Abstract: A liquid containing a solvent to be evaporated is fed to a concentration chamber which is fluidly connected to an evaporation chamber maintained at a reduced pressure. A vapor compression means withdraws solvent vapor from the evaporation chamber, compresses the vapor and forces the compressed vapor to a liquification chamber. Regulator means responsive to the density of the liquid remaining within the concentration chamber will regulate the rate of solvent evaporation to provide a concentrate suitable for recycling.A method of operating the still of this invention utilizes the technique of increasing the compressor capacity until the compressor begins to surge and then reducing the capacity a fixed amount to provide the desired efficiency.

Abstract: Pure acetone is recovered from a crude acetone vapor fraction removed overhead from a first column separating phenol and higher boilers as a bottom fraction from a cumene hydroperoxide cleavage reaction product by partially condensing the crude acetone fraction, returning the condensed portion of the crude acetone fraction to the first column as reflux, feeding the remaining portion as a vapor to an intermediate point in a second distillation column to which there is also fed continuously at a point above the acetone feedpoint a dilute aqueous solution of an alkali, removing from the base of the second column a residue fraction comprising compounds boiling above acetone, removing from a point in the second column intermediate; between the alkali feedpoint and the top of the column as a liquid sidedraw fraction pure acetone having a permanganate time (PT) greater than 4 hours, and removing from the top of the second column as a vapor fraction acetone having a PT less than that of the sidedraw fraction, condens

Abstract: The apparatus includes a housing enclosing a boiler in the lower portion and a water-filled condenser in the upper portion with an insulated partition between them. The entry of boiler feed water is controlled by a float valve in the boiler, and steam from the boiler is conveyed through the partition and thus through a condenser coil substantially immersed in the water in the condenser.

Abstract: In one embodiment, this invention provides a process for converting a dilute aqueous filtrate byproduct stream from adipic acid manufacture into a concentrated methanolic solution which does not solidify at ambient temperatures.In another embodiment, this invention provides an improved process for the separation and recovery of byproducts associated with the isolation of C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 dicarboxylic acids contained in a waste byproduct stream derived from an adipic acid manufacturing operation involving nitric acid oxidation of a cyclohexanone/cyclohexanol feedstream in the presence of a catalyst.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing organic contaminants from an aqueous metal-cleaning solution. The apparatus includes a first conduit, or pipe, for removing portions of the contaminated aqueous solution from its tank. The solution enters an extractor which permits intimate contact between the contaminated solution and an organic solvent. A second tube, or conduit, returns the aqueous solution, purified by this contact, to the original tank. A third conduit removes the organic solvent from the extractor after its contact with the aqueous solution, by which time it will contain organic components from the aqueous solution. This solvent, with the contaminants, enters a separator, such as a still, which removes the contaminants from it. The purified organic solvent then returns to the extractor along a fourth conduit. The cleansing operation proceeds intermittently or, preferably, continuously.

Abstract: Separation of benzene from cyclohexane by distillation in the presence of selected nitriles.

Abstract: Acetone having a markedly low content of aldehydes is recovered from an aqueous rectification residue brought about by rectification of crude acetone carried out after one crude acetone having been alkali-treated or while an alkali or an aqueous solution thereof being added to the crude acetone, by mixing the aqueous rectification residue with an alkali, neutralizing the mixture to a pH of 4 to 9, and then subjecting the resulting mixture to distillation to obtain acetone as a distillate.

Abstract: A paired stage flash evaporator unit is provided with an elongated shell having respective higher temperature and lower temperature evaporation chambers extending along a bottom portion of the shell space and separated from each other by an interstage elongated partition wall. A condenser tube bundle extends longitudinally between opposite shell end walls in an upper portion of the shell space. A transverse interstage partition separates the tube bundle into separate condenser chambers. Each condenser chamber is paired with an evaporation chamber by means of shroud and other isolation structure thereby forming two paired stages in the unit.In each stage, a liquid separator mesh extends coextensively with the evaporation chamber and both condenser chambers to direct vapor from the evaporation chamber into a flow path above the mesh.

Abstract: A multi-stage evaporator is used to remove water from the extracted distillation or stripper tower bottoms recycled as quench liquid to the quench tower of an acrylonitrile purification and recovery system. This results in a significant decrease in the amount of waste quench tower bottoms produced by the system. Use of a multi-effect evaporator represents a significant energy savings as compared with other techniques for decreasing the water content of the recycle stream.

Abstract: A paired stage flash evaporator unit is provided with an elongated shell having respective higher temperature and lower temperature evaporation chambers extending along a bottom portion of the shell space and separated from each other by an interstage elongated partition wall. A condenser tube bundle extends longitudinally between opposite shell end walls in an upper portion of the shell space. A transverse interstage partition separates the tube bundle into separate condenser chambers. Each condenser chamber is paired with an evaporation chamber by means of shroud and other isolation structure thereby forming two paired stages in the unit.In each stage, a liquid separator mesh extends coextensively with the evaporation chamber and both condenser chambers to direct vapor from the evaporation chamber into a flow path above the mesh. A distillate collection tray is supported beneath the tube bundle and it is divided into stage-separated tray portions by the transverse interstage partition.

