Abstract: For a separation into a purified fraction and a polluant concentrate, contaminated soils are ground in a drum to which loose pieces acting like grinding elements have been added and with a net energy input of 4 to 16 kWh per 1000 kg throughput. The speed is 50 to 90% of the critical speed ##EQU1## The suspension discharged from the drum is separated by sieving into a relatively coarse fraction and a relatively fine fraction. The relatively coarse fraction is discharged as a purified fraction and the relatively fine fraction is desludged. The separated sludge is dewatered and is subsequently delivered as a polluant concentrate. The desludged remainder of the finer fraction is dewatered and is subsequently delivered as purified soil.

Abstract: In a process of manufacturing diaphragms, a layer of a difficulty flowable metal powder is applied to a support, a wire net is rolled onto the powder layer and the latter is compacted at the same time and the metal powder is fired at 800.degree. to 1500.degree. C. in an oxidizing atmosphere. In order to impart to the diaphragms a constant thickness, strength and density, the metal powder is uniformly distributed and applied as regards its bulk volume to the support and the powder layer is moved under a distributing roller rotating opposite to the direction in which the powder is fed.

Abstract: Waste substance such as incineration ash is mixed with cullet and alkaline earth salt to form a mixed batch which is added to a glass melt heated solely by electrodes, producing an exhaust gas which is introduced into the batch thereby cooling the gas to produce condensation products. The alkaline earth salt reacts with alkali in the gas and the condensation products to produce a gall layer of alkali salts and alkaline earth salts which serve as a melt accelerator and are readily removed when accumulated. According to a further step the gas is purified by separating dust therefrom and introducing it into the batch as a slurry.

Abstract: A liquid mixture is separated by pervaporation in an apparatus formed by a unitary stack of upright rectangular plates, diaphragms, and seals held together by tie rods. Each of the plates is formed with two upper and two lower corners formed with respective holes and each plate is formed inward of the respective holes with a corrugated central portion and the holes of the plates are aligned horizontally. Each diaphragm is sandwiched between two plates to form a cell having a pair of compartments separated by the respective diaphragm. The seals are arranged in the upstream region of the stack such that the liquid mixture enters one of the lower holes, passes downstream along the upstream portion into one of the compartments of each cell, and its lighter fraction passes as vapor through the diaphragms into the other compartments of these cells while its heavier fraction passes back upstream and exits the apparatus from one of the upper holes.

Abstract: A feed gas which contains H.sub.2 S is combusted with oxygen and air in at least one burner, which opens into a combustion chamber. The resulting gas mixture contains H.sub.2 S and SO.sub.2 and is intended to be converted to elementary sulfur by the Claus process. The combustion chamber is supplied with oxygen through a central tube of the burner, with the H.sub.2 S-containing feed gas through a second tube, which coaxially surrounds the central tube, and with air through a coaxial outer tube. The feed gas supplied to the burner contains H.sub.2 S and at least 5% by volume hydrocarbons or CO.sub.2. Velocities of flow of oxygen of 50 to 250 m/sec. and of the H.sub.2 S-containing feed gas of 10 to 30 m/sec. are adjusted at the outlet of the burner. Temperatures in the range from 2000.degree. to 3000.degree. C. are generated in the core zone of the burner flame. A gas mixture which contains at least 2% by volume CO and at least 8% by volume H.sub.2 and is at temperatures from 1350.degree. to 1650.degree. C.

Abstract: The deodorizing apparatus is used to treat organic liquids, such as edible oils or edible fats, in that they are stripped with water vapor under subatmospheric pressure and at temperature from about 130.degree. to 260.degree. C. The liquid to be treated is passed through one or more treating levels and is agitated therein by rising water vapor. At least one of the treating levels contains numerous conical circulating ducts, which can be flown through in an upward direction and are provided with a water vapor inlet in their lower portion, which is narrower in cross-section. The cone angle of the circulating duct measured against the vertical may vary from 5.degree. to 20.degree. C.

