Abstract: A method for recovering sensible heat from a thermally decomposed high temperature hydrocarbon gas product in the form of high pressure steam of from 40 to 100 kg/cm.sup.2 has been discovered. This method comprises pre-cooling at first the thermally decomposed gas product of high temperature by mixing said gas product with sprayed low temperature hydrocarbon oil as a quenching oil to a temperature of about 300.degree. to 400.degree. C.; and then passing the mixture through the tubes of a shell-and-tube type heat exchanger so as to transfer the heat of said resulting mixture into a high pressure water flowing through the space of the shell side thereof to recover a high pressure steam, followed by separating the condensed hydrocarbon oil from the mixture to reuse said oil by recirculation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of preventing adhesion or caking of raw materials such as oil or coal as it is subjected to hydrogenation gasification while being heated to above 700.degree. K. as it passes downwardly through a reaction vessel. The particles of raw materials as they pass through the vessel in a temperature zone of about 600 to 700.degree. K. directly contact a medium intermittently at a temperature above 1000.degree. K. to rapidly heat the surfaces of the particles to above 700.degree. K. by direct contact with the hot medium alone, in the absence of combustion reaction, to cause the particles to become non-caking in its further downward passage through the reaction vessel.

Abstract: A process is provided for the steam reforming of normally liquid hydrocarbons to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which does not promote the deposition of carbonacious materials upon catalytic surfaces. The catalyst consists of nickel promoted with the oxides of iron and manganese within a specific manganese to iron ratio, said metal and metal oxides being supported upon a refractory support. The support is preferably aluminum oxide in its alpha phase having a surface area of more than 0.5 m.sup.2 /gm but no more than 10 m.sup.2 /gm. The metallic constituents are impregnated onto said refractory low surface area support as salts and are calcined at sufficiently high temperature to convert the salts to the oxide but at a sufficiently low temperature that they do not chemically react with the support.

Abstract: A process and plant for treating waste paper in which a beater is employed for rough-pulping the waste paper followed by a first sorting stage from which the separated-out foreign matter is processed further in a subsidiary circuit which includes a vibratory sorter for lightweight foreign matter and a hydrocyclone for heavy foreign matter, the fibers separated out during this further processing being returned again to the treatment process. In the first sorting stage, a sufficiently rigorous separation process is carried out to remove the greater part of the foreign matter, together with unpulped lumps of fibers, which is then passed to the subsidiary circuit in which it and half-stuffs still containing foreign matter, which have been sorted in the hydro-cyclone and in the vibratory sorter, are subjected together to a multi-stage further sorting and speck-removing process.

Abstract: A gasification process is disclosed using a synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor consisting essentially of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide and calcium carbonate supported in a refractory carrier matrix, the carrier having the general formula Ca.sub.5 (SiO.sub.4).sub.2 CO.sub.3. A method for producing the synthetic CO.sub.2 acceptor is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for conduct of fluidized bed reactions having an improved grate wherein at least one substantially continuous open slot sufficiently wide for passage of heavy solid particles is provided for preferential removal of heavy particles from the fluidizing chamber. The apparatus and process is particularly useful in coal gasification applications.

Abstract: Carbonaceous material is gasified in a first pyrolysis zone substantially in an absence of free oxygen by heating with a solid heating media. The carbonaceous material is conducted through the first pyrolysis zone in turbulent flow to provide for the rapid transfer of heat to effect the gasification.Gaseous products are recovered while char products are introduced into a second pyrolysis zone for additional gasification. The second pyrolysis zone is maintained substantially free of free oxygen. Gasification in the second pyrolysis zone is effected by the transfer of heat from a heating media to the char products produced in the first pyrolysis zone.Gaseous products from the second pyrolysis zone are recovered.The char products from the second pyrolysis zone can be heated to a temperature sufficient for use as a solid heating media.The gaseous product from the first pyrolysis zone, after separation from the char product, can be cooled to a lower temperature to condense a liquid product therefrom.

Abstract: A metal hydride fuel system incorporating a plurality of storage elements that may be individually replaced to provide a hydrogen fuel system for combustion engines having a capability of partial refueling is presented.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for gasifying pelletized coal to produce a low Btu gas containing large amounts of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Advantageously, the process is carried out on a circular traveling grate machine on a continuous basis. A horizontally moving, quiescent, gas-permeable bed of coal is formed by depositing at least one layer of a sized recycle charge of coal and at least one layer of fresh coal. To initiate an oxidizing reaction zone, the surface of one of the layers is ignited and the zone travels as a wave downwardly into the layer and upwardly into any superposed layer. Air and steam or air and carbon dioxide are either updrafted or downdrafted through the bed to control combustion. The coal is reduced in zones ahead of the advancing zone or zones of oxidation, and the reactions are terminated before the oxidation zone reaches both outermost surfaces of the bed to minimize the formation of carbon dioxide. Unreacted coal is separated from fine ash and is used as the recycle feed.

Abstract: In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein solid particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles by treating them with a calcium or magnesium-containing compound in the presence of water at a temperature between about 250.degree. F. and about 700.degree. F. and in the presence of an added base to establish a pH during the treatment step that is higher than would otherwise be possible without the addition of the base. During the treating process the relatively high pH facilitates the conversion of water-insoluble alkali metal compounds in the alkali metal residues into water-soluble alkali metal constituents.

Abstract: The thermal hydrogenation of solid coal without added catalyst produces hydrocarbon gases in the methane to propane range as the principal product, plus substantial yields of synthetic petroleum-like hydrocarbon liquids. The C.sub.4 -400.degree. F. naphtha liquid fraction is steam reformed to produce hydrogen, while heavier distillate liquid fractions are used as fuel to operate the steam reformer and for other process heat requirements, so that all of the hydrogen required for the coal hydrogenation reaction is produced from portions of the liquid products.

