Abstract: A vegetation enhancement composite including a vegetation enhancement agent consisting of a first member selected from the group consisting of at least one macronutrient, micronutrient, nitrogen fertilizer including an inhibitor of nitrification activity, slow release fertilizer, and mixtures of such members and a pesticide; and at least one first controlled release film including a sulfonated polymer coating at least a portion of a surface of the vegetation enhancement agent.

Abstract: The bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil is enhanced by applying to the soil a hydrocarbon solution of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of: (a) mixture of a sorbitan ester of a C.sub.7 to C.sub.22 monocarboxylic acid and a polyoxyalkylene adduct of a sorbitan monoester of a C.sub.7 to C.sub.22 monocarboxylic acid, the adduct having from 6 to 50 polyoxyalkylene units, (b) an alkyl glycoside wherein the alkyl group has from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms and the glycoside is a mono or diglycoside and (c) a mixture of (a) and (b) and (c) and thereafter applying microbial nutrients to the soil in amounts sufficient to promote the growth of indigenous microorganisms.

Abstract: The solvent extraction of aromatics containing oil using a selective aromatics extraction solvent to produce an aromatics rich extract phase and an oil rich/aromatics lean raffinate is improved by the steps of subjecting the extract phase to a membrane separation step to produce a permeate phase and a retentate phase passing the retentate phase to a settling zone wherein the retentate phase spontaneously separates into two liquid phases, and recycling the upper phase to the extraction zone, either to the feed inlet or to the bottom of the extract reflux zone to thereby increase the raffinate oil recovered from the extraction tower. Alternatively or in addition to the above, a side stream can be taken from an intermediate zone of the extraction zone (e.g. extraction tower) and fed to a membrane separation to produce a solvent rich permeate and an oil rich retentate.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an improved controlled release fertilizer comprising a fertilizer coated with a neutralized, sulfonated EPDM polymer having from about 2% to about 50% crystallinity. Preferably, the coated fertilizer has a coating thickness of from about 1 to about 100 micrometers.

Abstract: An integrated fluid coking/paraffin dehydrogenation process. The fluid coking unit is comprised of a fluid coker reactor, a heater, and a gasifier. Solids from the fluidized beds are recycled between the coking zone and the heater and between the heater and the gasifier. A separate stream of hot solids from the gasifier is passed to the scrubbing zone or to a satellite fluidized reactor. A first stream containing an effective amount of C.sub.1 to C.sub.2 paraffins is introduced into this stream of hot solids between the point where the diluent is added and the scrubbing zone. The hot particles act to catalyze the dehydrogenation of paraffins to olefins. A second stream containing C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 paraffins is introduced downstream of the introduction of said first stream.

Abstract: An integrated fluid coking/paraffin dehydrogenation process. The fluid coking unit is comprised of a fluid coker reactor, a heater, and a gasifier. Solids from the fluidized beds are recycled between the coking zone and the heater and between the heater and the gasifier. A separate stream of hot solids from the gasifier is diluted with hot solids from the heater then passed to the scrubbing zone of the coker reactor. A light paraffin stream is introduced into this stream of hot solids between the point where the heater solids are introduced and the scrubbing zone. The hot particles act to catalyze the dehydrogenation of the paraffins to olefins.

Abstract: A process for reforming a gasoline boiling range naphtha stream using a reforming process unit comprised of two independent process units, each of which are operated in two stages. The first stage is operated in a fixed-bed mode and is comprised of a plurality of serially connected fixed bed reactors, and the second stage is operated in a moving bed continuous catalyst regeneration mode. A hydrogen-rich stream is recycled through both stages for each process unit and the moving-bed reforming zones share a common regeneration zone.

Abstract: This present invention includes a composition of matter made up of a kandite clay which has been treated with large molecules containing multi-atom metallic or semi-metallic species and heated to produce pillars within the clay which are located generally between the clay's layers. The pillared kandite composition is useful as a catalyst support, sorbent, or ion exchanger.The present invention also includes a process for producing the pillared kandite composition comprises mixing the finely divided clay in an aqueous solution with the pillaring medium and heating the resulting composition at a temperature high enough to decompose the added compound.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is directed to polysubstituted fullerene moieties having a plurality of substituents thereon, selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, oxide, nitro, amino, organocarboxy, amide, and mixtures thereof.Another embodiment is directed toward the preparation of the novel polysubstituted fullerenes. The method of forming polysubstituted fullerenes comprises contacting fullerenes with an electrophilic reagent such as nitronium ion or an organic peracid. When the electrophilic agent is nitronium ion, the fullerene is further contacted with a nucleophilic reagent. Polysubstituted fullerenes comprise a fullerene moiety selected from fullerenes or mixtures thereof having a plurality of substituents thereon.The polysubstituted fullerenes are particularly useful as cross-linking agents in polymers and/or as core building blocks of star polymers.