Abstract: In flue gases or other humid exhaust gases which are relatively cold and contain SO.sub.2, NO.sub.2 and other gaseous pollutants, the SO.sub.2 content is oxidized to SO.sub.3 and the NO content is reduced by a catalytic treatment, the SO.sub.3 content is condensed as sulfuric acid and other gaseous pollutants are removed by being scrubbed with aqueous liquids at low temperatures. In order to heat up the flue gas to the temperature required for the catalysis, the flue gas is heated up in a first heating-up stage by an indirect heat exchange with the catalytically treated gas before the catalytic treatment, the heated-up gas is heated up further in a second heating-up stage to the temperature required for the catalytic treatment, the catalytically treated gas which has been cooled in the first heating-up stage is cooled further in an indirect heat exchanger below the dew point temperature of sulfuric acid and is subsequently fed to an SO.sub.3 condenser.

Abstract: An emulsion-forming composition for forming an emulsion for use in a process for selectively recovering germanium or arsenic from an aqueous solution thereof by liquid membrane technology is disclosed, said composition consisting essentially of: a solvent mixture consisting essentially of specified amounts of a hydrocarbon which is a predominantly straight-chain saturated C.sub.16 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbon or kerosine, a mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (pref. xylene), and a halogenated C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 hydrocarbon (pref. CCl.sub.4); and more than 0.1% by weight of an oil-soluble polyisobutylene-succinic anhydride/polyamine condensation product.

Abstract: A process for separating special steel components from lump shredder scrap includes first removing the ferromagnetic content from the shredder scrap and thereafter dividing the shredder scrap into a normal size fraction and an undersize fraction. The undersize fraction is then treated by separating the special steel content from the undersize fraction by a magnetic drum having a field strength above 0.2 tesla.

Abstract: A voltage supply for an electric filter is disclosed. The supply comprises a high-voltage rectifier, a pulsed voltage circuit including a resonant circuit and a parallel circuit of a thyristor and a diode which controls resonance in the resonant circuit. The thyristor is fired to trigger the resonant circuit and generate an oscillation which is delivered to the filter as a pulsed voltage. In order to prevent damage to the thyristor, it is fired whenever the duration of the current flowing through the diode is shorter than the thyristor recovery time.

Abstract: A safe having a wall comprising spaced steel plates, a sheathing layer between the plates consisting of hard non-metallic grains of e.g., boron carbide, silicon carbide, boron nitride, diamonds, ceramic oxides and hard metallic grains of e.g., cast iron, metal carbides, nitrides, borides, and silicides, said grains being bound together and to said plates by a hard solder mass having a copper or nickel base. The sheathing layer contains 30-70% by volume of said non-metallic grains (having a grain size of 5 to 20 mm) and metallic grains (having a grain size of 1 to 6 mm) and from 70% to 30% of said hard solder. The ratio of said non-metallic to said metallic grains is 2-4 parts to 1 part by volume. A method for making the sheathing layer is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process of catalytically reducing NO contained in a gas which contains SO.sub.2. The NO is reduced with NH.sub.3, which is admixed to the gas which contains SO.sub.2 and NO. The mixture is supplied to the catalyst at a rate of 0.2 to 20 standard liters per minute and per gram of catalyst and is reacted with the latter in a fluidized bed at a temperature between 185.degree. and 500.degree. C. and under normal pressure. The catalyst has a particle size between 0.1 and 3 mm and is composed of an acid support and an active component, which consists of V.sub.2 O.sub.5, MnO.sub.2, CuO, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, NiO and/or Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and has been applied to the support in a quantity of 0.5 to 20% by weight. It is proposed that part of the catalyst is removed from the fluidized bed and is regenerated and returned to the fluidized bed.

Abstract: A gas which contains CO.sub.2 and at least one of the valuable gases methane, hydrogen or carbon monoxide is purified by means of an absorbent solution in a scrubbing zone under a pressure of at least 5 bars. The laden absorbent solution has absorbed CO.sub.2 and at least one of the valuable gases by physical dissolution. For a recovery of the valuable gas or gases, the laden absorbent solution is pressure-relieved to an intermediate pressure in the stripping zone and is stripped in the stripping zone with a gas which predominantly consists of CO.sub.2. A gas mixture which contains a valuable gas is withdrawn from the stripping zone. The absorbent solution is pressure-relieved further in a succeeding pressure-relief zone, from which a flashed-off gas consisting predominantly of CO.sub.2 is withdrawn.