Abstract: A process for the continuous separation of methanol and water from a feed mixture containing predominantly tetrahydrofuran admixed with water, methanol and small amounts of additional compounds, in a rectifying apparatus having at last two rectifying columns, of which two are operated at different pressures which involves feeding the raw material into a first column operated under lower pressure, and introducing the distillate from the column operated under a lower pressure to a second column operated under a higher pressure, while a product stream from the second column operated under a higher pressure is reintroduced into the first column operated under a lower pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for purifying impure vaporizable liquid, e.g. heavy water, which provides for the removal of dissolved inorganic solid contaminants from such liquid to produce a high purity liquid product.

Abstract: A solar energy device comprising a body having a plurality of spaced focusing lenses to concentrate direct and reflected rays from the sun. A heat receiving member is inside of the body. One of the body and the member is expansible and contractible so that there is a relative movement between the surface of member and the focal points of the lenses, the member surface thereby being alternately in and out of coincidence with the lens focal points. The member is supported within the body and fed fluid to be heated. The heated fluid is then removed from the member. The heat receiving member or body that is expansible and contractible may be used as a prime mover.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for converting sea or other undrinkable waters to drinkable water without the use of driven or moving parts. Reliance upon gradient effects is made to effect the vaporization of, for example, sea water, followed by the condensation of the vapor to form distilled water. Gradient effects are achieved through the provision of differentials in the thermal conductivity, capillary activity, adsorptive, absorptive and/or pressure characteristics of particulate materials, or combinations of such physicals. For example, a column is packed with material graded as to its conductivity, the least thermally conductive material being nearest the cold or ambient water that is to be purified. In packing the column each successive layer of material has a greater thermal conductivity than the layer beneath it with the most conductive being at the top near the outlet arm of the column.

Abstract: A distillation/evaporation/drying apparatus wherein alcohol is removed by a dry, warm carrier gas from an alcohol-containing slurry from a fermenter. Carbon dioxide from the fermenter is used as the carrier gas and is suitably dried, warmed and recycled into contact with the slurry to assist in removing alcohol therefrom. The apparatus includes a reflux section to upgrade the alcohol content of the carrier gas.

Abstract: A solar distillation unit is disclosed capable of operating entirely off solar radiation and intended for large scale industrial use offshore. A lens focusing system housed within an enclosed shell focuses the incident radiation from the sun on a heating element. Saltwater or contaminated fresh water is ejected toward the heating element at a predetermined rate resulting in the immediate evaporation of the water. The water vapor migrates and condenses on the cooler inner surface of the shell running to the bottom where it is collected and removed as fresh water.

Abstract: A high melting, high boiling organic compound is easily and stably purified by continuously supplying the molten organic compound to a rectification zone under a subatmospheric pressure and continuously distilling off and recovering vapors from the top of the rectification zone, while continuously withdrawing bottoms containing higher boiling impurities and/or involatile impurities than the desired compound from a reboiling zone at the bottom of the rectification zone to the outside of rectification system by means of a barometric leg, without any pretreatment of removing lower boiling impurities therefrom before the rectification, and without disturbing a pressure balance in the rectification system.

Abstract: A improvement in the process for isolating and recovering meta- and para-cresols from crude cresol-containing compositions composed of cresol components, unreacted cymene components and high-boiling by-products, by distillation in a distillation zone, the characteristic features residing in that:(i) the unreacted cymene components content in the crude cresol-containing composition is adjusted to 5-25% by weight of said composition after the adjustment, and the water content of said composition is adjusted to become 0.17-1.

Abstract: A process for the substantially complete removal of acid gases and ammonia from aqueous solutions is disclosed, which comprises a two stage distillation operation wherein the pressure in the first distillation stage is substantially less than the pressure in the second stage, the ammonia concentration in this stage decreases downwardly so that an aqueous bottoms stream has a pH less than 8, this aqueous bottoms stream is treated with alkali and then distilled in the second stage. A portion of the aqueous bottoms can be vaporized by indirect heat exchange with vapors evolving from the second stage. The improvement lies in adding ammonia to the overhead vapor from the first stage to reduce corrosion of the condenser and preferably, the amount of vapor condensed is controlled to further minimize corrosion.

Abstract: A continuous autorefrigerant solvent dewaxing process is disclosed wherein a waxy oil is prediluted with a non-autorefrigerative solvent, such as ketone, preferably a mixture of MEK/MIBK, and then passed, at a temperature above its cloud point, to the top of a chilling zone, which is an autorefrigerant chilling zone operating on a continuous basis, and comprises a vertical, multi-staged tower, operating at constant pressure. In this chilling zone, wax is precipitated from the oil to form a waxy slurry and the so-formed slurry is further chilled down to the wax filtration temperature by stage-wise contact with liquid auto-refrigerating preferably propylene, which is injected into a plurality of said stages and evaporated therein so as to cool the waxy slurry at an average rate of between about 0.1.degree. to 20.degree. F. per minute with an average temperature drop across each stage of between about 2.degree. and 20.degree. F.