Abstract: A cylindrical hollow carrier for microorganisms is prepared by subjecting a nonwoven fabric having a specific gravity of not greater than 1.0 to a surface smoothing treatment at an elevated temperature of 200.degree. to 450.degree. C., then pressing with a roller to give the nonwoven fabric a thickness of 1 to 5 mm and a weight per unit area of 30 to 300 mg/cm.sup.2 and then forming the nonwoven fabrics into a cylindrical hollow shape. The carrier has a compression weight of not less than 400 g, and preferably an outer diameter of about 25 to 100 mm and a length of about 40 to 60 mm. The nonwoven fabric may be formed of 35 to 90% fibers of 50 to 600 denier and 10 to 65% fibers of 20 to 1 denier.

Abstract: A catalyst for dehalogenation of a halide comprising a corrosion-resistant ceramic or graphite having a surface area of 5.0 m.sup.2 /g or less and, supported thereon, at least one of a platinum group metal and a silicide thereof, and a method of dehalogenation of a halide using this catalyst.

Abstract: A wet-process stack gas purification method and apparatus wherein stack gas is scrubbed by bubbling it into a first scrubbing liquid while maintaining the level of the first scrubbing liquid. The above scrubbed gas is subjected to a counter-current contact with a second scrubbing liquid in a scrubbing tower to further purify the gas. The method and apparatus can attain a highly remarkable decontamination effect, and the apparatus is simple in structure and small in size.

Abstract: A method for the hydrogenation of coal tar pitch which comprises subjecting said coal tar pitch containing toluene insolubles to slight hydrogenation in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst having carried on a refractory inorganic oxide carrier at least one member selected from the class consisting of elemental metals, belonging to Groups VI B and VIII in the Periodic Table and oxides and sulfides thereof, under the conditions of 280.degree. to 400.degree. C. of reaction temperature, 20 to 200 kg/cm.sup.2. G of hydrogen pressure, 0.1 to 10 hr.sup.-1 of LHSV, and 500 to 2,000 Nl/liter of hydrogen to liquid ratio, and a catalyst therefor. The "slight" hydrogenation is hydrogenation to a degree such that the difference of hydrogen to carbon atomic ratio between the untreated coal tar pitch and the hydrogenated coal tar pitch falls in the range of 0.03 to 0.5.

Abstract: Apparatus for installing pipes in multipipe type gas-liquid contact equipment comprises a bush which can be mounted on the inner peripheral surface of a pipe installation bore formed in a deck for pipe installation within the multipipe type gas-liquid contact equipment, a cylindrical head which is provided on the upper end of the pipe, the head being capable of penetrating in conjunction with the pipe through the bush, and a collar member which can be fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical head. In this apparatus, the collar member is fitted to the cylindrical head, and the installation of pipes is performed by rotating the collar member.

Abstract: Disclosed is an incinerating and melting apparatus for processing materials such as organic matters, inorganic matters and metals, which apparatus has a cylindrical or polygonal horizontal furnace body provided with a material charging port and a melt discharge port formed in the wall thereof, wherein a burner is mounted in the inner surface of the furnace body, the furnace body is oscillatorily rotatable in one and the other directions about its axis, and a melt receiver is detachably secured to the melt discharge port, or wherein the furnace body is fitted in a hood into which the melt discharge port opens and the melt receiver is detachably secured to the hood.

Abstract: A heat exchanger using two hydrogen storage alloys, including: a tubular housing member disposed in a horizontal position; a vertical partition plate extending axially within the housing member for partitioning the inside space of the housing member into two, first and second reaction zones in which the first and second alloys are contained, respectively, to form an upper space above each alloy; first and second heat-exchange tubes disposed in the first and second reaction zones, respectively, and arranged so that first and second fluids may be passed therethrough for indirect heat exchange with the first and second alloys, respectively; openings provided in the vertical partition plate at least at positions so that the upper space in the first and second reaction zones are in fluid communication with each other; and a plurality of vertically extending gas passages provided in each of the first and second reaction zones, and each being in fluid communication with the upper space, whereby hydrogen gas released

Abstract: An improved method of preparing alumina, including a first stage in which an alumina hydrogel is formed from seed aluminum hydroxide, and a second stage in which the alumina hydrogel is processed for conversion into alumina.

Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of alumina, including forming an alumina hydrogel from aluminum hydroxide, and processing the alumina hydrogel into alumina. The improvement involves the alumina hydrogel forming step which is connected in the presence of sulfate ion and which comprises providing, in a reaction zone, an aqueous slurry containing seed aluminum hydroxide and having a pH of 6-11, and feeding to the reaction zone an aluminum compound and a pH controlling agent for mixing with the aqueous slurry while maintaining the aqueous slurry at a temperature of at least about 50.degree. C. at feed rates so that the pH of the aqueous slurry is maintained within the range of 6-11 and that 0.2-5 mols/hour of aluminum components, in terms of elemental aluminum, are fed to the reaction zone per mole of the seed aluminum hydroxide originally contained in the aqueous slurry, whereby the seed aluminum hydroxide is caused to grow to the aluminum hydrogel.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbon oils are converted into light hydrocarbon oils by two-stage process wherein, in the first stage, a heavy hydrocarbon oil is subjected to thermal cracking conditions and, in the second stage, the product of the thermal cracking is subjected to a hydrotreatment in the presence of a specific catalyst including, as a carrier, a clay mineral consisting mainly of magnesium silicate having a double-chain structure such as sepiolite.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbon oils are converted into light hydrocarbon oils by two-stage process wherein, in the first stage, a heavy hydrocarbon oil is subjected to thermal cracking conditions and, in the second stage, the product of the thermal cracking is subjected to a hydrotreatment in the presence of a specific catalyst having a large pore volume in pores with diameters of 200-400 .ANG.. The hydrotreatment is carried out so that the product oil may have a toluene insoluble content of 0.5 wt % or less.

