Abstract: Methods for liberating organic carbonaceous products from mineral matrices such as oil shale and the products liberated by the present methods inter alia, the invention in a preferred embodiment subjects oil shale to resonance disintegration including inter alia rapid pressure and directional changes to essentially instantaneously vary forces acting thereon. Oil shale processed by non-impact processing according to the invention liberates kerogen from the mineral matrix to permit subsequent conversion to shale oil or other utilization.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of disintegrating or reducing the particle size of elemental materials, such as various forms of carbon, and organic crystals that contain minerals and that do not contain minerals. The method include the steps of entraining the material in a gas flow through an inlet of a housing, subjecting the flowing material to a plurality of alternating pressure increases and decreases within the housing, disintegrating the flowing material with the pressure increases and decreases, thereby reducing the mean particle size of the material, and discharging the disintegrated material though an outlet of the housing.

Abstract: A stable aqueous suspension of water-soluble polyacrylamide particles is in a saturated solution of an ammonium salt. The polyacrylamide particles are characterized by a particle size of about ?150 mesh, and preferably ?270 mesh, with ?400 mesh most preferred. The suspension is at least about 2.5% by weight polyacrylamide. When the ammonium salt is ammonium sulfate, PAM concentrations as high as about 15% by weight can be achieved while still being easily flowable. The suspension is made by stirring the small particle PAM into the saturated ammonium salt solution. The PAM can be quickly dissolved to form a less concentrated PAM solution by adding the suspension to water or to a dilute solution, which can include calcium salts or other soil enhancers.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of disintegrating or reducing the particle size of elemental materials, such as various forms of carbon, and organic crystals that contain minerals and that do not contain minerals. The method include the steps of entraining the material in a gas flow through an inlet of a housing, subjecting the flowing material to a plurality of alternating pressure increases and decreases within the housing, disintegrating the flowing material with the pressure increases and decreases, thereby reducing the mean particle size of the material, and discharging the disintegrated material though an outlet of the housing.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of disintegrating or reducing the particle size of elemental materials, such as various forms of carbon, and organic crystals that contain minerals and that do not contain minerals. The method include the steps of entraining the material in a gas flow through an inlet of a housing, subjecting the flowing material to a plurality of alternating pressure increases and decreases within the housing, disintegrating the flowing material with the pressure increases and decreases, thereby reducing the mean particle size of the material, and discharging the disintegrated material though an outlet of the housing.

Abstract: A method of producing an aqueous solution of water-soluble polyacrylamide (PAM) with a concentration of at least about 5 grams per liter includes the steps of providing a monovalent or divalent cation salt solution, and preferably a calcium salt solution, and adding water-soluble PAM particles to the salt solution such that the PAM particles are essentially all dissolved within about 10 seconds. The PAM particles are characterized by a particle size that is about −100 mesh and consisting essentially of molecules having a molecular weight of at least about 15 million a.u. Preferably, the small PAM particles are produced by a mill that produces bulk quantities of small dry, flowable PAM particles from larger commercial grade particles. Small PAM particles produced in such a mill are essentially all soluble in plain water within about 10 seconds. After solution, the polymer concentrate can be diluted with water to make stock solutions of the polymer for some purposes.

Abstract: A method of producing an aqueous solution of water-soluble polyacrylamide (PAM) with a concentration of at least about 5 grams per liter includes the steps of providing a monovalent or divalent cation salt solution, and preferably a calcium salt solution, and adding water-soluble PAM particles to the salt solution such that the PAM particles are essentially all dissolved within about 10 seconds. The PAM particles are characterized by a particle size that is about −100 mesh and consisting essentially of molecules having a molecular weight of at least about 15 million a.u. Preferably, the small PAM particles are produced by a mill that produces bulk quantities of small dry, flowable PAM particles from larger commercial grade particles. Small PAM particles produced in such a mill are essentially all soluble in plain water within about 10 seconds. After solution, the polymer concentrate can be diluted with water to make stock solutions of the polymer for some purposes.

