Abstract: Gas cylinders are filled with mixtures of gases comprising a minor component, which is to be present in the mixture at a concentration of 10% or less of the total volume of the cylinder, and a major component, which is to be present at a concentration greater than about 10% of the total volume, by charging the lighter component into a chamber of given volume to a pressure and at a temperature such that the volume provides the desired fraction of minor component in the gas mixture, and then flushing the minor component into the cylinder using major component gas as the flushing agent. The pressure at which the minor component volume is to be measured is preferably at or near the final pressure of the filled gas cylinder.

Abstract: High purity carbon monoxide is separated from a gas stream containing carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen and possibly other impurities by a two-stage pressure swing adsorption process carried out in a series of adsorption vessels containing adsorbent which adsorbs carbon monoxide more readily than other components of the gas stream. The first adsorption vessel in the series is cocurrently purged with nonadsorbed product stream from the second vessel and the purge effluent from the first stage adsorption vessels is reintroduced into the first adsorption vessels as feed gas.

Abstract: A method of separating air in a liquid nitrogen assist plant in which oxygen rich waste stream produced by the plant is used to partially pressurize adsorbent beds in a pre-purification unit operating in accordance with a pressure swing adsorption cycle.

Abstract: An sensor for sensing buoyancy force within a liquid mixture stored within a storage tank and an interlock employing the sensor to prevent a respirable cryogenic mixture from being dispensed from the storage tank with an unsafe oxygen content. The sensor has a float adapted to be submerged in the liquid mixture, thereby to exert a buoyancy force referable to the density. The buoyancy force is sensed by a load cell connected to an elongated base element cantilevered from the outlet by a bracket. The mounting of such sensor ensures that the buoyancy force and therefore, the density of the liquid as dispensed will be measured as opposed to liquid density at some other location of the tank. Such sensor can serve in an interlock in which a controller responsive to the load cell and a temperature sensor, also located within the outlet, controls a valve to close the outlet when the mixture has an unsafe oxygen level.

Abstract: An air separation plant having prefabricated heat exchanger and distillation column sections. The heat exchanger can be used in air expansion, waste expansion and product expansion plants by simply connecting the appropriate piping to the heat exchanger. The air separation unit is built up of standardized sections preferably utilizing structured packing. Simplified liquid distributors and supports are used in order to distribute liquid to the packing and to support the packing within the column, respectfully.

Abstract: A process for the removal of a high percentage of NOx and SOx from the gaseous effluent of a metal pickling operation comprising passing the effluent through an aqueous scrubber, treating the gaseous effluent from the scrubber with ozone, passing the effluent from the ozone treatment through a second aqueous scrubber thereby removing at least 80 vol % of the NOx and SOx present in the original effluent. The scrubbing solutions in both of the scrubbers preferably have a pH of from 7 to 14, more preferably 10 to 14. The scrubbing solutions in both scrubbers are caustic solutions containing sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide. The NOx and SOx in the scrubbers are converted into nitrate salts and sulfate salts, which are removed from the scrubbers.

Abstract: Substantially all of the carbon dioxide is removed from a gas containing up to about 1% by volume carbon dioxide by subjecting the gas to a pressure swing adsorption process using as the adsorbent a single layer of zeolite having a silicon to aluminum atomic ratio in the range of 1.5 to 70. The process is particularly suitable for removing substantially all carbon dioxide and water vapor contained in air prior to subjecting the air to cryogenic distillation.

Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen gas by reacting steam with a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen to produce a hydrogen-enriched product gas and subjecting the product gas to pressure swing adsorption to produce a high purity hydrogen product and a hydrogen-depleted waste gas is improved by drying, where necessary, part of the gas mixture and subjecting the dry gas mixture to pressure swing adsorption using a carbon monoxide-selective adsorbent to produce a high purity carbon monoxide product gas and a carbon monoxide-depleted waste gas. Where the gas mixture is produced by endothermic reaction, one or both of the hydrogen-depleted waste gas and the carbon monoxide-depleted waste gas can be used as fuel to supply heat for the endothermic reaction.

Abstract: White liquor produced from black liquor is partially or completed oxidized. The white liquor contains dregs that are utilized as a carbon based catalyst. Dregs are produced by separating the dregs from green liquor an intermediate product between the black liquor and the oxidized white liquor. After formation of the oxidized white liquor, the dregs are separated therefrom to form a waste dreg stream which can be recycled so that part of the dregs present within the dregs containing white liquor stream to be oxidized is contributed by the waste dreg stream.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for controlling microorganisms on a surface in a hatchery. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for controlling microorganisms on the surface of eggs. The present invention is further directed to a method for reducing the level of pathogen infection in a poultry flock.