Abstract: A process for hydrocracking hydrocarbons for residuum conversion in the presence of a fluidized catalyst, which is characterized by extracting at least part of the fluidized catalyst from the reaction system as a spent catalyst, subjecting at least part of the spent catalyst to hydrotreatment for solubilizing toluene-insoluble carbonaceous materials deposited on the catalyst thereby regenerating the spent catalyst, and recycling the regenerated catalyst to the hydrocracking step. According to this process, the spent catalyst is recycled to the hydrocracking step in a highly activated state after the regenerative hydrotreatment, so that it becomes possible to suppress the coke production within the reactor to a considerable degree, to maintain the coke level of the catalyst below a predetermined value and to preclude the contamination of the reactor walls with coke.

Abstract: A heavy hydrocarbon feed stock is, after being heat-treated in a first cracking zone, is introduced into a second thermal cracking zone for obtaining a thermally cracked product and a pitch product. The second cracking zone has a plurality of cracking reactors which are connected in series, through which is successively passed the treated feed stock and to each of which is supplied a gaseous heat transfer medium to maintain the liquid phase therein at a temperature sufficient for effecting the thermal cracking and to strip the resulting distillable, cracked components from the liquid phase. The thermal cracking temperature in one reactor is so controlled as to become higher than that in its adjacent upstream-side reactor. The distillable, cracked components in respective reactors are removed overhead therefrom and separated into a heavy fraction and a light fraction, while the liquid phase in the downstream-end reactor is discharged therefrom for recovery as the pitch product.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbon oils are processed by hydrotreatment over a sepiolite supported metal catalyst, described fuller in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,250, whereby metallic impurities are removed from the oil and its asphaltene content is decreased, and the hydrotreated oil is solvent deasphalted using a propane, butane, pentane, hexane or heptane solvent or mixtures of these to give a deasphalted oil suitable for further treatment, e.g. hydrodesulphurization, and an asphaltic residue.

Abstract: A heavy hydrocarbon feed stock is, after being heat-treated in a first cracking zone, introduced into a second thermal cracking zone for obtaining a thermally cracked product and a pitch product. The second cracking zone has a plurality of cracking reactors which are connected in series, through which is successively passed the treated feed stock and to each of which is supplied a gaseous heat transfer medium to maintain the liquid phase therein at a temperature sufficient for effecting the thermal cracking and to strip the resulting distillable, cracked components from the liquid phase. The thermal cracking temperature in one reactor is so controlled as to become higher than that in its adjacent upstream-side reactor. The distillable, cracked components in respective reactors are removed overhead therefrom and separated into a heavy fraction and a light fraction, while the liquid phase in the downstream-end reactor is discharged therefrom for recovery as the pitch product.

Abstract: An improvement in an apparatus for continuous biological treatment of waste water including a reactor having a feeding pipe and a distribution pipe at the top thereof for introducing waste water into the reactor, and a withdrawing pipe at the bottom thereof for removing treated water, and a particulate carrier having microbes attached thereto disposed within the reactor. The carrier is a particulate material having an apparent specific gravity smaller than the specific gravity of water, making it possible for the particulate material to float on water. A substantially fluidized bed of the carrier is formed by the buoyancy of the particulate material in the downflowing waste water to be treated.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for recovering effective energy as power between liquefied natural gas and a high temperature source by cascading two kinds of Rankine cycles when the liquefied natural gas is re-gasified.

Abstract: A catalyst for hydrotreating a heavy hydrocarbon oil containing asphaltenes comprises a porous carrier composed of one or more inorganic oxides of at least one element selected from among those of Groups II, III and IV of the Periodic Table, and at least one catalytic metal component composited with the carrier. The metal of the catalytic metal component is selected from among those of Groups VB, VIB, VIII and IB of the Periodic Table. The catalyst contains about 1 to 30% by weight of such catalytic metal component and has the following pore characteristics with regard to its pores having a diameter of 75 .ANG. or more: an average pore diameter APD of about 180 to 500 .ANG., a total pore volume PV, expressed in cc/g, being equal to or greater than a value X ##EQU1## the volume of pores with a diameter of about 180 to 500 .ANG. being at least about 0.2 cc/g, the volume of pores with a diameter of at least 1,500 .ANG. being not greater than about 0.03 cc/g, and a total surface area being at least about 60 m.

Abstract: A catalyst for hydrocracking heavy hydrocarbon oils includes a porous inorganic carrier composed mainly of alumina or titania, and two or more catalytic metal components composited with the carrier. The metals of the catalytic metal components are either (a) V and at least one element selected from Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Sn and Pb or (b) Mo and at least one element selected from Zn, Cu, Ag, Sn, Pb and the lanthanum-series elements. The catalyst has at least 60% of its total pore volume in pores with a diameter of 200 .ANG. or more, at least 40% of its totalpore volume in pores with a diameter of 300 .ANG. or more and not more than 20% of its total pore volume in pores with a diameter of at least 1000 .ANG.. Disclosed also is a process for hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of the above catalyst.

Abstract: A catalyst for the hydrotreatment of heavy hydrocarbon oils, which is prepared by supporting more than 2% by weight of VS.sub.x, wherein x represents about 1.1-1.59 in terms of an atomic ratio of S/V, on a substrate composed of a clay mineral which consists of magnesium silicate as a major component and having a double-chain structure and a process for preparing the catalyst are provided. The catalyst is prepared by accumulating the VS.sub.x on the substrate using a heavy hydrocarbon oil which contains particularly large amounts of vanadium and sulfur.