Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing plasticized thermoplastic products, in particular flexible PVC, by means of an extruder wherein a thermoplastic processed with plasticizer to give a dry blend and a plasticizer are combined and heated to form the final product.

Abstract: A reactor for carrying out heterogeneous-phase reactions, in particular gas/liquid reactions with a continuous liquid phase and a dispersed (discontinuous) gas phase, is described, in which, in a horizontal plane, a substantially vertically upward-directed flow of the reaction medium takes place in a first region of the reactor cross-section and a substantially vertically downward-directed flow takes place in another region of the reactor having a device for dispersing the discontinuous phase such as a dispersing screen, substantially only in the regions with upward-directed flow. The reactor is here designed in such a way that free flow of the reaction medium from regions with downward-directed flow to regions with upward-directed flow is possible in the region of the dispersing device. The preferred use of the proposed reactor is the exothermic oxidation of p-xylene and monomethyl p-toluate with air in the so-called Witten DMT process.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the preparation of 1,2-dichloroethane in a reactor by the reaction of gaseous ethylene with chlorine dissolved in a hot, catalyst-containing, liquid circulating stream that is under elevated pressure and consists of chlorinated hydrocarbons. All of the chlorine is absorbed outside of the reactor, at a temperature above 90.degree. C., a pressure of more than 4 bar, and an average residence time of less than 120 seconds. The reaction takes place at the phase boundary surface of a dispersion produced from gaseous ethylene and the chlorine-containing, liquid, circulating stream, at an energy dissipation density of 0.05 to 1000 kilowatts per cubic meter, a temperature of 90.degree. to 200.degree. C., and a pressure of 7 to 20 bar. Iron(III) chloride is used preferably as catalyst. Oxygen is used preferably as inhibitor for preventing the formation of byproducts.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of making fibrids from thermoplastics synthetics and copolymers thereof by expanding by vaporization, in the presence of a gaseous propellant, a polymer solution under elevated pressure and elevated temperature in a mixing nozzle under shear inducing conditions wherein the true or apparent solution of the polymer in solvent is expanded by the use of superheated steam having an average energy density of at least 50 watt-seconds per cubic centimeter in the mixing nozzle.

Abstract: A process for mass transfer between heterogeneous systems or phases in a vertical exchange column having at least one plate, a heavier stream of matter being introduced above the plate and, a lighter stream of matter being introduced countercurrently thereto from the bottom of the plate, wherein (a) a heavier stream of matter fed from the top is deflected, above the plate, into a mixing zone in which the heavier stream undergoes vertical rotary movement and is mixed with a lighter stream of matter passing from below through a first passgeway of the plate and introduced into the mixing zone to also undergo vertical rotary movement, (b) a heavier phase, suspension, or the like fluid-like mass forming in the mixing zone during the mass transfer therein is accumulated in a zone superjacent to a second passageway of the plate; and (c) after a sufficient pressure gradient has been built up, the accumulated mass flows as another heavier stream through the second passageway into a space underneath the plate and is at