Abstract: An improved method for the recovery of lead from exhausted lead-acid storage batteries, comprising removal from the storage battery of the sulphuric acid solution, the coating element, the separators between the electrodes and the metal part i.e. grids, connectors and poles and milling of the remaining electrode paste of the storage battery to obtain an extremely fine powder (pastel),characterised by the following operations:a) treatment of the resulting powder with an aqueous saline solution, with a pH of between 0 and 8, capable of solubilising Pb (II) sulphate and oxide, leaving Pb (IV) oxide unsolubilised;b) reduction to metal lead of the bivalent lead ion, present in the soluble fraction, using metal iron, preferably in slight excess with respect to the stoichiometric proportions;c) reduction of the tetravalent lead oxide; andd) recovery of the salts used in the process step a) by elimination of the iron sulphate that has formed. FIG.

Abstract: Enzymes, cells and/or cellular organelles are bound to an insoluble sintered expanded clay support matrix for catalyzing transformations of agriculture and industrial residues in soil and in other environments. In one embodiment, an enzyme is absorbed by the sintered expanded clay support matrix and a phenolic monomer is polymerized or copolymerized on the support matrix containing the bound enzyme. In another embodiment, an enzyme different from the enzyme absorbed by the support matrix is combined with the phenolic monomer and a copolymer of enzyme and phenolic monomer is formed on the support matrix containing the bound enzyme. The phenolic monomer is preferably catechol, pyrogallic acid and/or resorcinol.

Abstract: The described injection system includes: a pneumatic system operating with hydrogen or helium and formed of one or more two-stage or multi-stage propulsion systems provided with special control or cutoff valves, the relative feeding circuits, and one or more decompression chambers, a cryogenic device formed of a Dewar flask containing liquid helium, a circuit for transferring and recovering the cooling fluid, and one or more conventional (in situ) or alternative cryostats provided each with one or more launching barrels in which the cryogenic pellets are solidified; a vacuum system comprising electrovalves, electropneumatic valves, rotating and turbomolecular pumps, and an equipment set for the automatic remote control of the whole system and for collecting and supplying diagnostic data to the central processing unit.

Abstract: An automatic leak detection apparatus for process fluids from production and/or research plants, in particular energy plants comprises three different and separate sets of sensors, the first of which analyzes signals sensed in the visual spectrum through a telecamera, the second set analyzes signals sensed in the infrared spectrum through a thermocamera, and the third set analyzes qualitatively and quantitatively any change in the composition of the environmental atmosphere through a chemical-excitation mass spectrometer, and means adapted to process data supplied by said three sets of sensors, to compare said data with reference data, to store said data, to generate alarm signals at different levels, and to give assistance, if necessary.