Abstract: A method of controlling the equilibrium conditions and of simultaneously producing steam under high pressure in the production of methanol by a reaction of oxides of carbon and of hydrogen-containing gases at temperatures of 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. under a pressure of 20 to 100 bars at a copper-containing catalyst, which is contained within the reactor in tubes, which are indirectly cooled by boiling water under pressure, wherein the resulting steam is withdrawn together with circulating water and is separated from the water, the water is recycled and the evaporated water is replaced by feed water. According to the invention the process is carried out in such a manner that a perforated thin intermediate bottom plate is provided in the reactor spaced 20 to 150 cm over the lower tube plate, the reactor is fed with the circulating water above that intermediate bottom and with feed water below that intermediate bottom, the gaseous reaction mixture is cooled by 20.degree. to 50.degree. C.

Abstract: Before iron oxide-containing materials is reduced in a rotary kiln by a treatment with solid carbonaceous reducing agents below the melting point of the charge, the iron oxide containing material and carbonaceous reducing agent are preheated in a multiple-hearth furnace, in which the reducing agent is subjected to an at least partial coking or an at least partial low-temperature carbonization. To prevent a partial reduction and sintering, the iron oxide-containing material is preheated in the upper part of the multiple-hearth furnace and the solid carbonaceous reducing agent is separately preheated in the lower part of the multiple-hearth furnace. At least part of the gases produced by the low-temperature carbonization in the lower part of the multiple-furnace is caused to flow in the upper part of said furnace in a countercurrent to the iron oxide-containing material to supply the heat required in said upper part.

Abstract: SO.sub.2 -containing, hot gases are catalytically converted in part in a first contacting stage. The water and the SO.sub.3 formed is removed from the reaction gas. The remaining gas is heated and then supplied to the second contacting stage. The water vapor content in the reaction gas delivered by a first contacting stage corresponds to an H.sub.2 O/SO.sub.3 mole ratio below 1. The reaction gas delivered by the first contacting stage is precooled by an indirect heat exchange to such a temperature that the wall temperatures of the heat exchanger are above the dew point temperature of the reaction gas. The precooled reaction gas entering a condensing stage is contacted in a venturi with cocurrent sulfuric acid of 98.0 to 100% concentration and a temperature of at least 95.degree. C. The exit temperature of the gas from the condensing stage is maintained at least at 120.degree. C.

Abstract: The process of removing H.sub.2 S, CO.sub.2, COS and mercaptans from gases by absorption in an absorbent solution, which is circulated between the absorbing zone and a regenerating zone and which contains at least one organic base dissolved in methanol, has been improved. In accordance with the invention, the absorbent solution contains one or more secondary or tertiary amines general formula R.sub.1 --NH--R.sub.2 or (R.sub.1).sub.2 --N--CH.sub.2 --N--(R.sub.2).sub.2, wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 means CH.sub.2 -- or --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.3 or CH.sub.3 --CH--CH.sub.3 in a total amount of at least 0.5 to 5.0 moles per liter, and the amine has or the amines have a boiling point between 40.degree. and 110.degree. C. at 1 bar. This improvement permits a selective removal of H.sub.2 S from CO.sub.2 -containing gases.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing quicklime by a calcining treatment with a hot gas in a rotary kiln, wherein solid carbonaceous fuel for producing hot gas is fed into the charging end of the rotary kiln and an oxygen-containing gas is blown through nozzle blocks into the charge disposed over nozzle blocks in the heating-up zone beginning at the point where ignitable particles of the solid fuel first appear, the improvement wherein:(a) an oxygen-containing gas is blown through nozzle blocks into the charge disposed over nozzle blocks in that region of the heating-up zone which begins with the appearance of ignitable particles of the solid fuels and which ends where the temperature in the charge does not rise further;(b) oxygen-containing gases are blown through nozzle blocks into the charge disposed over nozzle blocks in a calcining zone which succeeds said heating-up zone and at such a rate that the temperature in the charge is held constant and for as long as the temperature remains constant,(c) oxygen-c

Abstract: A method for continuously extracting uranium from ores comprises the steps of forming a slurry of ore in a leaching solution; heating the slurry while pumping it through a tube reactor at high turbulences characterized by Reynolds numbers in excess of 50,000; supplying gaseous oxygen at high pressures of at least 30 bar into the tube reactor such that the uranium is substantially completely oxidized in a soluble form but impurities in the slurry are substantially kept from becoming soluble; recovering the uranium oxide solute which is substantially free of impurities.