Abstract: The pervaporative treatment of hydrocarbon feeds which have been exposed to air or oxygen and which contain mixtures of aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons to selectively separate the feed into an aromatics rich stream and a non-aromatics rich stream is improved by the step of pretreating the hydrocarbon feed over an adsorbent such as attapulgite clay.

Abstract: There is provided a coated agricultural substrate in which the coating comprises a blend of a neutralized sulfonated ionomer and asphalt. Preferably, the coating contains from about 1 to 20 wt. % asphalt and from 99 to 80 wt. % of the neutralized sulfonated ionomer. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating contains about 7 wt. % asphalt and about 93 wt. % of the neutralized sulfonated ionomer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enhanced process for converting certain ethers, such as sec-butyl ether and isopropyl ether to their corresponding reaction products in the presence of water. This may be accomplished by adding a rate enhancing surfactant, such as an anionic or cationic surfactant to a mixture of the ether and water, preferably least about 10.sup.-5 molar surfactant. Under those conditions the reaction shows an increase in reaction rate over the rate of the process wherein surfactant is not used.

Abstract: The uniform distribution of mixed phase fluid stream on to the top of a contact bed in a reactor chamber is provided by a horizontal tray with a plurality of spaced-apart, vertically disposed chimneys extending through the tray. These chimneys have a first end to receive liquid and gas above the tray and a second end for distributing the liquid and gas downwardly below the tray. Importantly, the second end is provided with a spray generating device located below the tray for producing a conical downward spray of the mixed fluid phase onto the top surface of a bed of contact material positioned below the tray. The spray generating devices for producing the conical spray are located at positions so that the spray of the mixed fluid stream from one spray generating device as it impinges on the top surface of the fixed bed, will overlap the spray from an adjacent spray generating device.

Abstract: The present invention is a method to determine the oil content of a waxy isomerate by NIR radiation which is then used to control the separation of oil from the waxy isomerate.

Abstract: The incremental solvent dilution chilling of 600N waxy oils in a staged agitated chilling tower using cold solvent injection is improved in terms of feed filter rate with respect to a 600N waxy oil having a final boiling point of >600.degree. C. and a mean boiling point of about 500.degree. C. when the solvent dewaxing process is practiced under conditions of cold solvent injection such that there is an equal chilling rate/stage profile as compared to an equal temperature drop/stage profile in the chilling tower and with respect to a 600N waxy oil having a final boiling point of 600.degree. C. and a mean boiling point of about 500.degree. C. when the solvent dewaxing process is practiced under conditions of cold solvent injection such that there is an equal temperature drop/stage profile as compared to an equal chilling rate/stage profile in the chilling tower.

Abstract: Batch auto-refrigerative dewaxing processes employing at least two batch chilling vessels can be improved by integrating the batch auto-refrigerative dewaxing chilling cycles of the chilling vessels so as to have their cycles of operation overlap and use thermocompressors to recover the energy of the hot, high pressure cycle stream of one vessel by operation on the cooler, low pressure cycle stream of the other vessel to increase the pressure of said low pressure cycle stream. The overlap operation of the multiple batch chillers integrated through the thermocompressor will also permit running the cool, low pressure cycle to a pressure even lower than atmospheric without inleakage of air because of the vacuum effect generated by the hot, higher pressure stream running through the thermocompressor. Autorefrigerative dewaxing employs liquified normally gaseous solvents as the chilling solvents such as C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 alkanes/alkenes e.g. propane, propylene, butane, butylene and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: It has now been discovered that the hydrogenation of unsaturated homo and copolymers can be effectively carried out in the absence of added gaseous hydrogen by contacting the unsaturated polymer with a hydrogen donor compound in the presence of a Group VIII metal catalyst, especially a supported palladium catalyst, for a time and at a temperature sufficient to bring about the hydrogenation of the unsaturated polymer.

Abstract: Lubricating basestock oil suitable for use as such or as blending oil is obtained by the low severity hydrotreatment of industrial circulating oils of the type employed in low severity lubricating applications, and which have been mildly degraded and are no longer suitable for use for their intended purpose.

Abstract: A system that will indicate tire inflation and vehicle velocity. An array of strain gage sensors is used to determine the distribution of contact forces along the width of a pneumatic tire. A neural network may be employed to classify the patterns of force sensed in this manner. Additional processing of the data permits vehicle velocity to also be determined.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel polymers which are adducts of an unsaturated hydrocarbon, wherein the novel polymers are produced by contacting cyclic carbonyl monomers with an unsaturated hydrocarbon to form novel cyclic carbonyl polymers having an Mn of about 500 to about 10.sup.7.