Abstract: A catalyst for oxidizing SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 and containing V.sub.2 O.sub.5 and alkali sulfate in a molar ratio below 1 is produced by impregnating prefabricated support bodies with a solution of the active substances in sulfuric acid and the impregnated support bodies are dried and moved at the same time.

Abstract: The rotary hearth furnace plant for heating granular high-carbon solids comprises an approximately funnel-shaped hearth, which rotates on a vertical axis and has a central outlet, which is disposed over a rotary table, on which the heated solids are moved by means of blades to an exit. The outlet of the rotary hearth furnace is disposed over the radially outer portion of the rotary table, which has a raised rim and a centrally disposed exit. A gastight hood is disposed between the rim of the rotary table and the rotary hearth.

Abstract: Solid fuels are gasified in a fixed bed with gasifying agents passed through the fixed bed from below. The gasification residues are withdrawn as solid ash or as liquid slag under the fixed bed. The reactor is charged with solid fuels through a lock chamber and with tar through a supply conduit. The tar is delivered to the fuel in numerous individual streams, which are distributed over the cross-section of the fixed bed.In the gasifying reactor, an inclined distributor surface is disposed over the fixed bed and has numerous passage openings for the tar and the solid fuels. The outlet end of the tar supply conduit is directed to the upper portion of the distributor surface. A tar tub having outlet openings is associated with the distributor surface and serves to receive the tar. The distributor surface is rotatable on a vertical axis.

Abstract: Coarse-grained solid fuels in particle sizes of at least 2 mm are gasified under a pressure of 5 to 150 bars in a fixed bed which is slowly descending and into which the gasifying agents are introduced from below whereas the incombustible mineral constituents are withdrawn as solid ash or liquid slag from the lower end of the bed. Fine-grained solid fuels are gasified in a fluidized bed under a pressure of 1 to 100 bars. Oxygen, steam and/or carbon dioxide are used as gasifying agents for the gasification in the fixed bed and in the fluidized bed. The product gas from the fluidized-bed gasifier has a temperature of 700.degree. to 1200.degree. C. and is indirectly cooled with water. The resulting steam is fed as gasifying agent to the fixed-bed gasifier. The product gas from the fixed-bed gasifier can be indirectly cooled to produce steam and at least part of said steam is fed as gasifying agent to the fluidized-bed gasifier.

Abstract: In a process of recovering oil from oil-containing minerals on a traveling grate, hot gases are passed through the bed in a retorting zone, oil is separated from the retort gases in a separating stage, solid carbon in the retorted bed is burnt in a succeeding combustion zone by means of oxygen-containing gases passed through, gases from which the oil has been removed in the separating zone are passed through the bed in a succeeding cooling zone and the heated gases are recycled to the retorting zone.

Abstract: Gasoline hydrocarbons are produced by a catalytic conversion of methanol under a pressure of about 5 to 100 bars and at temperatures of about 250.degree. to 500.degree. C. The high-hydrocarbon product of the conversion is cooled so as to condense gasoline hydrocarbons. Tail gas is separated and then compressed and recycled to the conversion. In a heating step, liquid methanol is injected into a mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor and the liquid methanol is entirely evaporated. The resulting mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor is heated by about 10.degree. to 40.degree. C. by an indirect heat exchange with the high-hydrocarbon product. The heating step consists of the injection of liquid methanol and of the heating of the mixture of tail gas and methanol vapor and is repeated at least twice. The mixture at a temperature of about 280.degree. to 360.degree. C. is supplied to the catalytic conversion.

Abstract: Potassium chloride of at least technical grade is recovered from sylvinite or sylvinite-like starting materials (sylvite) by leaching with hot mother liquor recycled from a crystallizing stage, the residue consisting substantially of sodium chloride is separated and the solution is cooled to crystallize the potassium chloride. In order to avoid losses to potassium chloride and to reduce problems relating to equipment materials in separating water-insoluble impurities the finely ground starting materials are treated at ambient temperatures with a solution which is saturated with sodium chloride and potassium chloride, and water-soluble impurities are entrained with the solution. The solution is then separated from the water-insoluble impurities and is recycled at least in part to produce the pulp.

Abstract: In electrolytic apparatus comprising cell chambers through which is passed an electrolyte and in which sets of anode plates are provided, each of which are connected to current-feeding center pins, and the mutually staggered electrode plates protrude into the gaps between plates having the opposite polarity. To ensure a simple, quick and reliable installation and removal of the anode plates, the center pin is provided with contact straps, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the pin and serve to secure the anode plate. The contact straps are suitably spaced about 180.degree. apart and have at least one opening, which consists preferably of a tapped bore.The electrolytic apparatus is used in processes of producing alkali chlorate by the electrolytic decomposition of aqueous alkali chloride solutions.

Abstract: To provide a seal between a rotatable tubular member and a stationary housing, which surrounds the end of the tubular member, a gripping device is non-rotatably secured to the outside peripheral surface of the rotatable tubular member and a sealing element is provided, which is radially movably disposed in the gripping device and rotates with the latter and is in sealing relation to the housing. In order to ensure an effective seal regardless of axial and radial movements of the rotatable tubular member, and to provide a simple structure, which is non-susceptible, the gripping device consists of two spaced apart rings, which are secured to the outside peripheral surface of the rotatable tubular member. Each ring is provided on its inside near its outside diameter with a resilient sealing and restraining element, which protrudes from the surface of the ring. A sealing washer is gripped between the restraining elements and is radially and tangentially displaceable relative to the restraining elements.

