Abstract: A chemical analysis apparatus comprises a slide loading section for holding chemical analysis slides, a section for applying a sample material to the chemical analysis slide, and an incubator provided with housing compartments for housing the chemical analysis slides side by side in a transverse direction on the same plane. The apparatus also comprises a read-out head slideable in the transverse direction and disposed to face the chemical analysis slide housed in the housing compartment via a readout opening formed in each housing compartment, thereby emitting light to the chemical analysis slide and measuring the reflection optical density thereof.

Abstract: A continuous flow system is disclosed in which successive liquid segments are established containing different related components of a fluid package, such as an analysis mixture, separated by at least one immiscible segment, passed along a first section of a conduit, combined in a second section of the conduit and mixed while passing along a third section of the conduit, so as to provide a completely mixed segment. This system permits the delayed on-line mixing of different components of an analysis mixture, such as samples with reagents or diluents, as well as mixing and interaction of such components in a single conduit.

Abstract: A multistage process for reducing NO.sub.x in flue gas from fluid catalytic cracking catalyst regeneration. flue gas is preferably removed after each stage. A portion of NO.sub.x formed in an upstream portion of first and second regeneration stages is converted to N.sub.2, prior to discharge from the first and second stages, respectively, by operating downstream ends of the respective first and second stages at oxygen-lean conditions. The present invention also may provide staged regeneration, to reduce NO.sub.x in flue gas, by passing spent catalyst through a transport reactor in plug type flow and sequentially contacting the catalyst with a plurality of oxygen-containing streams.

Abstract: A fluid catalytic cracking unit of the type having a reactor vessel positioned directly over a regenerator vessel. A pair of catalyst wells are mounted on the lower interior portion of the regenerator vessel and are each in communication with an associated conduit. The other end of each conduit is connected to an atomizing lift pot positioned beneath the lowest level of the regenerator vessel. The atomizing lift pot is placed in fluid communication with the reactor vessel via a riser reactor which may be either internal or external to the regenerator vessel. Plug valves or slide valves may be used to control the flow of regenerated catalyst from the regenerator to the lift pot.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for the continuous preparation of dilute solutions of water soluble polymers, and especially to a closed, on-site arrangement for the continuous production of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide solutions for use in the secondary and tertiary recovery of oil from subterranean, oil-bearing reservoirs. The apparatus, in its preferred form, comprises an in-line system which includes a polymerization reactor, a hydrolysis reactor and a diluter. The dimensions of the reactors are such that the reactions taking place therein will go to completion as the reaction mixtures move from the inlet to the outlet of the reactors. Drag means advantageously are positioned in the reactors to control the flow rate of the reaction mixtures and to promote intermixing of the reactants. The diluter of the system incorporates a plurality of polymer dispersing stations which act to progressively increase the water absorbing surface area of the polymer as the polymer solution passes through each station.

Abstract: An automatic sample delivery apparatus for delivering selectively emergency samples and standard samples by interrupting the delivery of successive routine samples, including a main-turntable on which a plurality of emergency and standard sample vessel holding recesses are formed equidistantly along a first circle, a plurality of sub-turntables arranged rotatably on the main-turntable, each having a plurality of routine sample vessel holding recesses formed equidistantly along a second circle, a main-motor for rotating the main-turntable such that any one of the sub-turntables is indexed into a sample delivery position and any one of the emergency and standard sample holding recesses is indexed into a sample sucking position, and a sub-motor for rotating a sub-turntable indexed into the sample delivery position such that routine samples set on the relevant sub-turntable are indexed into the sample sucking position.

