Abstract: A small-sized, low cost to manufacture and inexpensive wastewater treating biological film tank by which wastewater produced in each home can be treated by each home. A treating tank 10 has therein multi continuous-pore soft ceramic 40. Waste or raw water is supplied into the tank from its top through a waste/raw water supplying pipe 21, and pushed up by the action of air bubble forced into the tank from its bottom through an air bubble generator 30, and then flows over through cylindrical guide 50 into the multi continuous-pore soft ceramic 40 wherein the water is purified by microorganisms which digest the nutrient in the waste or raw water. Surface area of the multi continuous-pore ceramic element 40 is about 25 times larger than that of a conventional plastic element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the recovery of purified hydroxypivalyl hydroxypivalate (HPHP) from a crude, HPHP containing material containing inorganic catalyst residues and low-boiling and high-boiling (with respect to the boiling point of HPHP) impurities. The purification process employs two distillation zones, a first distillation zone wherein inorganic and high-boiling impurities are removed and a second distillation zone wherein low- and high-boiling impurities are removed.

Abstract: Tetrachloroethylene cannot be completely separated from methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, isopropanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, 1-pentanol, 2-pentanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol or t-amyl alcohol by conventional distillation or rectification because of the minimum boiling azeotropes. Tetrachloroethylene can be readily separated from these alcohols by extractive distillation. A typical effective agent is dimethylsulfoxide.

Abstract: The purification by distillation of glycidyl (meth)acrylate containing light products containing epichlorohydrin and light impurities, and heavy impurities comprises: in a first stage, a distillation of the glycidyl (meth)acrylate to be purified is conducted in the presence of a first solvent, e.g., water, capable of forming a low boiling point heteroazeotrope with the light impurities and epichlorohydrin, so as to obtain a head fraction which consists essentially of a solvent-light products heteroazeotrope; and, in a second stage, the glycidyl (meth)acrylate thus freed from the light products is subjected to a distillation in the presence of a second solvent, e.g.

Abstract: A seawater deaerator has a large reservoir through which seawater slowly flows. Gas is injected into the bottom of the reservoir through porous aeration stones forming bubble nuclei. The seed bubbles move upward through the seawater in the reservoir expanding but not coalescing, and withdrawing dissolved gas from the seawater. The deaerated seawater flows out of the reservoir and subsequently flows through spouts into a flash evaporator. Gas is withdrawn from a low pressure gas chamber at the top of the reservoir by a vacuum pump. The exhaust of the vacuum pump supplies gas to the air injectors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed wherein a standpipe mounted in an accumulator outside the operating zone of a distillation column is used in conjunction with a liquid level controller to measure condensate collected in the accumulator and to change the amount of energy provided to the distillation column in response to changes in the level of condensate collected in the accumulator.

Abstract: Distillation chamber for extracting solvent from sludge, in particular for dry-cleaning machines, having a bottom shaped like a half-cylinder with a horizontal axis. The bottom is provided, in a downward position, at one end, with an outlet for extracting dried sludge. A shaft is axially and rotatably mounted in the chamber and spatula-like sectors, suitable for stirring the sludge and for pushing it toward the outlet upon the rotation of the shaft, are fixed to the shaft itself.

Abstract: An improved process for the reversed phase chromatographic decolorization, separation, and purification of water-soluble, nonionic contrast media compounds from solutions containing nonionic compound impurities involves the steps of (a) packing a chromatographic column with a chromatographic packing material; (b) passing through the column a solution containing a water-soluble, nonionic contrast media compound and nonionic compounds as impurities at a loading ratio between approximately 10 to 1 and 1.5 to 1 wt. packing material/total wt. nonionic compounds; and (c) eluting the column to produce an eluate containing substantially pure, water-soluble, nonionic contrast media compound or MRI agent. The process can be economically practiced on a factory scale and efficiently removes non-polar impurities difficult to remove by conventional methods.

Abstract: A method and device for removing organic compounds from soil, solids, sludges and other types of contaminated materials utilizing a non-rotating contactor which can be tightly sealed from air infiltration. Binders such as cement, lime, flyash or kiln dust may be added to the soil prior to treatment so as to aid in the volatilization of the volatile organics and to immobilize the non-volatile constituents in the treated solids. The contaminated materials are fed to a chamber with a movable rake therein and are subjected to temperatures sufficiently high to violatize the organic constituents. The volatilized contaminants are purged with small amounts of air or other non-condensible gas and with superheated steam. The organic constituents can be captured in a vapor phase or they can be condensed and captured in the condensed liquid.