Abstract: The apparatus serves to continuously charge coarse-grained and fine-grained solid fuels by means of a rotary distributor onto a fixed bed of fuel. The fixed bed is disposed within a reactor for gasifying the fuels. Gasifying agents comprising oxygen, steam and/or carbon dioxide are passed through the fixed bed from below. Residual matter left after the gasification is withdrawn under the fixed bed as solid ash or liquid slag. Fine-grained fuel having a mean particle size up to 5 mm are placed onto the fixed bed as helical layers separately form more coarsely grained fuel having a mean particle size above 5 mm. The more coarsely grained fuel is deposited directly on fine-grained fuel which has just been deposited.The gasifier comprises a rotary distributor that includes at least one passage for the fine-grained fuel and at least one passage for the more coarsely grained fuel. The inlet of the passage for fine-grained fuel is disposed near the center of the rotary distributor.

Abstract: In a process of decreasing the sulfur content of exhaust gases obtained during the recovery of sulfur from acid gases containing H.sub.2 S and other S-containing compounds in the Claus process, the acid gases which contain H.sub.2 S and other S-containing compounds are reacted in a Claus plant to form elemental sulfur. A gas which contains H.sub.2 S or SO.sub.2 is subsequently added at a controlled rate to maintain a stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 of H.sub.2 S to SO.sub.2 in the tail gas from the Claus plant. The gas which contains H.sub.2 S or SO.sub.2 may be added to the tail gas from the Claus plant or before the last contacting stage of a multistage Claus plant. During the addition of a gas which contains H.sub.2 S, the Claus plant can be operated at an H.sub.2 S to SO.sub.2 ratio of or below 2:1. During the addition of a gas which contains SO.sub.2 the Claus plant can be operated at an H.sub.2 S to SO.sub.2 ratio of or above 2:1. The H.sub.2 S and SO.sub.

Abstract: An improved process for the recovery of substantially anhydrous zirconium tetrafluoride from an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and zirconium fluoride is disclosed wherein the aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and zirconium fluoride is sprayed, preferably continuously, into a fluidized bed furnace having a bed comprising zirconium fluoride granules.

Abstract: A slag phase and lead phase are conducted in a counter-current to each other in an elongated horizontal reactor, in which a gas atmosphere is conducted in a counter-current to the slag phase.

Abstract: A method of and a ladle for the treatment of a cast iron melt with a substance capable of inducing the formation of spheroidal graphite utilizes an elongated generally cylindrical vessel lined with a refractory and formed at opposite ends with cylinder bottoms. The vessel can be tilted between a horizontal and upright orientation and angularly displaced about a longitudinal axis at least in its horizontal orientation. A partition in the vessel adjacent one of the cylinder bottoms defines a chamber at one end of the vessel opening within the vessel toward the opposite end thereof and disposed at an upper portion of the vessel in its horizontal orientation. A closable opening at the other end of the vessel enables a cast iron charge to be introduced into the vessel in the horizontal orientation thereof. The vessel is then tilted upwardly to effect the reaction and swung back to its horizontal orientation for deslagging before the charge is tapped by angular displacement about the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: In the treatment of bulk materials with hot gases below the melting point of the charge component it is desired to prevent a formation of undesired crusts during normal operation and when the rotary kiln is operated at a reduced speed during short-time trouble. For this purpose, a controlled dissipation of heat is effected in several sections of the rotary kiln in that the shell of the kiln and the refractory lining are cooled so that the temperature of that portion of the inside surface of the rotary kiln which is submerged below the charge is always maintained at or up to 50.degree. C. below the temperature of the charge disposed thereover.

Abstract: A process for converting high-boiling crude oil having a high content of nondistillable residue which crude oil contains metals and asphaltenes by donor solvent hydrovisbreaking is disclosed wherein the process is carried out near the carbonization temperature limit in the presence of a hydrogen donor. The hydrogen donor can be one derived from the crude itself, from a similar crude oil, or from the distillate product of said donor solvent hydrovisbreaking.

Abstract: Oil-containing materials and part of the hot burnt material which is available after the combustion of solid carbon are charged into a retorting shaft reactor and the oil-containing mineral in the mixture is heated to the retorting temperature.

Abstract: A molten bath consisting of a slag phase is maintained in an elongated horizontal reactor. The charge is fed into the reactor on one side thereof onto the molten bath in a melting zone so as to maintain an oxidation potential which causes metallic lead and slag to be formed. Reducing agent is introduced into the slag phase on the other side of the reactor in a reducing zone. To ensure that the bismuth contained in the charge is collected in the smallest possible quantity of crude lead, such an oxidation potential is maintained in the molten bath in the melting zone that the lead phase contains 0.05 to 2% by weight sulfur, the high-Bi primary lead which becomes available in that zone is separately tapped, and the low-Bi secondary lead which becomes available in the reducing zone is also separately tapped.

Abstract: In the continuous production of chlorine dioxide wherein an alkali metal chlorate solution is reacted with hydrochloric acid in a reactor through which an air stream is passed countercurrent to the alkali metal chlorate solution, and there discharged from the reactor chlorine dioxide and alkali metal chloride solution, the improvement which comprises including chlorine gas in the air stream, thereby permitting the overall efficiency of the process to be increased at a given content of chlorine dioxide in the gas discharged from the reactor.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process of producing oxyacids of chlorine or salts of such acids by an electrolysis of salt solutions which are contaminated with calcium and/or magnesium or of sea water. In such processes, deposits or crusts are formed on the electrodes in the course of time, particularly in the cells to which the sea water is supplied first. For this reason, the plant must be cleaned from time to time. By means of the invention, a formation of crusts is virtually prevented in that the electrolysis is carried out(a) in an initial phase with an electrolyte flowing at a velocity above 0.7 meter per second and up to 2.0 meters per second and(b) in a succeeding phase with an electrolyte flowing at a velocity of 0.3 meter per second to less than 0.7 meter per second,the velocity of flow being stated for electrolyte which is free from gas.