Abstract: A continuous photochemical reactor comprises a rotatable cylindrical reaction vessel provided at its one end with an inlet for reaction mixture and at the other end with an opening, a lid body for closing said opening of the reaction vessel and for discharging reaction products, a lamp mounted on the lid body and coaxially arranged in the reaction vessel, and a driving means for rotating the reaction vessel around its axis. The reaction vessel is provided at its inner wall with a spiral conveyer blade so that the inner edge of the blade is arranged close to the outer wall of the lamp. A reaction mixture is fed to the reactor through the driving shaft and irradiated by light such as ultraviolet light from the lamp while being conveyed by the spiral conveyer blade.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically measuring the grain fineness, the gypsum content and the limestone content of a cement sample.A first fraction of the sample is loaded by a vibrating hopper into a crucible resting on an automatic scale. This crucible is handled sequentially by tongs on two revolving arms carried on slidable vertical shafts. The circular paths of the arms intersect at a point just above the scale. Motions of the arms and of the tongs are controlled by a programming unit. The weighed sample is poured into a sieve and the weight of oversize grains is automatically related to the sample weight.Gypsum is measured by heating a second fraction of the sample at 1000.degree. C. plus in an oxygen stream, Fe powder being added from a fixed hopper. The crucible is raised into an induction furnace. Released SO.sub.2 is bubbled in a titration cell to which potassium iodate is gradually added by a burette giving an automatic read-out of the SO.sub.3 (gypsum) titration.

Abstract: Heat is more efficiently transferred to the catalyst tubes in a fuel cell power plant reformer by mounting sleeves about the individual catalyst tubes. The sleeves define helical hot gas flow paths on the outside of the catalyst tubes. Adjacent flow paths are separated from each other by arcuate ribs between the tubes and sleeves that provide line contact with the outer surface of the tubes for improved heat transfer. The ribs may be formed with circular rods attached to the tubes or sleeves, or by helical grooves with semi-circular configurations formed in the sleeves. Approximately fifty percent greater heat transfer can be achieved using the line contact ribs to form the hot gas flow paths. The sleeves, tubes and ribs are all made of metal.

Abstract: A device and a method for automated processing and separation of an unmeasured sample of whole blood into multiple aliquots of plasma. Capillaries are radially oriented on a rotor, with the rotor defining a sample chamber, transfer channels, overflow chamber, overflow channel, vent channel, cell chambers, and processing chambers. A sample of whole blood is placed in the sample chamber, and when the rotor is rotated, the blood moves outward through the transfer channels to the processing chambers where the blood is centrifugally separated into a solid cellular component and a liquid plasma component. When the rotor speed is decreased, the plasma component backfills the capillaries resulting in uniform aliquots of plasma which may be used for subsequent analytical procedures.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with the use of aniline derivatives of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --X radical, in which n is a whole number of from 1 to 3, X is H, OH, NH.sub.2, CH.sub.3 CONH, CH.sub.3 SO.sub.2 NH, COOH, SO.sub.3 H or --ArSO.sub.3 H, Ar being an optionally substituted arylene radical, m is a whole number of from 2 to 4, R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl radical containing up to 3 carbon atoms, OCH.sub.3, CH.sub.3 CONH, COOH or SO.sub.3 H and R.sup.4 is a hydrogen, chlorine or bromine atom or a carboxylic acid or sulphonic acid group, as coupling components in oxidative color formation reactions.The present invention also provides an agent for the analytical determination of oxidizing substances by oxidative color coupling which, as coupling component, contains at least one compound of general formula (I).

Abstract: A liquid monitoring system includes chamber structure with a monitoring region in which the liquid to be monitored is disposed, the monitoring region having two spaced wall portions and a supplemental wall portion. The system further includes a radiation source mounted adjacent one of the spaced wall portions or directing a beam of radiation along a horizontal path, and a sensor mounted adjacent the opposed wall portion for receiving radiation in a beam path. The incident radiation beam as it passes through the wall into the monitoring region is refracted at the region surface as a function of gas or liquid within the region. At a first refracting angle, the refracted beam impinges on the supplemental wall and is internally reflected, the reflected radiation passing along a reflected beam path and sensed by the detector to provide an indication of the fluid in the chamber. At a second refracting angle, the refracted beam is not reflected in a direction such that radiation from the source is sensed.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus is disclosed, which comprises guide rails for supporting a plurality of sample-containing reaction tubes in a straight row, a plunger for moving the reaction tubes supported on the guide rails in the direction of arrangement, a first rotary table for supporting a plurality of sample-containing reaction tubes along a circular line, and a motor for rotating the rotary table. Second rotary tables are disposed above the straight and circular arrangements of reaction tubes. These second rotary tables support at least two reagent distributors for distributing reagent into the reaction tubes. Each reagent distributor includes a reagent phial containing a reagent and a pump integral with the reagent phial for withdrawing the reagent in the reagent vessel. The pump has a nozzle through which the reagent is discharged. The rotary table is rotated by a motor such that the nozzle of a reagent distributor used for reagent distribution is brought to a position right above a pertinent reaction tube.

