Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for the continuous non-oxidative thermal decomposition of heat-dissociable organic matter to a solid carbon residue, particularly activated carbon, and a mixture of gaseous products, without substantial coking or tar formation. The apparatus involve a cylindrical rotating drum in a substantially horizontal position, into which feed material is introduced at one end and products recovered at the other end. An axial temperature gradient, increasing in the direction of flow, is maintained within the drum, enabling the exercise of a high degree of control over the reaction to fully convert the feed into the desired products.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for cleaning material at the outer edge of an object by applying a fluid, which can be a solvent, for the material to a flat surface adjacent the edge by contact and moving the solvent onto the edge by centrifugal force. A slot is provided in a planar surface. The slot is filled with solvent for contact with the flat surface of the object.

Abstract: A rack-type high capacity warewashing machine is designed to cleanse and sanitize foodware in a cycle time of the order of one minute and to accomplish sanitizing by heating the foodware with fresh hot water sufficiently to kill residual bacteria thereon. The method of operation of the machine includes a final rinse period in which fresh water at a temperature of at least 180.degree. F. (82.22.degree. C.) is sprayed over the foodware to remove residual soil and to heat the foodware surfaces to at least 160.degree. F. (71.11.degree. C.), followed by a dwell period in which the wet heated foodware is maintained in a substantially closed humid atmosphere to prolong the time during which the foodware surfaces remain above bacteria killing temperature and to cause a build-up of Heat Unit Equivalents to at least 3600.

Abstract: A process for removing poly(arylene sulfide) deposits from metal surfaces is provided which comprises contacting said deposits with a halogenated cleaning agent followed by contacting the remaining deposits with a solution of a aluminum halide in an aromatic hydrocarbon. In addition, a process for the cleansing of metal parts having poly(arylene sulfide) deposits is provided which comprises contacting the parts in a manner as described immediately above, and thereafter contacting the metal parts with a lower alkyl alcohol, washing the metal part with H.sub.2 O, drying the metal part, followed by treatment of the dried part with concentrated HNO.sub.3.

Abstract: A process for the removal of poly(arylene sulfide) deposits is provided which comprises contacting said deposits with a solution comprising an alkali metal hydrosulfide in a lactam. In addition, a process for the cleaning of metal parts having poly(arylene sulfide) deposits is provided by contacting the metal parts in the manner as described immediately above, contacting the metal part with a lower alkyl alcohol, washing said metal part with water, drying said metal part, contacting the dried part with concentrated HNO.sub.3 followed by water washing and drying.

Abstract: A process for removing deposits on metal surfaces, derived from certain poly(arylene sulfide) polymers, is provided by contacting the metal surfaces with a polyamine containing compound under conditions suitable to remove said deposits on the metal surfaces.

Abstract: A method for the production of acetylene from coal and hydrogen is provided by electric arc heating. The coal has a content of volatile components (i.waf) from about 25 to 44 percent and a content of organic oxygen (i.waf) of less than 9 percent and is ground to a diameter of less than 0.5 mm. The coal is then separated into two to four grain size fractions and one of the grain size fractions is loaded on a hydrogen containing gas. The gas carrying the coal is heated by way of an electric arc with an energy of from about 5 to 20 kJ/l (in normal state). The ratio of electric power employed to coal stream is from about 4,000 to 40,000 kJ/kg coal. The coal is heated for a time duration about inversely proportional to the third root of the specific outer surface of the coal gain fraction. The resulting product gas is quenched with cold liquid hydrocarbons, with hydrogen or water. Acetylene yields of up to about 0.41 kg acetylene per kg coal can be obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus in which a downflowing high pressure stream of hot raw synthesis gas from the reaction zone of a free flow partial oxidation gas generator at a temperature in the range of about 1800.degree. to 3000.degree. F. is passed through a first gas diversion and residue separation chamber contained in a first pressure vessel where the velocity of the gas stream is reduced, solid material and molten slag are separated by gravity from the gas stream, and the direction is diverted into a thermally insulated side transfer line. The hot gas stream is then passed through a thermally insulated gas-solids impingement separation means contained in a second pressure vessel where its direction and velocity is changed and additional residue is separated. The hot gas stream is then passed upwardly through a radiant cooler where additional solid matter is removed by gravity and the gas temperature is reduced to a temperature in the range of about 900.degree. to 1800.degree. F.

Abstract: In a dry seal gasholder cylindrical storage tank with a vertically-movable piston, an improved piston leveling system includes a vertically-movable weight outside the tank and connected by equal-length cables to spaced-apart support points on the piston at different distances from the weight. An array of guide sheaves on the tank define equal-length cable paths. The cables are pivotally coupled to spaced-apart points on a coupling plate to which a pair of attachment plates on the weight are also pivotally connected. Apertures in the attachment plates and the coupling plate are disposable in registry with one another for receiving a pin therethrough when the cable attachment points are in horizontal alignment, thereby to indicate equal tension in the cables.