Abstract: Two absorbent solution streams which come from different gas-scrubbing zones and have absorbed carbon dioxide and at least one of the valuable gases carbon monoxide, hydrogen or methane by physical dissolution under pressures from 10 to 100 bars are treated for a recovery of the valuable gases. For that purpose the first absorbent solution stream is pressure-relieved into a first pressure-relief zone with a pressure reduction by at least 5 bars so that a high-CO.sub.2 gas is flashed off. The second absorbent solution stream is partly pressure-relieved into a second pressure-relief zone, which contains exchange-promoting elements. The flashed-off gas from the first pressure relief zone is passed upwardly through the second pressure relief zone in a countercurrent to the second absorbent solution stream. A gas mixture containing CO.sub.2 and at least one valuable gas is withdrawn at the top of the second pressure relief zone.

Abstract: In order to scrub a waste gas, for example, of foreign matter by means of an electrostatic filter, a power supply is provided which contains a converter whose output feeds the primary winding of a high-voltage transformer. The secondary winding is connected to the electrostatic filter via a high-voltage rectifier. Disposed in the intermediate circuit of the converter is a control element for the intermediate circuit current. This shields the supply network against the effects of the power converter commutations and of short-circuits in the filter to a great extent. A limiter for the filter voltage and a temporary separation of the transformer from the inverter in case of filter short-circuits may be provided to reduce the stress on the components which can be made small if a high-frequency working cycle for the setter and the inverter is used.

Abstract: A process for extracting germanium and/or arsenic from an aqueous solution is described. In order to increase the yield and to perform a highly specific separating process, the liquid membrane technology is employed, in which the starting solution is adjusted by means of hydrochloric acid to a concentration in excess of 6 and up to 10 moles HCl/1, a polyisobutylenesuccinic anhydride/polyamine condensation product is used as a surfactant in the organic outer phase of the liquid membrane emulsion is adjusted to a pH value from 0 to 14 while a supply of chlorine ions is precluded.

Abstract: A mechanical disintegration is effected in which substantially only the metal sheath of the small batteries is torn apart. The crushed material is roasted at 500.degree. to 1000.degree. C. in a state of motion in an oxidizing atmosphere and the volatilized mercury is recovered from the exhaust gas. The roasted material is separated by sieving and magnetic separation into an iron-containing scrap fraction, a brass-containing scrap fraction and a collectable fraction, which contains manganese, zinc and silver.

Abstract: Gasification is performed under pressures in the range from 5 bars to 150 bars with oxygen, steam and/or carbon dioxide as gasifying agents. Pellets are fed to the top of a fixed bed in the gasification reactor. The gasifying agents are introduced into the fixed bed from below. Mineral constituents are withdrawn as solid ash or liquid slag from the lower end of the fixed bed. The pellets are made from fine-grained hard coal which has a particle size below 1 mm and contains 3 to 10 wt. % of fines having particle sizes not in excess of 2 micrometers and 70 to 80 wt. % of particles not in excess of a fraction not in excess of 63 micrometers. The fine-grained hard coal is mixed with bentonite to obtain a mixture which contains 1 to 8 wt. % bentonite. With an addition of water, the mixture is shaped to form pellets which contain 15 to 25 wt. % water. The pellets are fed in an undried, moist, plastically deformable state to the top of the fixed bed.

Abstract: A spray absorber in which a rotary sprayer is centrally disposed adjacent to the top is provided with a cover cap which is adapted to be raised and is laterally pivotally movable and adapted to close the shaft opening for the rotary sprayer when the latter must be replaced without an interruption of the gas flow.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for burning cattle dung at a temperature of from 500.degree. to 780.degree. C., preferably from 650.degree. to 780.degree. C., in the presence of one or more aluminum-containing substances selected from the class consisting of bauxite, kaolin and aluminum compound-containing ash from furnaces for firing solid fuels. A major part of the alkalies contained in the cattle dung and a substantial part of the chlorine are retained in combined form in the resulting furnace ash.