Abstract: Reshapable composite material and/or articles formed from lignocellulose-containing materials and having improved strength and water resistance characteristics are made by applying about 7 to about 100 weight % of a polyisocyanate resin to fibers and/or fiber bundles of a lignocellulose-containing material. The resulting mixture or furnish is compression molded to form a composite material and/or article of the desired shape and dimensions.

Abstract: A wet process for the beneficiation of a fly ash by-product has the following steps: a) forming a slurry mixture of a fly ash material and a liquid; b) gravitationally separating and collecting a first material fraction of the fly ash having a density less than the liquid by skimming off floating slurry material; c) separating a first magnetic fraction from the slurry by subjecting the slurry to a magnetic field of from about 300 gauss to about 10 kilogauss; d) separating the unburned carbon from the remaining slurry components by adding an effective amount of an oil having a carbon chain greater than octane, and a frothing agent whereby the oil coats the unburned carbon forming hydrophobic carbon materials and inducing air into the system for frothing the slurry mixture wherein the hydrophobic unburned carbon froths to the surface and is removed by skimming off the frothing layer; and e) collecting the remaining fraction of silicate spheres and silicates.

Abstract: Particles of a magnetic material coated with a hydrophobic surfactant are dispersed in an organic solvent extractant to produce a magnetic solvent extractant which can be used in solvent extraction processes. Phase separation of an organic phase, carrying the component to be separated, from the aqueous phase can be accelerated by applying a magnetic field to the organic phase. After removal of the organic phase, a magnetic field can be applied to the aqueous phase to remove any residual organic phase and thereby enhance the degree of separation.

Abstract: High strength steel parts or articles are made from a powder alloy by compacting the powder into a preform, sintering the preform in a sintering furnace or the like under a highly-reducing atmosphere and at a temperature of at least 1150.degree. C., cooling the preform, preheating the sintered preform in a highly-reducing atmosphere, such as an inert gas-based atmosphere containing hydrogen or pure hydrogen, to a temperature of at least 1000.degree. C. and transferring the preheated preform to an impact forging device and impacting the preform at a peak averaging forging pressure of at least about 1000 MPa to obtain a forged part or article. The time period between removal of the preheated preform from the preheater and the first forging impact is no more than about 8 seconds. The sintering and preheating steps can be combined with the sintered preform being cooled to the preheating temperature in the sintering furnace and transferred directly from the sintering furnace to the impact forging device.

Abstract: Flakeboard or particle board panels and other composite articles made from wood flakes or other particulate lignocellulosic materials having a relatively high internal bond and improved resistance to moisture are made from flakes or particles which have a moisture content of at least 15%. A catalyst capable of accelerating the reaction between the flakes or particles, the binder and water is applied to the flakes or particles prior to the addition of a moisture-tolerant particle board binder, such as an organic polyisocyanate. A mat of the resulting furnish is compression shaped under pressure and at a temperature less than 250.degree. F. for a time period sufficient to form a composite article of the desired shape and/or dimensions.

Abstract: Oxygen and metallic iron are produced from an iron oxide-containing mineral, such as ilmenite, by extracting iron from the mineral with hydrochloric acid, separating solid residue from the resulting solution and drying same, electrolyzing the separated, iron chloride-containing solution to produce electrolytic iron and chlorine gas, combining the chlorine gas with water recovered from the drying and/or iron chloride-containing solution electrolysis steps of regenerate hydrochloric acid and recycling the hydrochloric acid to the extraction step. In an alternate embodiment, the chlorine gas is reacted with recovered water in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrochloric acid which is recycled to the extraction step, thereby eliminating the need for water electrolysis and a separate hydrochloric acid regeneration step.

Abstract: Complexes of sulfited tannin extract and a copper(II) ion effectively protect wood against fungal attack. The complex can be impregnated into wood in a single step treatment using a water/organic solvent system, or formed in situ by treating the wood with an aqueous solution containing the extract and subsequently treating the wood with an aqueous solution containing a copper (II) salt.

Abstract: An article having non-planar portions, such as a material handling pallet, including a substantially flat deck member and a plurality of hollow leg members projecting integrally from the deck member, is molded as a one-piece unit from a loosely-felted mat formed from a mixture of resinous particle board binder and flake-like wood particles. The leg members are preformed in a separate preform mold or the article forming mold and the mat is deposited on the female die over mold cavities containing the preforms. When the article forming mold is closed, the mat and preforms are compressed into substantially the desired shape and size under temperature and pressure conditions which bond the wood particles of the mat and the preforms together to form a unitary structure.

Abstract: A diesel engine exhaust system is provided with a particulate trap for collecting the products of incomplete combustion during the engine power cycle. A sensing mechanism including an electrode downstream of the trap and a signal generating circuit provides a positive indication of occurrence of regeneration of the trap. Charged particles generated during regeneration induce a charge of the electrode, that charge activates the signal generating circuit and it, in turn, produces an indication external of the exhaust system that trap regeneration is occurring. That indication can be in the operator's compartment.

Abstract: The ash content of coal suspended in a slurry is determined by bombarding a sample of the slurry flowing past a window of a measuring chamber with radiation from an annular nucleonic source, such as Cm-244, for emitting radiation within the range of about 7 to about 30 KeV and causing the sample to emit both backscattered and iron fluorescent x-rays. These x-rays are detected by a radiation detector which produces first and second electrical signals representative of the intensity of each. The density of the sample flowing from the measuring chamber is measured, such as by a nucelonic density gauge, to produce an electrical signal representative of the density and the ash content is determined from the detected intensities of the backscattered and iron fluorescent x-rays and the sample density.