Abstract: Fertilizers coated with coating layer having a controlled moisture permeability and a controlled temperature dependency of moisture permeability are presented by the production method which comprises ejecting hot drying air to the spout of granular fertilizer and spraying a hot solution of polyolefin type resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer or vinylidene type resin upon said fertilizer granules and drying said fertilizer granules upon being sprayed with solution having the property capable of forming a solution while it is hot but turning into jelly-like gel when it is cooled but as a most characteristic feature of this method uniformly dispersed fine powder is incorporated in said drying air or in said solution so as to have a coated layer of said resin containing uniformly distributed fine powder.

Abstract: A relative heavy immiscible fluid is used with water or a relatively light treating fluid in a treating tank under ultrasonic vibrating conditions and objects to be treated are immersed in the treating fluid.

Abstract: Process for converting a relatively high boiling point crude oil fraction, such as a 500.degree.+F. initial boiling point topped crude to synthetic natural gas. In the process, a lower boiling point fraction of the feedstock is hydrogasified while a residual oil fraction of the feedstock is partially oxidized to produce hydrogen for use in the process. A mid-cut fraction between the gasification fraction and the partial oxidation fraction is converted in a combined steam reforming-methanation stage, along with some by-product aromatics, to produce additional synthetic natural gas products.

Abstract: Dust-laden hot product gas under pressure is admitted into a vessel suspended in a water bath. It escapes through openings in the top of the vessel and the rising bubbles are intercepted by upright tubes through which they cause a flow of water to effect a turnover of the bath. This causes the gas to become cooled, dust to be scrubbed from it and the gas also to become saturated with water vapor.

Abstract: Methane is produced from peat by solubilizing the phenolic polymers therein, and oxidizing the solute to produce short chain molecules. The short chain molecules are fermented to produce a gas that this scrubbed to remove CO.sub.2 to produce methane. Solubilizing takes place in a vertically oriented pressurized vessel that is circular in cross-section and divided into a number of regular vertically elongated compartments, each comprising a circular sector in cross-section, and extending the majority the height of the vessel. Slurried peat is fed into the top of one compartment while another compartment is being emptied from the bottom, the compartment being filled or emptied being progressively changed in response to rotation of a central shaft in the vessel. Oxidation of solubilized peat takes place in a structure that transports the solubilized peat in a substantially vertical wave path from an inlet to an outlet with oxygen being introduced at the bottoms of segments of the wave path, and CO.sub.

Abstract: A method for recovering a resin material from a spent commercial article comprises contacting the commercial article with a solution of a dialkyl ketone and tetrahydrofuran, and granulating the resin material, and recovering the resulting resin granules. The present method is useful for the recovery of synthetic resins including polyolefins, polycarbonates and vinyl polymers. The granulated resins recovered have a high purity in addition to retaining the properties and composition of the original resin material, and little or none of the solution utilized in the recovery process is lost. In the instance where the resin is being removed from a metal substrate, the surface of the substrate is undamaged and perfectly clean, and the recovery solution is free from metallic particles.

Abstract: Process for production and recovery of fuel gases and organic liquids from biomass by use of an upflow furnace, wherein said biomass is preheated at a temperature of from 100.degree. C. to 1500.degree. C. and thermally converted at a temperature of from 200.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C. in a reducing atmosphere.

Abstract: Coal hydrogenation vessel has hydrogen heating passages extending vertically through its wall and opening into its interior.

Abstract: A process and pressurized, gasification reactor apparatus for converting combustible carbon containing materials such as coal char and other carbonaceous solids or carbonaceous solids/heavy oil combinations to an intermediate heating value fuel gas. The gasification reactor includes an insulated fluidized bed reactor chamber, an upper reactor housing for a freely suspended bayonet bundle type heat exchanger for (a) superheating incoming saturated steam and (b) cooling outgoing high temperature product gas, and a lower reactor housing structure which includes a free-floating, conically-shaped perforated plenum chamber. The superheated steam and oxygen are premixed with the plenum chamber before being pressure directed into the fluidized bed reactor chamber for mixture and combustion with the incoming combustible carbon containing materials such as coal char. After reaction of the superheated steam, oxygen and coal char in the fluidized bed reactor at temperatures ranging from 900.degree. F. to 1750.degree. F.

Abstract: A process for forming charging fuel into agglomerates for the pressure gasification of coal, comprises the steps of mixing fine, granular charging fuel with a binder outside the pressure reactor, subjecting the mixture, in a pressure vessel, to the pressure prevailing in the reactor, and feeding agglomerates produced from the mixture to the fixed bed of the reactor from above. The mixture is made with a binder which hardens when heated and is kept below hardening temperature during subsequent subjection to pressure until fed to the reactor, the agglomerates being produced by hardening of the binder in the heat prevailing in the reactor above the fixed bed.

Abstract: This invention relates to fertilizer compositions containing alkylene oxide anticaking agents. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of decreasing the caking during storage in a hygroscopic salt or fertilizer which normally cakes on storage, which comprises uniformly admixing with said hygroscopic salt or fertilizer an effective amount of an anticaking agent consisting of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of adducts of from 6 to 15 mols of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide onto 1 mol of a .beta.-hydroxyalkyl-diethanolamine of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is an alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and R.sup.2 is hydrogen or alkyl of from 1 to 16 carbon atoms, the sum of the carbon atoms in R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 being from 8 to 18.