Abstract: A catalyst for production of methane-containing gases which is formed from a catalyst precursor composed of a mixed precipitate of hydroxides and/or carbonates of nickel and/or cobalt, lanthanum and/or cerium and aluminum, which is obtained by stepwise addition of solutions of alkaline substances to a solution of an aluminum salt, to a solution of a lanthanum salt and/or a cerium salt and to a nickel salt and/or a cobalt salt is disclosed.

Abstract: A process for recovery of chemicals from a sodium sulfite pulping waste liquor is disclosed in which a smelt obtained from the waste liquor is introduced into an aqueous slurry containing solidified smelt while make up water and a weak aqueous slurry are supplied to effect incomplete dissolution of the smelt into the aqueous slurry to maintain the content of total solid and the temperature of the slurry at constant levels, the resulting aqueous slurry is subjected to a solid-liquid separation to obtain a wet cake having the molar ratio of S/Na.sub.

Abstract: A process of producing a gas of high calorific value and low dust content comprising contacting coal with water vapor and free oxygen at a pressure of about 5 to 150 bars and a temperature sufficient to produce a gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, containing at least about 10 grams of dust per standard cubic meter and having a temperature of about 350.degree. to 800.degree. C., subjecting the gas to a coarse purification to reduce the solids content thereof, then scrubbing the gas at about 200.degree. to 300.degree. C. with a liquid predominantly comprising hydrocarbons and including less than about 5% of water by weight, and withdrawing a purified gas substantially free of solids and having an enhanced calorific value. In accordance with preferred features, the coarse purification stage includes at least one cyclone separator, the gas leaves the coarse purification stage at a temperature above about 350.degree. C. and is cooled by spraying with water to below 350.degree. C.

Abstract: An intermediate Btu gas is produced by reacting steam with a carbonaceous feed material in the presence of a carbon-alkali metal catalyst and substantially equilibrium quantities of added hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature between about 1000.degree. F. and about 1500.degree. F. and a pressure in excess of about 100 psia to produce an effluent or raw product gas consisting essentially of equilibrium quantities, at reaction temperature and pressure, of methane, steam, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; recovering at least a portion of the effluent or raw product gas from the gasifier as an intermediate Btu product gas; contacting a carbon-containing material with steam in a steam reforming zone under conditions such that at least a portion of the carbon-containing material reacts with the steam to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen; and passing the effluent from the reforming zone into the gasifier, thereby supplying the added hydrogen and carbon monoxide required in the gasifier.

Abstract: A poke hole closure assembly for a gas producer which minimizes the escape of noxious or volatile gas from the producer during a poking operation. The closure includes a block having an aperture therethrough which communicates with a poke hole in a gas producer. A closure plate is hinged to the block to block the aperture and pole hole during normal operating conditions, but is openable to enable a poker to be inserted therethrough to check the fire bed. An inert gas is delivered to a conical nozzle in the aparture to direct the gas into the poke hole, to thereby block the outward passage of noxious or volatile gas from the poke hole when the closure plate is opened. The flow of the inert gas is controlled by a valve which is opened to allow flow upon opening of the closure and is closed to block flow when the closure is sealed.

Abstract: A system for supplying hydrogen to an apparatus which utilizes hydrogen, contains a metal hydride hydrogen supply component and a microcavity hydrogen storage hydrogen supply component which in tandem supply hydrogen for the apparatus. The metal hydride hydrogen supply component includes a first storage tank filled with a composition which is capable of forming a metal hydride of such a nature that the hydride will release hydrogen when heated but will absorb hydrogen when cooled. This first storage tank is equipped with a heat exchanger for both adding heat to and extracting heat from the composition to regulate the absorption/deabsorption of hydrogen from the composition. The microcavity hydrogen storage hydrogen supply component includes a second tank containing the microcavity hydrogen supply. The microcavity hydrogen storage contains hydrogen held under high pressure within individual microcavities. The hydrogen is released from the microcavities by heating the cavities.

Abstract: An improved process is disclosed for the production of fuel gas such as synthetic natural gas from coal. A sized coal feed of larger particle size is gasified in a moving bed gasifier such as the British Gas/Lurgi slagging gasifier, and forms a methane rich synthesis gas containing heavy and light organics which is quenched to form a water phase containing dissolved phenolic and other compounds. The water phase is separated from the gas phase and insoluble organics and mixed with a second portion of the coal containing fine particles which are not suitable for moving bed gasification to form a slurry. This coal-phenolic water slurry is gasified in an entrained bed gasifier, for example, the Texaco partial oxidation process, and forms a methane lean synthesis gas. The phenol, ammonia and dissolved organics in the water phase are destroyed and converted to valuable product gas.

Abstract: A process, having high thermal efficiency, is provided for the production of substitute natural gas from fossil fuels such as crude oil, by non-catalytic hydrogenation. High thermal efficiency is obtained by using cryogenic systems for separating hydrogen from (a) the product of the hydrogenation reaction and (b) from products produced by partial oxidation in the production of hydrogen required for the hydrogenation reactions. Other products from the partial oxidation reaction may be used either as fuel or as feedstocks for catalytic steam reforming to produce SNG.

Abstract: Asbestos fibre is dispersed in an aqueous medium essentially comprised of water, soap and from 25 to a 100 percent molar excess of fatty acid, said excess being calculated on the amount of fatty acid combined in the soap, to form a colloidal dispersion.