Abstract: A process for gasifying coal to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen in which a first stream of coal is burned without bed formation in a combustion zone in the presence of water under oxidation conditions to produce gases containing carbon dioxide and steam. A second stream of coal is maintained as a fluid bed in a separate gasifier zone by upflowing carbon dioxide and steam from the combustion zone while being gasified under reducing conditions to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Feed coal for both streams is first passed through a crusher and the crushed coal is elutriated to remove coal fines, which are too small to be retained in the gasifier fluid bed, from coarse particulates. The elutriated fines are water scrubbed to form a slurry which comprises at least in part said first stream of coal entering the combustion zone, while the coarse particulates comprise said second stream of coal.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for gasifying coal to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen in which a first stream of coal is burned without bed formation in a combustion zone in the presence of water under oxidation conditions to produce gases containing carbon dioxide and steam. A second stream of coal is maintained as a fluid bed in a separate gasifier zone by upflowing carbon dioxide and steam from the combustion zone while being gasified under reducing conditions to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Char produced in the fluid bed is elutriated overhead and material in the fluid bed is prevented from direct entry into the combustion zone. The ratio of carbonaceous material to ash in the char removed overhead is lower than the average ratio of carbonaceous material to ash in the solids in the fluid bed.

Abstract: A process for gasifying coal to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen in which a first stream of coal is burned without bed formation in a combustion zone in the presence of water under oxidation conditions to produce gases comprising carbon dioxide and steam. A second stream of coal is maintained as a fluid bed in a separate gasifier zone by upflowing carbon dioxide and steam from the combustion zone while being gasified under reducing conditions to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A foul water stream from an external process containing pollutants and/or dissolved salts is charged to the combustion zone resulting in combustion of pollutants and slagging of dissolved salts contained therein.

Abstract: Alkali metal salts of copolymers of ethylene and acrylic and/or methacrylic acid are provided. The alkali metal salts are prepared by saponifying copolymers of ethylene and an alkyl acrylate or an alkyl methacrylate in the presence of an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide.

Abstract: Non-cap sensitive aqueous gel explosives containing no suspended solid fuels are made by combining water, hexamethylenetetramine, ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, ammonium perchlorate and nitric acid, along with sufficient polysaccharide gum to thicken the mixture. These explosives are rendered cap sensitive by mixing therewith paint grade aluminum powder or other conventional sensitizing agents. According to a preferred procedure, a cap sensitive aqueous gel explosive is made by a procedure in which nitric acid and aqueous hexamethylenetetramine solution are first combined under controlled conditions of temperature and pH and ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, ammonium perchlorate, thickening agent and aluminum powder are added in controlled amounts in a specified order. The products possess cap sensitivity, even at temperatures as low as minus 23.degree.C.

Abstract: A process is provided for recovering hexane from the mixed recycle stream from a plurality of ethylene polymerization reactors. The recycle stream containing hexane and periodically vinyl acetate and/or an alkyl acrylate admixed with vinyl acetate to provide a mixed feed stream containing at least 45% by weight vinyl acetate. This feed stream is distilled at atmospheric pressure and all of the hexane is recovered as an overhead azeotrope containing about 57% hexane. The overhead fraction is redistilled at a superatmospheric pressure of at least 4 atmospheres in a second column. The overhead fraction of the second column will be enriched in vinyl acetate and pure hexane is recovered as a bottoms fraction from the second column. The vinyl acetate and/or alkyl acrylate contained in the bottoms fraction of the first column is recovered by atmospheric distillation in a third column.

Abstract: Olefin polymer compositions are provided having enhanced stability against discoloration. The polymer compositions consist essentially of a normally solid olefin polymer such as polyethylene having incorporated therein, on a weight basis, 0.001 - 0.2 percent of 2,6-ditertiarybutyl-4-methylphenol* and 0.0005 - 0.4 percent of 2,6-ditertiarybutyl-4-ethylphenol**, with the quantity of 2,6-ditertiarybutyl-4-ethylphenol being present in a minimum amount of 50 weight % of the 2,6-ditertiarybutyl-4-methylphenol.*In subsequent discussions, this chemical sometimes will be referred to as BHT, which signifies butylated hydroxy toluene**In subsequent discussions, 2,6-ditertiarybutyl-4-ethylphenol sometimes will be referred to as BHEB, which signifies butylated hydroxy ethylbenzene.

Abstract: In a large ocean going oil tanker vessel having water ballast compartments that cannot be utilized for oil cargo also the amount of ballast water required to submerge the vessel to a predetermined ballast draft is reduced by cutting away a portion of the midbody of the hull starting at and extending below the predetermined ballast draft waterline on the sideshell, thereby reducing the amount of buoyancy in the hull that the ballast weight must overcome to sink the vessel down to the ballast draft.

Abstract: A method for preparing uniform, spherical microspheres from an aqueous liquid sol feed stock, particularly of a fertile and/or fissionable nuclear fuel material. In the method, a jetstream of the liquid feed stock is provided, uniformly periodic varicose instabilities are induced in the jetstream, a concurrent, caoxial stripping flow of inert fluid is provided surrounding the jetstream to enhance the varicose instabilities in order to cause the uniform dispersion of the jetstream into uniform spherical droplets, and the uniform droplets are subsequently solidified.The present invention is directed to methods for manufacturing uniform microspheres of inorganic materials, and more particularly, is directed to such methods for generating large numbers of small microspheres by sol-gel processes and to methods which are particularly suitable in the preparation of uniform solid microspheres of fertile or fissionable nuclear fuel materials.