Abstract: An automatic analyzing apparatus for effecting chemical analyses for various sample liquids such as blood, urine, and the like, comprising a sample delivery pump for metering a sample liquid into a reaction cuvette, a reagent delivery pump for delivering to the reaction cuvette a given amount of a given reagent selected from a plurality of reagents contained in a reagent cassette, to form a test liquid, a feed mechanism for successively supplying reaction cuvettes along a circular reaction line, a plurality of photometering sections arranged along the reaction line for effecting a plurality of photometric and/or nephelometric and/or fluorometric measurements for each test liquid at different time instances to produce a plurality of photometric results, and circuitry for receiving the photometric results and selecting therefrom given quantitative analytical data of a given test item.

Abstract: A liquid handling system includes flow network module structure that defines a contained array of flow channels and a plurality of valves for controlling liquid flow through the flow channel array. The flow network module structure is adapted to be connected to an external source for applying a pressure differential to the flow network array to produce liquid flow within passages of the array. Also incorporated in the flow network module is chamber structure that is connected to the flow channel array and that has port structure in an outer surface of the module structure. Valve structure on the module structure is movable between a first position in which the port structure is closed and a second position in which the port structure is opened, the valve structure including actuator structure for moving a valve member between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A detection system for detecting the presence of predetermined compounds in a sample. The system comprises a sample injection means, a chromatographic column, a conversion means and one or more specific gas detectors. The conversion means transforms the column effluent to combustion products in the gas phase, after which those combustion products are transferred to the specific gas detectors. In one embodiment for detecting nitrogen compounds, the conversion means includes an oxygen-rich flame, a means to control the flame to have a temperature in the range 600.degree.-1700.degree. C., means to inject the column effluent into the flame, and an input port for transferring the flame effluent to a specific nitrogen detector.

Abstract: The concentration of unspent zinc-based hydrogen sulfide scavenger in an aqueous drilling fluid is controlled by selectively extracting the unspent scavenger in a solvent, such as glacial acetic acid, measuring the concentration of dissolved zinc, for example, with an X-ray fluorescence spectrograph, and utilizing the results of the measurements to proportion the extent of changes to be made in the concentration of the scavenger.

Abstract: An incubation apparatus containing a rack or block with openings capable of receiving containers containing reagents. The rack or block is attached to a heating element for heating containers in the block. The block is driven by a motor actuated by a timer such that at the end of a predetermined time period the block is pivoted whereby containers will fall out of the block and onto a sloping surface on the housing of the incubator. This apparatus provides for the carrying out of reactions for a predetermined amount of time without the necessity of close monitoring of the incubation by laboratory personnel.

Abstract: A method of preparing a sulfonamide-food color additive for detecting the presence of a compound such as a sulfonamide in animal feeds and pharmaceutical preparations for human or veterinary use involves admixing a minor amount of an approved food color additive with the compound in the presence of water and drying the resulting mixture to the desired form so as to incorporate the food color additive into the water of crystallization or other molecular structure of the compound. Upon being wetted, the resulting compound-food color additive produces a readily detectable color indicative of the presence of the compound. The method is particularly useful for detecting unacceptable levels of sulfonamides in animal feeds.

Abstract: Cu.sup.+ produced during the reaction of protein with alkaline Cu.sup.++ can be monitored by measuring the absorbance at 562 nm of the intense purple complex formed with the ion of bicinchoninic acid (BCA). The color produced is stable and increases in a linear fashion over a broad working range of increasing protein concentration. Since BCA is stable, it is incorporated in the reagent formulation at the start of the reaction. Thus, the method offers mechanical simplification over the method described by Lowry et al.