Abstract: Hydrocarbons are converted by contacting them at hydrocarbon conversion conditions with an acidic multimetallic catalytic composite comprising a combination of catalytically effective amounts of a platinum group component, a cobalt component, a tin component, a phosphorus component and a halogen component with a porous carrier material. The platinum group, cobalt, tin, phosphorus and halogen components are present in the multimetallic catalyst in amounts respectively, calculated on an elemental basis, corresponding to about 0.01 to about 2 wt. % platinum group metal, about 0.05 to about 5 wt. % cobalt, about 0.01 to about 5 Wt. % tin, about 0.01 to about 5 wt. % phosphorus and about 0.1 to about 3.5 wt. % halogen. A specific example of the type of hydrocarbon conversion process disclosed is a process for the catalytic reforming of a low-octane gasoline fraction wherein the gasoline fraction and a hydrogen stream are contacted with the acidic multimetallic catalyst disclosed herein at reforming conditions.

Abstract: Support matrices are prepared by titanating the surface hydroxyl groups of refractory inorganic oxides with a titanium tetrahalide, such as TiCl.sub.4, reacting each of the remaining halogens of the surface-titanated oxide with one of the amino groups of diamine, and thereafter reacting the remaining amino group with one of the functional groups of a dialdehyde or diisocyanate. Titanating is carried out by contacting a refractory inorganic oxide with titanium tetrahalide, preferably in the absence of a solvent for the titanium tetrahalide, removing excess and unreacted titanium tetrahalide and heating the titanated inorganic oxide at a temperature of from about 80.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere of nitrogen, argon or helium, or in a vacuum. Such support matrices may be used to bind enzymes, affording effective immobilized enzyme systems.

Abstract: Mounting arrangement for a bimetallic pipe base well screen which must operate at elevated temperatures includes a pair of expandable end boss rings at the ends of a cylindrical screen member. The end boss rings overlie unperforated portions of the outer surface end portions of an internal pipe member which has perforations along a portion of its length which underlie the well screen. The screen member and the end boss rings have a greater temperature coefficient of expansion than the pipe base. At room temperature, the end boss rings have a smaller inner diameter than the outer diameter of the pipe base. The boss ring portions are heated and shrunk-fit onto the pipe base to a degree that at operational temperatures they will either expand slightly out of contact with the pipe base, or at least become substantially unstressed, thus preventing damage to the screen member while also blocking out the entry of particles.

Abstract: Compositions which will inhibit the formation of scale due to calcium carbonate precipitation in recirculating water systems will comprise a mixture of polyvinylpyrrolidone and aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid). The compositions will be present in the water system in a range of from about 2 to about 25 ppm of said system and will contain the components of the composition in a mole ratio in the range of from about 1: to about 1:10 moles of polyvinylpyrrolidone per mole of phosphonic acid.

Abstract: Titanium metal values may be recovered from a metal-bearing source containing titanium and iron by subjecting the source to an oxidation treatment and a reductive roast. After having crushed the source to a desired particle size, the reduced source is then leached by treatment with a halogen-containing compound to form soluble halides, following which the soluble titanium halide is precipitated as titanium dioxide by treatment with an iron oxide such as ferric oxide and recovered. The amount of titanium dioxide which is recovered may be optimized by utilizing a reductant such as hydrogen or carbon monoxide in an amount in the range of from about 1.5 to about 4.5 times the stoichiometric amount required to reduce the iron oxide to metallic oxide during the reductive roast.

Abstract: Thermal deactivation of amyloglucosidase is substantially retarded at elevated pressures relative to atmospheric pressure. The productivity of glucose formation from amyloglucosidase-catalyzed hydrolysis of starch or partially hydrolyzed starch is significantly increased when the hydrolysis is performed at a pressure greater than about 500 psig.

Abstract: Gas separation membranes may be prepared in a continuous manner by passing a porous support which may, if so desired, be backed by a fabric through a solution of polymethylpentene dissolved in an organic solvent such as hexane. The support member is passed through the solution while one side thereof is in contact with a roller, thereby permitting only one side of the support member to be coated with the polymer. After continuously withdrawing the support member from the bath, the solvent is allowed to evaporate and the resulting membrane is recovered.

Abstract: Filament reinforced cylindrical plastic screens having open slots defined by their surface wires which are of substantially different widths can be produced on a single helically finned mandrel. The slot widths are varied in accordance with the amount of wire-forming material placed in the generally V-shaped grooves defined by the mandrel fins. The grooves have a double relief angle so that the lower support portions of the surface wires will be formed so as to have a slightly tapered, radially elongated cross-section and the upper portions of the wires will have their sides at a substantially greater relief angle. This relationship permits a relatively small change in the total height of the wires to have a substantial effect on the width of the top portion of the wires, and thus, on the width of the slot openings which can be formed between adjacent wires.

Abstract: A support matrix comprising a porous support impregnated with a polyamine substantially all of whose nitrogens bear pendant epoxide groups can be readily used to immobilize enzymes. Because immobilization results from formation of a hydrolytically stable carbon-nitrogen single bond, the resulting immobilized enzyme system may be advantageously used where hydrolytic instability of the bound enzyme is an important consideration.