Abstract: A process for drying and/or calcining bulk material in a rotary kiln when hot gases are passed countercurrent to the flow of bulk material thereto, and the bulk material is dried and/or calcined in the rotary kiln is disclosed. According to the invention, the bulk material is dried and/or calcined, as it passes from the feed end of the rotary kiln to the discharge end thereof, by contacting the same with hot gases and thereafter, as the bulk material passes towards the discharge end of the rotary kiln, the bulk material is heated by indirect heat exchange with such hot gases. An apparatus for carrying out such process is also disclosed. The apparatus is a rotary kiln equipped with a centrally disposed tube, disposed axially within the rotary kiln toward the bulk material discharge end of the rotary kiln whereby an annular space is defined between the outer wall of the central tube and inner wall of the rotary kiln.

Abstract: A process of gasifying fine-grained solid fuels for the production of a product gas that contains hydrogen, carbon oxides and methane comprises a treatment with steam, oxygen and/or carbon dioxide in two interconnected gasifying stages under a pressure in the range from 2 to 150 bars and at temperatures of 500.degree. to 1500.degree. C. In the first gasifying stage, the fuel is gasified in a circulating fluidized bed by a treatment with gasifying stage. The residual solids which become available in the first gasifying stage are fed to the second gasifying stage and are virtually completely gasified therein, except for residual ash, by a treatment with a gasifying agent which includes oxygen. At least one-half of the product gas from the second gasifying stage is fed to the first gasifying stage and used as fluidizing fluid therein.

Abstract: A process for heating fine-grained solids, especially carbonaceous solids such as coke or oil shale, by a process wherein solids are heated to 500.degree. to 920.degree. C. in direct contact with hot gases in a plurality of heating stages, the last of which is a fluidized bed heating process.

Abstract: A process for the production of sulfuric acid from wet sulfur dioxide containing gases is disclosed. The sulfur dioxide containing gas is initially purified and cooled, then predried with dilute sulfuric acid, finally dried with concentrated sulfuric acid, converted to sulfur trioxide catalytically and, the sulfur trioxide is absorbed in sulfuric acid. Preliminary drying removes more water than needed to maintain the water balance in the following process steps. A portion of the dilute acid from the preliminary drying is concentrated prior to recycle to the preliminary drying step and another portion of the acid from the preliminary dryer is added to the sulfur trioxide absorber to adjust the water balance in the acid circulating between the final dryer and the sulfur trioxide absorber.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for the cooling of a gas, especially a gas containing SO.sub.2, comprises a tube bundle whose tubes, composed of lead, bridge a pair of tube sheets and can be provided with internal longitudinal ribs. According to the disclosure, the extruded cylindrical tubes are reshaped by indentations in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The indentations may be annular or staggered.

Abstract: A process of producing a town-gas-grade fuel gas having a calorific value below 18,000 kJ/standard m.sup.3 (4,300 kcal/standard m.sup.3) by a catalytic reaction of methanol and water vapor under a pressure of 10 to 50 bars is disclosed wherein 80 to 95 percent of the mixed feedstock (methanol and water vapor) is fed in a water vapor to methanol weight ratio of 0.5 to 1.5 to a first reaction zone where it is maintained at a temperature of 300.degree. to 700.degree. C. in contact with a nickel catalyst containing 25 to 50 weight percent nickel, the remainder of the mixed feedstock being mixed with the effluent gas from the first reaction zone and together passed to a second reaction zone at a temperature of 200.degree. to 400.degree. C. and therein contacted with a copper catalyst containing 40 to 70 percent by weight copper.