Abstract: Water-containing mixtures of at least one hydrocarbon/halocarbon and hydrochloric acid, e.g., the methyl chloride feedstream in conventional process for the synthesis of chloromethanes, are desiccated by intimately contacting such mixtures with an effective drying amount of an essentially anhydrous drying agent that includes (i) a metal sulfate, chloride or perchlorate, or (ii) phosphorus pentoxide.

Abstract: Glycerine cannot be easily separated from mannitol, lactose or lactitol by atmospheric or reduced pressure distillation because of their high boiling points. Glycerine can be readily separated from mannitol, lactose or lactitol by azeotropic distillation. Typical effective agents are biphenyl, benzyl benzoate and dimethyl phthalate.

Abstract: A water distiller has a housing having an open interior area and a door that can be opened and closed to permit and block access into the interior area. A steam chamber is located in the interior area. The steam chamber includes a movable tray for holding water to be distilled. The tray seats against a fixed top where steam created in the chamber by heating the water in the tray is collected. By opening the door to the distiller, the tray can be unseated and removed for cleaning. After cleaning, the tray can be returned to the distiller and reseated against the top steam collecting portion by closing the door. In a preferred arrangement, the tray includes a chamber for holding a water soluble disinfectant for release during the distillation process.

Abstract: 1,1,1-Trichloroethane cannot be completely separated from methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, 2-butanol or t-butanol by conventional distillation or rectification because of the minimum boiling azeotropes. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane can be readily separated from these alcohols by extractive distillation. A typical effective agent is dimethylsulfoxide.

Abstract: A clarifier having a flocculating well is provided with two concentric drive cages: an outer drive cage that drives flocculation blades in rotation, and an inner drive cage that drives sludge collection arms across the base of the clarifier. Each drive cage is connected to a respective annular output gear, and each output gear is driven by a respective drive gear. The output gears are stacked one above the other, and each of the drive gears is connected to a respective speed reduction unit situated above the upper of the two output gears. The drive gear for the lower output gear is connected to the respective speed reduction unit by a drive shaft which passes through the upper output gear. Each of the speed reduction units is driven by a respective motor.

Abstract: 4-Methyl-2-pentanone cannot be easily separated from acetic acid by distillation because of the closeness of their boiling points. 4-Methyl-2-pentanone can be readily removed from acetic acid by extractive distillation. Typical effective agents are dimethlsulfoxide (DMSO); DMSO and adipic acid; DMSO, adipic acid and adiponitrile.

Abstract: A process is disclosed which limits the corrosion of the materials of construction of a wet oxidation system treating wastewaters. The process is particularly useful in the wet oxidation treatment of ammonium sulfate containing wastes such as acrylonitrile wastewaters. The wastewater is mixed with an oxygen containing gas such that a substantial residual oxygen gas concentration is maintained from before the stream-gas mixture is heated for wet oxidation until after the oxidized stream-gas mixture is cooled and separated. Preferably, in the treatment of acrylonitrile waste water the shutdown procedure comprises cooling said waste stream by introducing an aqueous liquid substantially free of organic impurities and containing a basic material.

Abstract: Glycerine cannot be easily separated from sorbitol by atmospheric or reduced pressure distillation because of their high boiling points. Glycerine can be readily separated from sorbitol by azeotropic distillation. Typical effective agents are biphenyl, benzyl benzoate and dimethyl phthalate.

Abstract: Metal ions are removed from solution by complexing with an immobilized polyethyleneimine, formed by first bonding a silane-propyl bridge to a substrate particle of silica or silicate, larger than 200 mesh. Then, polyethyleneimine is covalently bonded by a nitrogen to the bridge. Due to the spacing established by the bridge between the polyethyleneimine and substrate, the polyethyleneimine maintains high ion complexation capacity.

Abstract: A small-sized, low cost to manufacture and use wastewater treating biological film tank by which wastewater produced in a single home can be treated in each home. A treating tank has arranged therein multi continuous-pore soft ceramic biological film elements. Waste or raw water is supplied into the tank through a waste/raw water supply pipe arranged in the top of the tank, pushed up through a cylindrical guide by the action of air bubbles forced into the tank through an air bubble generator arranged in the bottom of the tank, and then forced to flow over the cylindrical guide into and through the multi continuous-pore soft ceramic biological film elements wherein the water is purified by microorganisms which digest the nutrients in the waste or raw water. The surface area of each multi continuous-pore ceramic biological film element is about 25 times larger than the surface area of a conventional plastic biological film element.

Abstract: 3-Methyl-2-butanone cannot be separated from formic acid by distillation because of the presence of the maximum boiling azeotrope. 3-Methyl-2-butanone can be readily removed from formic acid by extractive distillation using dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Typical effective agents are: DMSO and heptanoic acid; DMSO, octanoic acid and butyl benzoate.