Abstract: Hydrous magnesium silicates having a crystal structure similar to that of natural hectorite may be produced by a precipitation process in which silica is precipitated into a preformed aqueous suspension of a water insoluble magnesium compound. The process may be operated at high concentration and the products may have good dispersibility in aqueous media and high optical clarity when dispersed as well as the good rheological properties which may be obtained by prior precipitation processes.

Abstract: The recovery of titanium tetrachloride from a mixed titanium tetrachloride/ferric chloride vapor, suitably as produced by the fluidized bed chlorination of an iron containing titaniferous ore such as ilmenite is by treating the vapor with excess oxygen over that required in theory to oxidize the ferric chloride content thereof while maintaining the vapor at a temperature within the range of 500.degree. C to 800.degree. C, removing the resulting ferric oxide particles from the vapor, cooling the vapor to a temperature above the boiling point of titanium tetrachloride to condense residual ferric chloride in the vapor and separating the condensed ferric chloride, and recovering the remaining titanium tetrachloride containing vapor.The residual ferric chloride, and chlorine remaining in the vapor after recovery of the titanium tetrachloride may be recycled.

Abstract: The simultaneous chlorination of the iron and titanium values in an iron containing titaniferous ore such as ilmenite is advantageously conducted to convert the iron values to ferrous chloride but the resulting gaseous effluent is difficult to process to recover the titanium tetrachloride. The iron values in the effluent are partially oxidized according to the equation3FeCl.sub.2 + 3/4O.sub.2 .fwdarw. 1/2Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 + 2FeCl.sub.3thereby reducing the vapor partial pressure of the ferrous chloride while maintaining the presence of some ferrous chloride to scavenge any chlorine emitted from the chlorination stage. The residual gaseous iron chlorides are condensed and chlorine-free titanium tetrachloride may be recovered from the remaining gases. If chlorine-free titanium tetrachloride is not required the mixture of gases resulting from the partial oxidation are reduced in temperature of from 500.degree. C to 800.degree.

Abstract: Metal ions may be scavenged from solution by means of a complexing agent comprising an inorganic substrate, such as a clay mineral, with covalent organic molecules, such as onium compounds, chemically bonded to the substrate, the covalent organic molecules containing free coordinating groups. The complexing agents are particularly useful in scavenging environmentally harmful metal ions such as mercury from industrial effluents.

Abstract: Low bulk density alumina consisting essentially of pseudoboehmite can be produced by forming aqueous solutions of sodium aluminate and aluminium sulphate having concentrations within defined ranges, controlling the rate of introduction of the sodium aluminate solution into a body of the aluminium sulphate solution and agitation of the mixture such that a substantial proportion of hydrous alumina precipitates under acidic conditions, controlling the temperature of the mixture, and controlling the length of time of alkaline ageing. The hydrous alumina is then filtered, preferably water washed, and then dried. The low bulk density alumina is useful as a catalyst base, particularly for hydrodesulphurization catalysts.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of preparing zeolite Y of high degree of purity and having a silica to alumina molar ratio of from greater than 3 up to about 6.2 which comprises preparing an aluminosilicate reaction mixture having oxide molar ratios of SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, Na.sub.2 O/SiO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O/Na.sub.2 O lying within specified ranges, at least part of the siliceous component of the reaction mixture being a particular hydrated sodium metasilicate and then heating the reaction mixture until zeolite Y crystallizes from the reaction mixture, the particular hydrated sodium metasilicate being defined by its ability to form substantially pure zeolite X under specified conditions.

Abstract: A polymeric composition comprising main chains, side chains attached thereto and crosslinking units between side chains. The main chains comprise a copolymer of two or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers at least one of which contains hydroxyl groups, the side chains comprise lactone chains attached to said hydroxyl groups and the crosslinking units comprise amino resins. The copolymers may be prepared and subsequently modified or the side chain may be attached to an ethylenically unsaturated monomer and the modified copolymer prepared directly by polymerization with other unsaturated monomers. The modified copolymers are crosslinked and cured with an amino resin.

Abstract: A method of preparing an o-phenyl phenol from a cyclohexanone which comprises the steps of forming an o-cyclohexenyl cyclohexanone from the cyclohexanone by condensing the cyclo-hexanone in the presence of an inherently sulphur-free condensation catalyst, and then dehydrogenating the resulting o-cyclohexenyl cyclohexanone by contacting the o-cyclohexenyl cyclohexanone with a dehydrogenation catalyst in the presence of sufficient sulphur in the form of elemental sulphur or an organo-sulphur compound to improve the selectivity of the dehydrogenation catalyst with respect to the formation of o-phenyl phenol.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions for treating cellulosic materials, and in particular for sizing paper or waterproofing textiles with a reactive agent. The reactive agent is a cyclic imide substituted by an aliphatic hydrophobic group and N-substituted by an electron-withdrawing group. Preferably, the composition contains a non-aromatic cyclic imide N-substituted by a long chain acyl group, e.g. N-stearoyl-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide. Aqueous emulsions of the imides preferably contain a retention aid such as acrylamides and may be used particularly suitably to size aqueous paper pulp even under mildly alkaline conditions.

Abstract: Hydrous magnesium silicates having a crystal structure similar to that of natural hectorite may be prepared utilising as starting material a novel intermediate which may be prepared from talc. The novel intermediate, "mesotalc" is the product obtained by heating a mixture of talc and sodium carbonate so as to modify the talc structure while controlling the heating to avoid destroying it.The "mesotalc" may be utilised in the production of hydrous magnesium silicates by forming an aqueous suspension containing the constituents of the hydrous magnesium silicate at least a part of the magnesium and silicon content being provided by "mesotalc" and hydrothermally treating the suspension until crystal growth occurs. The resulting crystalline product generally has rheological properties better than those of natural hectorite and may be used as a basis for organophilic derivatives.

Abstract: In the oxidation of .alpha., .beta.-diols to .alpha., .beta.-diones with oxygen, the use of a catalyst comprising at least one metal selected from Cu, Ag and Au and at least one element selected from Ge, Sn, Pb, N, P, As, Sb, Bi. In the oxidation of ethylene glycol to glyoxal with oxygen, condensing ethylene glycol from the products from the reactor and thereafter lowering the temperature to condense the glyoxal. A purification process for glyoxal uses a weakly basic anion exchange resin.

Abstract: A .delta.- or .epsilon.- lactone is heated in the vapour phase and the presence of a cracking catalyst to form a monounsaturated acyclic carboxylic acid. For example .epsilon.-caprolactone gives .delta. - .epsilon. hexenoic acid. This acid is then cyclised by heating with a strong protonating agent. In the example the product is .gamma.-caprolactone or 4-hexanolactone.

Abstract: A feed material containing the group --O--(CR.sub.2).sub.n --CO-- in a macrocyclic ring or acylic chain is heated to between 300.degree.C and 500.degree.C in the absence of a catalyst to give a mono-unsaturated acyclic carboxylic acid. For example polymeric .epsilon.-caprolactone gives .delta.-.epsilon. hexenoic acid. This acid is then cyclised by heating with a strong protonating agent. In the example the product is .gamma.-caprolactone or 4-hexanolactone.