Abstract: Transparent, monolithic metal oxide aerogels of varying densities are produced using a method in which a metal alkoxide solution and a catalyst solution are prepared separately and reacted. The resulting hydrolyzed-condensed colloidal solution is gelled, and the wet gel is contained within a sealed, but gas permeable, containment vessel during supercritical extraction of the solvent. The containment vessel is enclosed within an aqueous atmosphere that is above the supercritical temperature and pressure of the solvent of the metal alkoxide solution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for contacting a gas and a liquid such as may be utilized in removing sulfur from gas streams, using a liquid redox process, are provided, which prevent or avoid buildup of elemental sulfur in the process equipment by introducing the hydrogen sulfide contaminated gas through a plurality of gas inlets tangentially distributed within the inner wall of the reaction vessel containing a liquid redox scrubbing solution.

Abstract: This invention is directed to an improved process for conversion of H.sub.2 S to sulfur, using MOST(Mobil Offgas Sulfur Treatment) catalyst or sorbent. The sorbent is typically a magnesium-aluminate spinel, with oxidation promoters such as ceria and vanadia. H.sub.2 S from the feed gas is used to regenerate sulfated sorbent, simultaneously producing elemental sulfur which is then condensed out. The improvement involves recycling a portion of the effluent from a downstream burner to mix with the feed to the sorbent. Thus some of the stoichiometric oxygen required for conversion of H.sub.2 S to S is supplied in the form of SO.sub.2 by this pre-combustion step, instead of coming totally from the oxidized/sulfated solid sorbent. This can decrease the amount of sorbent required, as well as the frequency of regenerations, thus reducing process cost. The hot recycle gas also helps to heat the feed stream.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for sulfiding hydrocarbon conversion catalysts, e.g., hydrotreating catalysts comprising at least one metal sulfide and passivating said sulfided catalyst. The catalysts which may be treated by the method of the present invention comprise an alumina or an silica-alumina support e.g., a zeolite, and at least one Group VI metal sulfide and/or at least one Group VIII metal sulfide. In particular, the present invention provides a process for continuously activating a fresh or regenerated catalyst comprising at least one Group VI or Group VIII metal oxide supported on a particulate refractory oxide support material by converting substantially all of said Group VI or Group VIII metal oxide to the corresponding metal sulfide and passivating the resulting activated catalyst.

Abstract: The present method is to produce an active material powder formed of a spinel oxide containing lithium or a layer-structured oxide containing lithium for a lithium secondary battery which is uniform in composition, fine in particle size and free of oxygen defects, and which is unlikely to cause capacity deterioration resulted from repetitive charge/discharge cycles at a high current density.A suspension 1 prepared by suspending an ingredient of the active material powder in a combustible liquid or an emulsion prepared by emulsifying a solution of the ingredient in the combustible liquid is sprayed in a droplet state 15 together with an oxygenic gas 2. The combustible liquid contained in the droplet 15 is burned to have the ingredient therein reacted and to evaporate the solvent. As a result, active material powder 4 formed of the spinel oxide containing lithium is obtained.

Abstract: The invention is a process which provides a high purity lithiated manganese oxide (Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-y O.sub.4) from chemically made MnO.sub.2. The lithiated manganese oxide has an especially effective utility for use as a cathodic material in rechargeable batteries. The process of the invention includes blending a lithium compound with a chemically made manganese dioxide to form a manganese dioxide/lithium compound blend. The lithium compound in the blend is at least about one mole of lithium for every mole of manganese dioxide. The manganese dioxide and lithium compound in the blend are reacted to provide an ion replaced product where lithium ions have replaced sodium and potassium ions in the MnO.sub.2 to form an ion replaced product. Thereafter, the ion replaced product is heated or calcined to provide the lithiated manganese oxide.

