Abstract: A process for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants comprises feeding gaseous reactants into a slurry bed of solid particles suspended in a liquid; allowing the reactants to react as they pass upwardly through the slurry bed, thereby to form liquid and, optionally, gaseous products; and separating liquid product from the solid particles by passing, in a filtration zone within the slurry bed, liquid product through a filtration medium in a first direction, so that a cake of the solid particles forms on the filtration medium. The passage of liquid product through the filtering medium is interrupted. The filtering medium is then backflushed by passing a flushing fluid through the filtering medium in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, for at least portions of the periods that the liquid product passage is interrupted, thereby to dislodge the cake from the filtering medium.

Abstract: A process for producing liquid and, optionally, gaseous products from gaseous reactants comprises feeding gaseous reactants into a slurry bed of solid particles suspended in a liquid; allowing the reactants to react as they pass upwardly through the slurry bed, thereby to form liquid and, optionally, gaseous products; and separating liquid product from the solid particles by passing, in a filtration zone within the slurry bed, liquid product through a filtration medium in a first direction, so that a cake of the solid particles forms on the filtration medium. The passage of liquid product through the filtering medium is interrupted. The filtering medium is then backflushed by passing a flushing fluid through the filtering medium in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, for at least portions of the periods that the liquid product passage is interrupted, thereby to dislodge the cake from the filtering medium.

Abstract: A porous prilled product, particularly ammonium nitrate, and its method of preparation, which includes encapsulated microspheres, particularly polymer microballoons, which serve to reduce the density of the product.The invention also extends to an explosives composition particularly ANFO and heavy ANFO, including such ammonium nitrate of reduced density.

Abstract: A PIBSA based emulsion explosive including an ester of orthophosphoric acid, preferably made from long chain alcohols having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms. The explosive may be gassed chemically or mechanically and can be used in the manufacture of heavy ANFO.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for the solvent-extraction of .beta.-carotene from an aqueous algal biomass suspension, whereby a vegetable oil which is immiscible with water is mixed with an aqueous biomass suspension, the biomass containing the .beta.-carotene, to form a mixture of the organic phase and the aqueous suspension, whereby the .beta.-carotene is caused to dissolve in the organic phase. This is followed by separation of the organic phase from the aqueous phase by passing the organic phase containing the dissolved .beta.-carotene through a semi-permeable membrane to effect microfiltration or ultrafiltration of the organic phase. The membrane is of a material which is hydrophobic and the organic phase is passed through the membrane with a pressure drop across the membrane which is lower than that which causes the aqueous phase to pass through the membrane.