Abstract: A method of operating a lower pressure of column of a double distillation column unit. In accordance with the method an ascending vapor phase is initiated within a lower pressure column by vaporizing a descending liquid phase at a column location situated between mass transfer elements and a sump region of the lower pressure column. The liquid phase is vaporized within two or more down-flow reboilers fed with the liquid phase so that the unboiled liquid from one of the down-flow reboilers is fed to another of the down-flow reboilers, thereby to cause vaporization to be distributed between the down-flow reboilers. The down-flow reboilers are configured such that sufficient vaporization occurs to produce a predetermined liquid-vapor ratio at the column location between the transfer elements and the sump without the requirement of recirculating sump liquid to prevent dry out.

Abstract: A burner construction having a body portion fabricated from a base material and coating material covering the base material. The base material is formed of copper or copper alloy having a conductivity of no less than about 100 watts/meter/.degree. C. Alternatively the base material can be silver. The coating material comprises nickel or nickel based alloy which can be an autocatalytic plating.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing buoyancy force within a liquid mixture stored within a storage tank and an interlock employing the sensor to prevent a respirable cryogenic mixture from being dispensed from the storage tank with an unsafe oxygen content. The sensor has a float adapted to be submerged in the liquid mixture, thereby to exert a buoyancy force referable to the density. The buoyancy force is sensed by a load cell connected to an elongated base element cantilevered from the outlet by a bracket. The mounting of such sensor ensures that the buoyancy force and therefore, the density of the liquid as dispensed will be measured as opposed to liquid density at some other location of the tank. Such sensor can serve in an interlock in which a controller responsive to the load cell and a temperature sensor, also located within the outlet, controls a valve to close the outlet when the mixture has an unsafe oxygen level.

Abstract: Supplying gases towards the web as it separates from the drum in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system reduces the sticking of the web to the drum, and thus prevents power supply dropouts. The gas supplied can form into a plasma that helps dissipate the static charge which builds onto the web as it rolls off of the drum. By reducing the arcing and power supply dropouts, the quality of the deposited layer formed in a deposition zone can be improved.

Abstract: A liquid distributor tray for a distillation column for distributing a descending liquid phase to be contacted with an ascending vapor phase within the distillation column. A tray is provided for collecting the descending liquid phase and has rows of apertures for downward passage of the descending liquid phase. Rows of vapor risers are located between the rows of apertures for a passage of the ascending vapor phase, and an upward direction through the tray. Rows of elongated liquid collectors are located above the rows of vapor risers and between the rows of apertures for collecting all or part of the descending liquid phase before the descending liquid phase reaches the tray. Rows of elongated liquid collectors provided with slots or openings are provided for collecting and then redistributing the descending liquid phase caught in the liquid collectors over a central region of the tray. Such redistribution prevents replication of maldistribution throughout the column.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating nitrogen within a single column nitrogen generator in which refrigeration is added by waste expansion. Part of the incoming air stream after having been partially cooled is turbo-expanded to increase the refrigeration supplied, thereby to allow the removal of the liquid nitrogen product.

Abstract: Zeolites in particulate form that are uniformly exchanged with both lithium ions and trivalent cations are produced by first partially ion-exchanging the zeolite in powdered form with one or more selected trivalent ions, then agglomerating and calcining the partially trivalent cation-exchanged zeolite, then ion-exchanging the calcined agglomerate with lithium ions, and finally activating the trivalent cation- and lithium ion-exchanged zeolite.

Abstract: An activated alumina adsorbent used in a PSA air prepurification process for removal of carbon dioxide from the air is thermally regenerated when the carbon dioxide content remaining in the adsorbent following an adsorbent regeneration step of the PSA process reaches a certain level.

Abstract: Food grade carbon dioxide is produced from oxyfuel fired glassmaking furnace waste gas by a series of steps including quenching the waste gas with aqueous quench liquid, dry-filtering sulfur salt from the gas, scrubbing the filtered gas with aqueous carbonate to convert the remaining sulfur dioxide to an aqueous sulfite suspension and using the suspension as part or all of the above-mentioned aqueous quench liquid, contacting the sulfur dioxide-free waste gas with ammonia in the presence of a catalyst that selectively converts nitrogen oxides to nitrogen, thereby removing substantially all nitrogen oxides from the waste gas, and distilling the resulting waste gas stream thereby producing high purity liquid carbon dioxide and producing an off-gas, which is recycled to the furnace as fuel.

Abstract: Zeolites exchanged with lithium ions and, optionally, with polyvalent cations are prepared by ion-exchanging a sodium-containing zeolite, a potassium-containing zeolite or a sodium- and potassium-containing zeolite with ammonium ions, thereby replacing the sodium and/or potassium ions with ammonium ions, and then reacting the ammonium ion-exchanged zeolite with a water-soluble lithium compound under conditions which result in the removal of ammonia from the reaction zone. Polyvalent ions, which may be present in the zeolite undergoing ion-exchange, will not be substantially replaced by the ammonium or lithium ions.