Abstract: System for automatically dispensing a liquid treatment chemical from a replaceable supply bottle into an intermittently flowing liquid stream such as a recirculating water supply for a refrigeration system. The system has a feeder chamber into which the liquid stream flows which is periodically emptied by a siphon tube when the liquid reaches a level sufficient to establish a siphon effect in the siphon tube. The rising level of liquid in the chamber also actuates, by means of a float member, the valve portion of a closure assembly on the inverted top of the supply bottle. The valve portion is fed by a capillary tube and dispenses a predetermined, very small quantity of chemical each time it is actuated. The valve portion is prevented from becoming clogged by chemical crystals during inactive periods by being mounted so that its surface will be flushed each cycle by the water which rises in the feeder chamber.

Abstract: A support matrix is described where a porous inorganic support is impregnated with an amine-bearing polymer whose backbone is polar and hydrophilic. The amino groups are cross-linked and themselves bear pendant aldehyde groups kept well away from the surface of the polymer-coated support.

Abstract: Multilayer laminates and substrates for carriers of silicon chips which are used in circuitry boards will comprise woven hybrid glass cloth formed from fiberglass and a second material which possesses a coefficient of thermal expansion of less than about 5.0.times.10.sup.-6 in/in/.degree.C. The resulting laminates will be thermally and dimensionally stable. As an example, a hybrid glass cloth may be formed in which the warp yarn of said cloth is fiberglass and the fill yarn is boron nitride. The resulting cloth may be used to form laminates which possess a coefficient of thermal expansion similar in nature to that of a chip carrier such as ceramic, thus minimizing the danger of a solder fracture.

Abstract: Step-growth polymers can be prepared by reacting a mixture of diphenylether or di(phenoxyphenyl)sulfone with biphenylene and a phthaloyl halide in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts acylating catalyst. These polymers can be cured by heating in the range 300.degree.-340.degree. C., with cross-linking occurring by reaction of formed biphenylene diradicals.

Abstract: Petroleum may be recovered from subterranean reservoirs containing oil in an enhanced oil recovery process by utilizing an aqueous surfactant slug comprising a mixture of a neutralized sulfonate salt of an alkylated gas oil, said gas oil having been obtained from the thermal cracking of coal, a lower alkyl alcohol containing from about 3 to about 6 carbon atoms and a non-ionic surfactant comprising an ethoxylated alcohol containing from about 12 to about 15 carbon atoms. The surfactant slug will provide a low interfacial tension against the oil.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for treating hydrocarbon streams for the purpose of removing mercaptans and also converting the remaining mercaptans to disulfides which remain in the hydrocarbon stream being treated. The hydrocarbons rise through a contacting column countercurrently to a descending stream of an aqueous alkaline solution. A limited amount of an oxygen-containing gas is passed into an intermediate point in the column thereby dividing it into an upper sweetening section and a lower extraction section. The flow rate of the oxygen-containing stream is preferably low enough that any gas not consumed in the catalytic oxidation of mercaptans becomes dissolved in the hydrocarbon product stream, and preferably remains dissolved at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Zerovalent Group VIII metals dispersed on titanated alumina are hydrothermally stable hydrogenation catalysts which may be used advantageously in the reduction of aqueous solutions of carbohydrates. The use of ruthenium on titanated alumina in the hydrogenation of glucose affords sorbitol in excellent yields with quite high selectivity, and with minimal leaching of either ruthenium, titanium, or alumina.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon conversion process which net high purity isobutane feed streams into two product streams containing an ether such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) by reaction with methanol or ethanol. The isobutylene, alcohol and a recycle stream containing C.sub.4 hydrocarbons, alcohol and the product ether are passed through an etherification zone. The total etherification zone effluent stream is separated in a single fractionation column. Preferably the new overhead of the fractionation column is divided into the recycle stream and a second portion which is combined with a portion of the bottoms of this column to produce a gasoline grade MTBE product stream. The remainder of the fractionation column bottoms is a second product stream of chemical grade MTBE.

Abstract: A class of N,N',N"-trisubstituted bis-(p-aminobenzyl)anilines are found to be effective antioxidants in a broad spectrum of petroleum and petroleum related products. Trialkyl, tri(arylmethyl), and tri(heteroarylmethyl) substituted materials of the parent compound are especially effective at concentrations as low as about 0.0005 percent by weight.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis module in which the semipermeable membrane comprising a microporous support reinforced on one side thereof with a backing material and the other side thereof having deposited thereon an ultra-thin film formed by cross-linking polyethyleneimine with a cross-linking agent such as isophthaloyl chloride and the backing for the membrane sandwich comprising a film of a polyethylene-terephthalate positioned between two layers of an epoxy-impregnated polyester may be utilized to concentrate or dewater aqueous solutions at elevated temperatures and pressures. The module may be used at temperatures ranging from about 50.degree. to about 95.degree. C. and pressures ranging from 400 to about 1200 psi to dewater aqueous sugar solutions, salt solutions, starch solutions, etc.

Abstract: The reactor system of this invention comprises two or more vertically spaced or stacked reaction chambers each of which contains two or more vertically positioned annular-form catalyst-retaining sections existing side-by-side, each of said catalyst-retaining sections being defined by an inner tubular-form catalyst-retaining screen coaxially disposed within a vertically positioned outer tubular-form catalyst-retaining screen. Catalyst particles are movable through the resulting annular-form catalyst sections in a dense phase via gravity flow. A reactant stream is processed serially through said reaction chambers, and contacted with catalyst within said annular-form catalyst-retaining sections in a manner to promote uniform flow of reactants across said sections. The disclosed reactor system is of particular advantage with respect to a relatively low pressure hydrocarbon conversion process.