Abstract: A process for forming useful sodium salts by uniquely processing dilute mine brines obtained by solution mining of a sodium bicarbonate containing ore deposit with an aqueous solvent is disclosed. The dilute mine brine is reduced in sodium bicarbonate content to prevent precipitation of the sodium bicarbonate in subsequent crystallization of sodium carbonate decahydrate. The reduced mine brine is directed to a crystallizer operated to form pure sodium carbonate decahydrate crystals and a carbonate/bicarbonate containing mother liquor in which the bicarbonate content is less than 4.5% by weight. The mother liquor is then steam stripped to convert a portion of the dissolved sodium bicarbonate in the mother liquor to sodium carbonate to form a carbonate enriched brine. The carbonate enriched brine is then recycled as a portion of said aqueous solvent to be used in the solution mining of the ore deposit.

Abstract: A process is provided for the destruction of nitrogen oxides in sulfuric acid by adding a reducing agent, such as hydrazine, sulfamic acid or urea, and an oxidizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide or persulfates, into the nitrogen oxides contaminated sulfuric acid. The nitrogen oxides contaminated sulfuric acid is treated at a temperature between 15.degree. C. and 100.degree. C.

Abstract: A catalytic material for removing nitrogen oxides comprises a complex oxide as main phase. The complex oxide has a spinel structure and contains metallic elements of Al, Ga, and Zn. The mole fraction x (%) of Zn on oxide basis is greater than 0 and less than 50. Nitrogen-oxides-containing gas and a reductant such as methane or propylene are brought into contact with the catalytic material so as to remove, through reduction, nitrogen oxides from the nitrogen-oxides-containing gas. The catalytic material can be used to remove nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gas from an automobile or the like. The catalytic material can remove nitrogen oxides even in exhaust gas of a high oxygen concentration and requires no toxic reductant such as ammonia.

Abstract: A process is provided for continuously decomposing ozone in the presence of water or water vapor by contacting the ozone containing gas with a zeolite, such as mordenite, dealuminized mordenite, zeolite Y or zeolite 13 X, at a temperature at which water or water vapor is not sorbed by the zeolite, such as 128 to 175.degree. C.

Abstract: In a process and apparatus for treating a gas containing hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide, the gas is contacted with an organic solvent (1)for example, a polyalkylene glycol, containing a catalyst for example, an alkaline salt of a week organic acid, in at least one gas-liquid reactor contactor (2) and a gas (20) substantially no longer containing hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide is recovered. The effluent contains sulphur vapor. It is cooled by mixing with a solvent-water mixture (14) or by cooled solvent in a cooling zone (7) to produce a suspension of sulphur crystals in the solvent. The crystallised sulphur is separated from the solvent in a separation zone (30) and the cooled solvent is recycled (13). An effluent (17) which is free of sulphur gas is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of selectively oxidizing hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur, in which a H.sub.2 S-containing gas mixture contacts with an oxygen-containing gas at about 50-400.degree. C. in the presence of an mixed-oxide catalyst. The reaction product mixture contains substantially no sulfur dioxide. The mixed-oxide catalyst, in addition to iron (III) and molybdate (VI) components, further contains a antimony component as a promoter.

Abstract: A wet-type flue gas desulfurization method and plant making use of a solid desulfurizing agent in which exhaust gas exhausted from a combustion apparatus such as a boiler is brought into contact with absorbing liquid to absorb sulfur oxide from the exhaust gas into the absorbing liquid followed by neutralization of the absorbing liquid containing the sulfur oxide thus absorbed. The solid desulfurizing agent is selectively retained in an absorbing liquid neutralizing zone and the absorbing liquid, containing water as a main constituent and solid products formed from the absorbed sulfur oxide, is selectively removed from the neutralizing zone. In the neutralizing zone the upward flow of the absorbing liquid, optionally augmented by an upward flow of air or water, forms a fluidized bed of limestone particles, thereby preventing coating of the limestone by gypsum and thereby retaining reactivity of limestone.

Abstract: The invention comprises a process for air separation using oxygen-selective sorbents with enhanced selectivity, loading capacities and oxygen uptake rates have a transition element complex in solid form supported on a high surface substrate. The transition element complex is substantially uniformly spaced, and includes a transition element ion accessible to an oxygen-containing gas stream during use in the separation of oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas mixture such as air.

