Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical service switching device, in particular a circuit breaker, motor circuit breaker or the like, having a housing which has two housing halves and connecting means for electrical connection to busbars and/or power lines, having at least one electrical switching contact on which an arc is struck in an initial arcing chamber on disconnection of the electrical contact, with an arc quenching unit being provided adjacent to this, in order to quench the arc. An AC blowout device which comprises two iron plates adjacent to the initial chamber area in the lateral direction and guides the arc into the arc quenching device by magnetic interaction during AC operation, is provided. The housing wall has an opening in the area of the iron plates, through which a permanent magnet can be inserted in order to create an AC/DC blowout device, which guides the arc into the arc quenching device in both AC and DC operation, when the housing is assembled.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical service switching device, in particular a circuit breaker, motor circuit breaker or the like, having a housing which has two housing halves and connecting means for electrical connection to busbars and/or power lines, having at least one electrical switching contact on which an arc is struck in an initial arcing chamber on disconnection of the electrical contact, with an arc quenching unit being provided adjacent to this, in order to quench the arc. An AC blowout device which comprises two iron plates adjacent to the initial chamber area in the lateral direction and guides the arc into the arc quenching device by magnetic interaction during AC operation, is provided. The housing wall has an opening in the area of the iron plates, through which a permanent magnet can be inserted in order to create an AC/DC blowout device, which guides the arc into the arc quenching device in both AC and DC operation, when the housing is assembled.

Abstract: A process for preparing .alpha.-tocopherol or .alpha.-tocopheryl acetate by reacting 2,3,5-trimethylhydroquinone with isophytol or phytol in the presence of a zinc halide condensation catalyst and a proton donor in a solvent with or without subsequent esterification with acetic anhydride, which comprisesA. carrying out the reaction in a nonpolar solvent which is only slightly water-miscible, if at all andB. introducing the required zinc halide into the reaction in the form of a mixture of from 1 to 4 mol of water per mol of zinc halide.The possibility of introducing the zinc halide required in the process according to the invention in the form of a mixture of zinc halide and water which can be readily handled and metered at from 50 to 200.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for preparing polyenecarbonyl compounds having a high all-E content and their acetals or ketals by aldol condensation or Horner-Emmons reaction comprises carrying out the reaction, for the purposes of the preferred formation of a double bond of E configuration and in order to maintain the E configuration of the double bonds in the stating compounds as completely as possible, in the presence of oxygen or an oxygen-inert gas mixture or nitric oxide or a nitric oxide-inert gas mixture and/or in the presence of specific stable radicals and/or in the presence of quinones or quinone derivatives.

Abstract: A process of preparing symmetric C.sub.40 -carotenoids by reacting a C.sub.15 -triphenylphosphonium salt of the formula ##STR1## and a 2,5-bis(1,1-dialkoxy-2-propyl)-2,5-dihydrofuran to form a reaction product containing a diacetyl and a triphenylphosphonium salt, adding a strong base to the reaction product to convert the triphenylphosphonium salt to a carbenium ion, hydrolyzing the diacetyl to a dialdehyde, subjecting the dialdehyde and the carbenium ion to a Wittig reaction to prepare a Wittig reaction product, and converting the Wittig reaction product to the C.sub.40 -carotenoid by acid treatment.

Abstract: 2,5-bis(1,1-dialkoxy-2-propyl)-2,5-dihydrofurans of the formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can be identical or different and can be alkyl of 1 to 4 carbons, the preparation thereof by reaction of 2,5-dialkoxy-2,5-dihydrofurans of the formula II ##STR2## In the presence of protic acids or Lewis acids with an alkyl propenyl ether of the formula III ##STR3## and the use thereof for preparing 2,7-dimethyl-2,4,6-octatrienedial and symmetric C.sub.40 -carotenoids such as .beta.-carotene, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin, are described.

Abstract: 1,1-Dialkoxy-2-methyl-4,4-diacyloxy-2-butenes having the general structure: ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 represents alkyl substituents having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or both R.sub.1 substituents together represent a single ethylene or propylene substituent, or a single C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 alkyl substituent, and R.sub.2 represents alkyl substituents having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or cycloalkyl substituent having from 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or aromatic substituents (preferably phenyl substituents). These new compounds are useful as building blocks in the synthesis of terpenes and carotenoids.

