Abstract: A casting wheel cooling apparatus and method for rapid quenching of molten metal is provided. The cooling apparatus provides a multiplicity of axial conduits around the periphery of the wheel, close to the chill surface. In operation, molten metal deposits on the chill surface of the rapidly rotating casting wheel. The molten metal cools and solidifies, transferring heat to the casting wheel. By flowing coolant, preferably water, through the conduits at a sufficient rate, the heat transfer is generally radial. The molten metal cools uniformly across its width and the resulting metallic strip has substantially uniform properties.

Abstract: An improved process of distilling a cyclohexanone-rich overhead stream in a first still from a feed mixture comprising cyclohexanone, phenol and cyclohexanol of the type wherein a cyclohexanone-rich stream is withdrawn as a part of an overheads condensate from the first still and a phenol-rich stream is withdrawn as a part of a reboiled bottom stream from the first still. The improvement includes withdrawing a side stream substantially free of phenol from above the point where the feed mixture is fed to the first column and separating the side stream in a second still into a second cyclohexanone-rich overhead stream and a bottom stream containing cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol. The second cyclohexanone-rich stream may be returned to the first still.

Abstract: In the halogenation under reflux conditions of an unhalogenated aldehyde of the formula ##STR1## with Cl.sub.2, Br.sub.2 or I.sub.2, the aldehyde and halogen are continuously fed into a reactor at a molar ratio of halogen to unhalogenated aldehyde between about 0.8:1 and about 1.1:1 and water is continuously fed into the unhalogenated reactor at a rate of between about 1% and about 20% by weight of aldehyde. The product .alpha.-haloaldehyde is thiohydrocarbylated and then oximated to form a 2-hydrocarbylthioaldoxime of the formula ##STR2## with improved yield and quality because of the improved yield and quality of unhalogenated .alpha.-haloaldehyde. An exemplary process includes the chlorination of isobutyraldehyde (IBA) to form .alpha.-chloroisobutyraldehyde (CIBA), the thiomethylation of CIBA to form 2-methyl-2 methylthio-propionaldehyde (MTIBA) and the oximation of MTIBA to form 2-methylthio-propionaldehyde oxime (aldicarb oxime or ADO).