Abstract: Some embodiments provide a dual use hydrazine propulsion thruster system. The dual use hydrazine propulsion thruster system may include a storage vessel configured to store hydrazine and a chemical thruster configured to provide thrust using the hydrazine. The dual use hydrazine propulsion thruster system may also include a convertor configured to catalytically convert hydrazine to a product comprising ammonia, and an electric thruster configured to provide thrust by ionizing ammonia and accelerating the ionized ammonia out of the electric thruster.

Abstract: Organosilicon-functional phase transfer catalysts (PTCs) and methods for transferring immiscible molecules into a silicon-functional phase employing an organosilicon-functional PTC are provided.

Abstract: The esterification of a carboxylic or polycarboxylic acid, such as terephthalic acid, with ethylene oxide is conducted in the presence of a supercritical or near critical fluid with an esterification catalyst to form a monoester such as 2-hydroxyethylterephthalate (MHET). The monoester can be easily removed from the involatile terephthalic acid/catalyst bed by continuous extraction with supercritical fluid before subsequent reaction to the diester occurs. The esterification catalyst, such as quaternary ammonium salts, are at least substantially insoluble in the supercritical fluid and capable of withstanding prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures. The process is highly selective to formation of monoesters, and economical. The process can be modified for production of bis-esters or higher esters. The monoesters are polymerizable and can be used as monomers in the production of polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate.

Abstract: Complexes of certain macrocyclic polyethers in which the polyether ring contains 18 ring atoms, 6 of which are oxygen, and the oxygen atoms are separated by 2 carbon atoms, with aliphatic nitriles having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, and the use of such complexes to obtain pure nitrile and/or pure macrocyclic polyether are disclosed.