Abstract: A system for strategy management within an organization. The system includes a shared strategic plan, and a first processing device controllable by a user having a user identification. The first processing device includes a first communications module operable to communicate the user identification, to communicate a request to receive at least a portion of the shared strategic plan, and to receive the requested portion after communicating the user identification and the request. The system further includes a second processing device. The second processing device includes an administration module operable to validate that the user has permission to receive the requested portion, and a communications module. The communications module is operable to receive the user identification from the first processing device, and to communicate the requested portion to the first processing device when the user identification is valid.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of disintegrating or reducing the particle size of elemental materials, such as various forms of carbon, and organic crystals that contain minerals and that do not contain minerals. The method include the steps of entraining the material in a gas flow through an inlet of a housing, subjecting the flowing material to a plurality of alternating pressure increases and decreases within the housing, disintegrating the flowing material with the pressure increases and decreases, thereby reducing the mean particle size of the material, and discharging the disintegrated material though an outlet of the housing.

Abstract: A stable aqueous suspension of water-soluble polyacrylamide particles is in a saturated solution of an ammonium salt. The polyacrylamide particles are characterized by a particle size of about −150 mesh, and preferably −270 mesh, with −400 mesh most preferred. The suspension is at least about 2.5% by weight polyacrylamide. When the ammonium salt is ammonium sulfate, PAM concentrations as high as about 15% by weight can be achieved while still being easily flowable. The suspension is made by stirring the small particle PAM into the saturated ammonium salt solution. The PAM can be quickly dissolved to form a less concentrated PAM solution by adding the suspension to water or to a dilute solution, which can include calcium salts or other soil enhancers.

Abstract: A method of liberating intracellular matter from biological material having cells with cell walls includes subjecting the biological material to rapid pressure increases and decreases, and exceeding the elastic limit of the cell walls with the pressure increases and decreases, thereby opening the cell walls and liberating the intracellular material from the cells. This produces a heterogenous mixture of cell wall fragments and the intracellular material. Where the biological material includes pieces of plant animal or fungal material, the method can further include separating the cells of the pieces from each other with the pressure increases and decreases when the elastic limit of intercellular bonds are exceeded. Water and volatiles in the biological material is liberated and vaporized, producing a substantially dry mixture having a lower water content than the original material.

Abstract: A method of producing an aqueous solution of water-soluble polyacrylamide (PAM) with a concentration of at least about 5 grams per liter includes the steps of providing a monovalent or divalent cation salt solution, and preferably a calcium salt solution, and adding water-soluble PAM particles to the salt solution such that the PAM particles are essentially all dissolved within about 10 seconds. The PAM particles are characterized by a particle size that is about −100 mesh and consisting essentially of molecules having a molecular weigtht of at least about 15 million a.u. Preferably, the small PAM particles are produced by a mill that produces bulk quantities of small dry, flowable PAM particles from larger commercial grade particles. Small PAM particles produced in such a mill are essentially all soluble in plain water within about 10 seconds. After solution, the polymer concentrate can be diluted with water to make stock solutions of the polymer for some purposes.

Abstract: An apparatus pulverizes material composed of wet or dry discrete objects into relatively smaller particles with shock waves created by flowing the material through a housing having alternating rotors and orifice plates. The housing includes a first end having a feed chute for introducing the material into the housing, a second end having an opening for removing the smaller particles, and internal sides meeting in corners, which extend longitudinally between the first and second ends. A rotatable shaft extends substantially along a longitudinal central axis of the housing. Rotors each include a hub coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith, a substantially polygonal-shaped rotor plate centrally fixed to the hub and having apices, and a plurality of vanes each vanes extending approximately radially inward on a side of the rotor plate from an apex. Each orifice plate extends inwardly from the internal sides of the housing to a central aperture which provides an orifice around the shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus pulverizes material composed of wet or dry discrete objects into relatively smaller particles with shock waves created by flowing the material through a housing having alternating rotors and orifice plates. The housing includes a first end having a feed chute for introducing the material into the housing, a second end having an opening for removing the smaller particles, and internal sides meeting in corners, which extend longitudinally between the first and second ends. A rotatable shaft extends substantially along a longitudinal central axis of the housing. Rotors each include a hub coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith, a substantially polygonal-shaped rotor plate centrally fixed to the hub and having apices, and a plurality of vanes each vanes extending approximately radially inward on a side of the rotor plate from an apex. Each orifice plate extends inwardly from the internal sides of the housing to a central aperture which provides an orifice around the shaft.