Abstract: Sulfide derivatives of catechins derived from condensed tannins have broad spectrum biocidal characteristics. Epicatechin-4-alkylsulfides and cupric complexes thereof containing up to 20, preferably 5 to 15, carbon atoms are particularly effective biocides against wood rotting fungi and gram-positive bacteria.Such sulfides are prepared by reacting condensed tannin, either in the form of a purified tannin extract or comminuted plant tissue, with an appropriate thiol under mild acidic conditions.

Abstract: Particles of a nonmagnetic material are rendered magnetic by contacting their surfaces with a magnetizing reagent comprising water containing particles of a magnetic material, each of which has a two layer surfactant coating including an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer covers the magnetic particle and is a monomolecular layer of a first water soluble, organic, heteropolar surfactant containing at least 3 carbon atoms and having a functional group on one end which bonds with the magnetic particle. The outer layer coats the inner layer and is a monomolecular layer of a second water soluble, organic heteropolar surfactant containing at least three carbon atoms and having a hydrophobic end bonded to the hydrophobic end of the first surfactant and a functional group on the other end capable of bonding with the particles to be magnetized.

Abstract: Particles of a nonmagnetic material are rendered magnetic by contacting their surfaces with a magnetizing reagent comprising water containing particles of a magnetic material, each of which has a two layer surfactant coating including an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer covers the magnetic particle and is a monomolecular layer of a first water soluble, organic, heteropolar surfactant containing at least 3 carbon atoms and having a functional group on one end which bonds with the magnetic particle. The outer layer coats the inner layer and is a monomolecular layer of a second water soluble, organic heteropolar surfactant containing at least three carbon atoms and having a hydrophobic end bonded to the hydrophobic end of the first surfactant and a functional group on the other end capable of bonding with the particles to be magnetized.

Abstract: A method for molding articles such as pallets from flake-like wood particles mixed with binder, the pallets housing a deck and integral molding legs. A loosely fitted mat of wood flakes is formed by depositing a first plurality of layers of wood flakes onto a supporting surface with a flake aligners provided for causing alignment of those flakes which will form legs of the pallet. A second plurality of layers are formed with a flake aligner provided for causing alignment of flakes which will form the legs of the pallet and in a direction transverse to the direction of alignment of the flakes of the first layers.

Abstract: Sulfide derivatives of catechins derived from condensed tannins have broad spectrum biocidal characteristics. Epicatechin-4-alkylsulfides and cupric complexes thereof containing up to 20, preferably 5 to 15, carbon atoms are particularly effective biocides against wood rotting fungi and gram-positive bacteria.Such sulfides are prepared by reacting condensed tannin, either in the form of a purified tannin extract or comminuted plant tissue, with an appropriate thiol under mild acidic conditions.

Abstract: Scale-forming metal oxides and carbonates, such as cupric oxide, can be precipitated from an ammoniacal leaching solution with minimum scale buildup by distilling the solution in an externally heated distillation chamber mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis. The distillation chamber includes a plurality of axially spaced annular baffles defining a plurality of compartments containing a tumbling medium, such as spherical balls. The solution is continuously introduced into the inlet end of the chamber and heated under pressure to a temperature above its boiling point as it flows over the baffles toward the outlet end of the chamber. A slurry containing the precipitated cupric oxide is continuously withdrawn from the outlet end and the evaporated gases are continuously withdrawn from the inlet end.

Abstract: A compound having the general formula R.sub.x COH[COR].sub.y, wherein R is a lower alkyl hydrocarbon radical, y is 0 or 1, and x is 2 when y is 1 and 3 when y is 0, is prepared by admixing carbon monoxide, a transition metal halide, and an organomonolithium compound or an anionic equivalent thereof.

Abstract: The froth flotation device includes a flotation column partially filled with a packing which defines a large number of small flow passages extending in a circuitous pattern between the upper and lower portions of the column. A conditioned aqueous pulp of a mineral ore, such as iron ore, is introduced into the midzone of the column. A pressurized inert gas, such as air, is introduced into the bottom of the column and is forced upwardly through the flow passages in the packing. As the air flows upwardly through these flow passages, it is broken into fine bubbles which intimately contact the floatable particles (e.g., iron oxide) in the aqueous pulp and forms a froth concentrate or float fraction which overflows from the top of the column. Wash water is introduced into the top of the column and flows through the flow passages in the packing countercurrently to the float fraction to scrub entrained non-floatable particles (e.g., gangue) from the froth concentrate.

Abstract: Terephthalic acid (TPA) is recovered from used polyethylene terephthalate beverage containers by reacting comminuted containers in a reaction zone with an aqueous medium containing ammonium hydroxide at elevated temperatures and pressures to form a water soluble diammonium salt of TPA, separating any undissolved solids from the reaction product, acidifying the remaining reaction product to liberate TPA, and separating the precipitated TPA. A portion of the liquid remaining after separation of TPA can be mixed with lime or slaked lime, the resulting mixture treated in an ammonia stripper to remove ammonia therefrom and the ammonia overheads from the stripper blended with another portion of the liquid remaining after separation of TPA to form a stream containing ammonium hydroxide which is recycled to the reaction zone. Ethylene glycol can be recovered from the bottoms from the ammonia stripper by distillation.

Abstract: Self-reducing agglomerates of an iron oxide-containing material, such as an iron ore concentrate, having a compressive strength of at least about 100 lbs. are produced by preparing a moistened mixture of the ore concentrate, a finely-divided natural pyrolyzed carbonaceous material having a volatile matter (on dry basis) content of about 20 weight % or less in an amount at least sufficient to reduce all the iron oxide to metallic iron, about 1 to about 30 weight % of a bonding agent, such as burned or hydrated lime, and 0 up to about 3 weight % of a siliceous material (as SiO.sub.2), such as silica; forming green agglomerates from this mixture; and hydrothermally hardening the green agglomerates by contacting them with steam under pressure.