorbing pads to remove excessive moisture originating from sweating. A light and flexible suit provides controllable stream of heat from a heater to a wearer for prolonged time. The suit includes attachable, heated gloves and boots and gives complete protection against even extreme cold.

Abstract: A method of producing glucosamine hydrochloride from chitin by grinding the chitin to a very fine size and digestion with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The glucosamine hydrochloride is decolorized with activated charcoal, washed with ethanol and assayed by pH titration with a base.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for injecting a fluid into a borehole. The method includes the step of injecting an injection fluid into a primary injection zone in a borehole at an injection fluid pressure. The primary injection zone is bounded by a proximal injection zone interface and a distal injection zone interface. The proximal injection zone interface and the distal injection zone interface are maintained at pressures which are substantially balanced with the injection fluid pressure. The apparatus includes a body adapted for passage through a borehole, at least four radially extendable and retractable zone interface elements spaced longitudinally along the body which when extended define at least three zones along the body, a zone interface element actuator for selectively extending and retracting the zone interface elements, and a fluid delivery system for delivering a fluid to each zone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining and controlling a property of colloidal substances that undergo at least one of a temperature dependent phase transition and a temperature dependent adsorption-desorption process is disclosed. The colloidal particles are characterized by performing successive measurements of light attenuation or emission by a colloidal mixture at two or more temperatures and at one or more wavelength. The difference or ratio of the measurements at two or more temperatures provides a measure of the colloidal stability with respect to temperature. The amount of certain organic colloids that are unstable to temperature variation may be determined from the magnitude of the measurement change. This method may be specifically applied to determining the tackiness and propensity to deposit of colloidal pitch or wood resin in pulp or paper process water as an indication of the effectiveness of a chemical control program.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the formation of nearly spherical particles, particularly for the formation of metal or metal alloy particles with an induced duplex microstructure. The present invention provides an atomization apparatus having a nozzle positioned at the bottom of a cooling chamber. Rayleigh wave instability may be induced by imparting vibrations to a stream of molten material, which is released under positive pressure upward into a cooling chamber where the stream breaks up into substantially spherical droplets. This produces a plurality of uniform droplets, each droplet having an initial velocity sufficient to follow a unique upward parabolic trajectory above the aperture. These parabolic trajectories carry the individual droplets to a chill body disposed within the cooling chamber, with which they impact while they are at least partially molten.

Abstract: A process for recovering methane from a coal bed and/or sequestering a fluid more strongly adsorbing than methane (“SAG”) in a coal bed involves fracturing an injection well and cyclically injecting SAG with intervening shut-in periods. Even though the absolute permeability of the coal bed decreases with continued SAG sorption, the SAG injectivity, surprisingly and unexpectedly, increases while injecting SAG at pressures greater than reservoir pressure, but less than fracture pressure or fracture extension pressure. The increased injectivity is thought to be due to a reduction in near-well flow resistance.

Abstract: A well configuration is provided comprising an injection well (102) completed relatively high in an oil reservoir (100) and a production well (103-106) completed relatively low in the reservoir (100). The production well has a horizontal leg (107) oriented generally perpendicularly to a generally linear and laterally extending, upright combustion front propagated from the injection well (102). The leg (107) is positioned in the path of the advancing front. Oil upgrading catalyst has been emplaced along the horizontal leg. The production well (103-106) is maintained open, thereby providing a low pressure sink which induces the front to advance along the leg. The hot combustion gases react with the commingled oil over the catalyst to provide in situ upgrading.

Abstract: A system and method for obtaining an estimate of the concentration of an odor in an air sample from data obtained by evaluating the sample with a sensor-array type electronic nose. Principal components analysis is applied to a set of air sample data including sensor-array data obtained from evaluating the air sample with the sensor-array type electronic nose and measurements of the humidity of the air sample and clean reference air used by the electronic nose to obtain a predetermined number of principal components of the air sample data. The principal components obtained from the air sample are used as inputs to a neural network to obtain as output an estimate of the concentration of the odor in the air sample.

Abstract: Structured packing for mass-exchange or energy-exchange processes uses a stack of parallel, flat sheets forming flat channels therebetween. A number of tabs extends between adjacent pairs of sheets to form both bridges for fluid flow and spacers for structural rigidity of the packing. Some of the tabs serve predominantly to divert fluid over the entire surface of a given sheet to prevent so-called channeling, while other tabs are disposed to predominantly enhance fluid transfer between the adjacent sheets. Fluid communication between both sides of each sheet is facilitated due to slots caused by the punching of the tabs. Preferably, the tabs or even entire sheets are perforated as well to facilitate fluid wetting of downward-faced portions of the tabs thus reducing “dry zones” on the packing.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and a method for characterizing the flow of a multi-phase fluid. The fluid is first mixed continuously as it flows from a first to a second end of a first section, such that the fluid is substantially homogeneous at a first point and such that the substantial homogeneity of the fluid is maintained between the first point and a second point in the first section, and a first pressure drop is measured at a first location in the first section between the first and second points. The fluid is second mixed continuously as it flows from a first to a second end of a second section, such that the fluid is substantially homogeneous at a first point and such that the substantial homogeneity of the fluid is maintained between the first point and a second point in the second section, and a second pressure drop is measured at a second location in the second section between the first and second points.

Abstract: A hybrid filter system for degrading a sulfur-containing compound having a primary stage sacrificial filter and a secondary stage biofilter is disclosed. This hybrid filter system significantly increases the lifetime of the biofilter providing a cost effective and removal effective biofiltration filter system. The process consists of two filtration stages, a primary stage sacrificial filtration and a secondary stage biofiltration. A small percentage of the sulfur-containing compound is oxidized to elemental sulfur which blocks the pore space of the filter matrix. The primary stage sacrificial filter is used to trap and remove elemental sulfur which is produced when the sulfur-containing compound is passed through the filter. To protect the secondary stage biofilter from premature plugging by precipitated elemental sulfur the primary stage sacrificial filter is used to capture the precipitated elemental sulfur.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are for characterizing colloids by successive measurements of light attenuation or emission of a colloidal mixture at two or more temperatures and at one or more wavelengths. The difference or ratio of the measurements at two or more temperatures provides a measure of the colloidal stability with respect to temperature. The amount of certain organic colloids that are unstable to temperature variation may be determined from the magnitude of the measurement change. In appropriate mixtures, this method provides a means to distinguish components of colloidal substances based. This method may be specifically applied to determining the stability and concentration of colloidal pitch or wood resin in a pulp or paper process water. In this context it may be used to distinguishing colloidal pitch or wood resin from talc, clay, carbon black, or other fillers.