Abstract: The method for treating ignitable cutting swarf in accordance with the present invention involves collecting cutting swarf in a casting mold underwater and injecting a binder mixture comprising vinyl ester styrene into the vessel to fill void volume; and form a mixture comprising swarf and vinyl ester styrene; and curing the mixture. The method is especially useful for stabilizing the ignitable characteristics of radioactive zirconium cutting swarf, and can be used to solidify zirconium swarf, or other ignitable finely divided material, underwater. The process could also be performed out of water with other particulate wastes.

Abstract: A method of forming lithium manganese oxide spinel, comprising the steps of combining predetermined amounts of lithium carbonate powder and manganese dioxide powder, the powders having predetermined surface areas; mixing the lithium carbonate and manganese dioxide for about 0.5 hours to about 2.0 hours in a manner so as to thoroughly mix the powders, but not to significantly increase the surface area of the powders; increasing the temperature of the mixture from approximately room temperature to a calcining temperature between about 700.degree. C. to about 900.degree. C.; maintaining the calcining temperature of the mixture between about 700.degree. C. to about 900.degree. C. for about 7 hours to about 13 hours; reducing the temperature of the mixture from the calcining temperature to about 500.degree. C. at a cooling rate between about 10.degree. C./hour to about 120.degree. C./hour; and cooling the mixture from 500.degree. C. to room temperature.

Abstract: Amorphous precipitated silica which may be used to form battery separators of very low specific resistance is characterized by (a) a CTAB surface area in the range of from 140 to 185 m.sup.2 /g; (b) a DBP oil absorption in the range of from 210 to 310 cm.sup.3 /100 g; (c) a mean ultimate particle size in the range of from 10 to 18 nm; (d) a total intruded volume in the range of from 2.6 to 4 cm.sup.3 /g; and (e) an intruded volume in the range of from 0.9 to 2 cm.sup.3 /g for pores having diameters in the range of from 20 to 100 nm.

Abstract: A fluidized bed chromatographic process for the purification and binding of molecules in a liquid to an active substance covalently bound to chromatographic adsorbent particles. The adsorbent particles are formed of a porous composite material having pores allowing access to the interior thereof and consisting of at least two density controlling particles of low or high density, or both, and a matrix formed by consolidating at least one conglomerating agent. The density controlling particles are dispersed in the matrix. The adsorbent particles have a relative density with respect to the liquid which is less than 0.95 and greater than 1.1, and they have a particle size within the range of 50-750 .mu.m. The relative density and particle size range of the adsorbent particles are selected to provide desired floatation/sedimentation properties of the adsorbent particles in the liquid in the fluidized bed process.

Abstract: A novel injector/reactor apparatus and an efficient process for the partial oxidation of light hydrocarbon gases, such as methane, to convert such gases to useful synthesis gas for recovery and/or subsequent hydrocarbon synthesis. Sources comprising a light hydrocarbon gas, such as methane, and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas, preheated and pressurized, are injected through an injector means at high velocity into admixture with each other in the desired relative proportions, at a plurality of mixing nozzles which are open to the partial oxidation zone of a reactor and are uniformly-spaced over the face of the injector means, to form a reactant gaseous premix having a pressure at least 3% lower than the lowest upstream pressure of either of the streams of the individual gases. The gaseous premix is injected in a time period which is less than its autoignition time, preferably less than 9 milliseconds, at a velocity between about 25 to 1000 feet/second, into the partial oxidation zone of the reactor.

Abstract: A description is given of a process for producing weakly agglomerated, densified and/or crystallized nanosize particles which is characterized in that either(a) a suspension containing amorphous or partially crystalline nanosize particles is produced in a conventional manner from precursors for the nanosize particles, where the nanosize particles are produced in a solvent which has no solvent capability, or only a low solvent capability, for the particles and in the presence of at least one surface-blocking substance, or(b) an already formed powder comprising amorphous or partially crystalline nanosize particles is suspended in the solvent specified under (a) in the presence of the surface-blocking substance or substances specified under (a), or(c) a sol containing amorphous or partially crystalline nanosize particles is suspended in the solvent specified under (a) in the presence of the surface-blocking substance or substances specified under (a); andthe suspension thus produced is subjected to conditions wh