Abstract: A process for the concentration of dilute phosphoric acid in a phosphoric acid process characterized by a plurality of separate phosphoric acid cycles when the phosphoric acid is concentrated in each cycle by a vacuum evaporation is described wherein the phosphoric acid cycles is heated by indirect heat exchange by heat of formation formed in a sulfuric acid contact process.

Abstract: A process for regenerating a spent HF-HNO.sub.3 pickle which contains ZrF.sub.4, which comprises heating said spent pickle to above 40.degree. C., adding dissolved NaOH to said so-heated pickle, thereafter cooling said so-treated pickle to a temperature below 20.degree. C. whereby to precipitate Na.sub.2 ZrF.sub.6 and removing said Na.sub.2 ZrF.sub.6 from said so-cooled pickle whereby to regenerate the same.

Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator has a dust-collecting assembly wherein a pair of dust-collecting electrodes, usually at positive polarity, flank an array of discharge electrodes (at negative polarity) having corona-discharge parts or edges. According to the invention, the discharge electrodes have, opposite the corona-generating points or edges, broad surfaces of a large radius of curvature to serve as collecting surfaces for dust particles charged by reverse ionization. Advantageously, along the path of the gas through the assembly, the corona-discharge and collector surfaces of the discharge electrodes alternate with one another.

Abstract: A process for reducing an ore which comprises:(A) gasifying a solid carbonaceous granular fuel by contacting the same in a fixed bed with oxygen and steam at a pressure of 5 to 50 bars;(B) subjecting the gas produced from said gasification to shift conversion in order to reduce the residual carbon monoxide content to 1 to 10 percent by volume of dry gas(C) scrubbing the gaseous shift conversion gas to remove sulfur compounds and to reduce the CO.sub.2 content to no more than 3 percent by volume whereby to provide a scrubbed gas containing more than 70 percent by volume hydrogen and carbon monoxide which gas contains more than 10 percent by volume methane(D) admixing the so scrubbed gas with reduction process exhaust gas formed by reduction of ore(E) reforming the resultant mixture of gases at a pressure of 1.5-10 bars a temperature of 800.degree. to 1500.degree. C.; and(F) feeding at least a portion of such gas containing up to 3 percent by volume CO.sub.2 and 5 percent by volume methane at 700.degree.-1000.

Abstract: An apparatus for the regenerating of absorbent is disclosed wherein the apparatus comprises a regenerating column provided with mass transfer-promoting elements. The regenerating column comprises an upper regenerating zone which can be shut down and is provided with at least one shutoff valve-controlled inlet for laden absorbent and a lower second regenerating zone provided with a second shutoff valve-controlled inlet for the same laden absorbent, the volume ratio of the second regenerating zone to the upper regenerating zone being at least about 1.5:1. A process for regenerating laden absorbent is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator for operation at elevated pressures and temperatures comprises an inclined duct, usually of circular cross section, having the collector electrodes extending parallel to the axis of the duct and thus also inclined to the horizontal whereby the collected material can flow downwardly by gravity. The corona discharge electrodes, however, extend between frames spanned across the flow cross section and lying substantially in vertical planes, being tensioned by weights, advantageously via eccentric means such as levers.

Abstract: An improvement in a process of regenerating a hydrocarbon laden water miscible high boiling organic solvent obtained by scrubbing a hydrocarbon-containing gas with said water miscible high boiling organic solvent at normal temperature and super atmospheric pressure, wherein the laden solvent is regenerated by flashing, heating and/or stripping, cooled and recycled to the scrubbing step, the improvement comprising:A. adding liquid hydrocarbons to at least a part of said regenerated solvent and thereafter extracting the resultant mixture in the presence of water whereby to obtain a hydrocarbon rich phase and an aqueous phase containing said solvent;B. separating said aqueous phase from said hydrocarbon rich phase and recycling said aqueous phase to the regeneration step; andC. withdrawing said hydrocarbon rich phase.

Abstract: A process of cooling hot granular solids which are at temperatures from about 400.degree. to 1300.degree. C., which comprises maintaining solids in an agitated or trickling state in a cooling zone, causing air to rise through the cooling zone in direct contact with the solids, and utilizing at least part of the sensible heat of the solids so dissipated.