Abstract: 4-Monoacetals of (E)-2-methylbut-2-ene-1,4-dial of the general formula I ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of 5 to 7 carbon atoms or benzyl, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together form an ethylene or propylene radical which may furthermore be substituted by lower alkyl, are prepared by a process in which a compound of the general formula II ##STR2## where either R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are both one of the groups ##STR3## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 have the above meanings, or R.sup.3 is one of the groups ##STR4## and R.sup.4 is formyl ##STR5## is reacted, at from 20.degree. to 200.degree. C., in the presence of an acidic compound, with the compound of the formula IIIR.sup.5 --OH (III)where R.sup.5 is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 12 carbon atoms or hydroxyalkyl of 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and, where R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each ##STR6## R.sup.5 is alkyl, and where R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each ##STR7## R.sup.5 is hydrogen, and where R.sup.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of .beta.-carotene micellar solutions, wherein a non-ionic emulsifier which is suitable for the preparation of micellar solutions is heated at from 160.degree. to 180.degree. C. and a total of from 20 to 30% by weight, based on the emulsifier, of .beta.-carotene is introduced in the presence of a conventional antioxidant, the hot homogeneous mixture is cooled rapidly to below 100.degree. C. by adding water, and the formulation is brought to the desired concentration of from 3 to 6% by weight by adding further water, and the .beta.-carotene micellar solutions obtained by this process. The non-ionic emulsifiers used in this process have an HLB value of from 12 to 16, and are in particular oxyethylated triglycerides of fatty acids of 12 to 18 carbon atoms containing 20-60 oxyethylene units. Parenteral admininstration of the stable .beta.-carotene micellar solutions according to the invention to cattle relieves the disturbed estrus cycle and impaired fertility caused by .beta.

Abstract: A process for treating residues which result from the Wittig synthesis of olefins and which consist principally of methanol, triphenylphosphine oxide, salts and organic by-products, by steam-stripping the volatile constituents, with partial condensation of the steam, and separating the resulting aqueous-organic mixture at 80.degree.-100.degree. C. into a saline aqueous phase and an organic phase containing principally triphenylphosphine oxide. Using this process provides a simple method of freeing, from triphenylphosphine oxide and other organic impurities, the effluent from syntheses which result in the formation of triphenylphosphine oxide, and thereby on the one hand substantially facilitates the purification of the effluent and on the other hand provides a simple method of recovering the triphenylphosphine oxide.

Abstract: In the manufacture of tocopherol (vitamin E) by reaction of isophytol with trimethylhydroquinone in the presence of zinc chloride and acid in a hydrocarbon solvent one of the starting compounds, isophytol, is pretreated with small amounts of ammonia or an amine.Tocopherol is obtained in higher yield and purity.

Abstract: Aqueous solutions of polyenyltriarylphosphonium salts are prepared from solutions of the corresponding polyenyltriarylphosphonium salts in organic solvents by driving off the solvent with steam, part of the steam being allowed to condense. Some of the said triarylphosphonium salts may be used directly as pesticides while others are used as intermediates for organic syntheses, especially in the carotinoid field.

Abstract: Symmetrical carotenoids are manufactured from the molecular halves thereof by a process wherein phosphonium salts of the molecular halves of these symmetrical carotenoids are oxidized electrochemically in a solvent and in the presence of a base, causing the molecular halves to dimerize, with elimination of substituted phosphine oxide.

Abstract: An electrical resistor and method of making same comprising an elongated resistor element having end sections and a resistance material extending therebetween, and a connecting part which is pressed onto at least one end section of the resistor for being bonded with the resistor element, the connecting part comprising a terminal lug having a first end section extending along and contacting an end of the resistor element and a second terminal end, and a cap received over and securing together the first end section of the terminal lug and its contacted end of the resistor element.

Abstract: Symmetrical carotenoids are prepared from the half-molecules by dimerizing the phosphonium salts of the half-molecules with peroxides, peroxo compounds or peroxy compounds in an alkaline medium.