Abstract: A hydrocarbon-containing gas is mixed with an oxygen-containing gas in a gas mixer in the presence of a water mist. The water mist surrounds and contacts entrained particles in either the oxygen-containing gas stream or the hydrocarbon-containing gas stream. The water acts to suppress and prevent ignition of the hydrocarbon gas in the mixer by serving as a sink for heat created by energetic collisions between such particles and structures within the gas mixer. The water mist also acts to quench ignition caused by such collisions. The water mist can be introduced into the gas mixer in a number of different configurations, including via nozzles injecting a mist into a hydrocarbon gas manifold or an oxygen gas manifold, nozzles placed within the gas mixer adjacent to ends of the oxygen supply pipes, and nozzles placed coaxially within the oxygen supply pipes in the gas mixer.

Abstract: A plurality of stages is employed to reduce the total organic carbon (TOC) content of a brine by-product stream to produce a recyclable brine stream having a TOC content of less than about 10 ppm. In a first stage treatment, a brine by-product stream may be subjected to chlorinolysis at a temperature of less than about 125 0C to obtain a chlorinolysis product having a TOC content of less than about 100 ppm, which may be treated in a second stage with activated carbon to obtain a TOC content of less than about 10 ppm. The chlorinolysis may be a reaction with sodium hypochlorite, which may be produced in situ by treatment of the brine by-product stream with chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide. The brine by-product stream may contain a high amount of difficult to remove glycerin, such as a brine by-product stream from the production of epichlorohydrin from glycerin.

Abstract: A gas mixer is disclosed which includes a vessel (10) (e.g., pipe) containing a stream (12) of a first hydrocarbon-containing gas. The mixer includes a hollow pipe (14) located internal to the vessel containing a stream of a second gas, e.g., an oxygen-containing gas stream such as a stream of pure oxygen gas or air enriched with oxygen. The internal pipe further includes a mixer tip (30) at the peripheral end thereof. The mixer tip includes a body having an internal passage for conducting the second gas out of the pipe and an opening introducing the second gas stream into the first gas stream in a radial plane at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The pipe further includes a deflector (20) on its external surface in longitudinal alignment with the opening of the mixer tip. The deflector serves to deflect any entrained particles within the first gas stream away from the mixing zone where the two streams mix, minimizing the risk of ignition of the hydrocarbon-containing gas.

Abstract: Integrated processes of preparing industrial chemicals starting from seed oil feedstock compositions containing one or more unsaturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acid esters, which are essentially free of metathesis catalyst poisons, particularly hydroperoxides; metathesis of the feedstock composition with a lower olefin, such as ethylene, to form a reduced chain olefin, preferably, a reduced chain ?-olefin, and a reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester, preferably, a reduced chain ?,?-unsaturated acid or ester. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be (trans)esterified to form a polyester polyolefin, which may be epoxidized to form a polyester polyepoxide. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be hydroformylated with reduction to produce an ?,?-hydroxy acid or ?,?-hydroxy ester, which may be (trans)esterified with a polyol to form an ?,?-polyester polyol.

Abstract: Integrated processes of preparing industrial chemicals starting from seed oil feedstock compositions containing one or more unsaturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acid esters, which are essentially free of metathesis catalyst poisons, particularly hydroperoxides; metathesis of the feedstock composition with a lower olefin, such as ethylene, to form a reduced chain olefin, preferably, a reduced chain ?-olefin, and a reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester, preferably, a reduced chain ?,?-unsaturated acid or ester. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be (trans)esterified to form a polyester polyolefin, which may be epoxidized to form a polyester polyepoxide. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be hydroformylated with reduction to produce an ?,?-hydroxy acid or ?,?-hydroxy ester, which may be (trans)esterified with a polyol to form an ?,?polyester polyol.

Abstract: Integrated processes of preparing industrial chemicals starting from seed oil feedstock compositions containing one or more unsaturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acid esters, which are essentially free of metathesis catalyst poisons, particularly hydroperoxides; metathesis of the feedstock composition with a lower olefin, such as ethylene, to form a reduced chain olefin, preferably, a reduced chain ?-olefin, and a reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester, preferably, a reduced chain ?,?-unsaturated acid or ester. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be (trans)esterified to form a polyester polyolefin, which may be epoxidized to form a polyester polyepoxide. The reduced chain unsaturated acid or ester may be hydroformylated with reduction to produce an ?,?-hydroxy acid or ?,?-hydroxy ester, which may be (trans)esterified with a polyol to form an ?,?polyester polyol.

Abstract: A polyurethane-polymer composition suitable for preparing a lightweight tire support includes at least one isocyanate, at least one polyol, and at least one chain extender. A polyurethane-polymer composition can also include an additive such as a catalyst, a filler, a surfactant, a colorant, and a mold-release agent. A lightweight tire support can be prepared from a polyurethane-polymer composition by, for example, reaction injection molding. Such a tire support desirably has temperature stability and load-bearing capability.

Abstract: A transparent polyurethane-hydrogel composition includes a reaction product in aqueous solvent of a prepolymer and a water-soluble crosslinker in the substantial absence of organic solvent, and such a composition can be prepared by admixing a prepolymer and a water-soluble crosslinker in aqueous solvent and in the substantial absence of organic solvent. A prepolymer is present in an amount of no greater than about 5 weight percent based on total weight of all hydrogel components. The prepolymer is generally prepared from at least one water-soluble polyol and an isocyanate. A water-soluble crosslinker generally has a crosslinker functionality of at least 2 and is selected to provide a site ratio of initial isocyanate to crosslinker (i.e., moles NCO×functionality/moles crosslinker×functionality) of at least about 1.5 and no greater than about 2.6. In one embodiment, a crosslinker is effective to react with and solubilize residual isocyanate concurrently with the reaction between prepolymer and crosslinker.

Abstract: The invention is a catalytic device comprised of a catalyst support of fused ceramic grains and a catalyst that is surface-bound to at least a portion of the ceramic grains, incorporated into at least a portion of the ceramic grains or combinations thereof, wherein the grains and catalyst form a surface structure that has a box counting dimension of greater than 1.00 or the box counting dimension has at least one step change when measured from a box size “d” of at least about 1 micrometer to at most about 1 millimeter. The invention is particularly useful in making a catalytic converter or catalytic converter-soot trap.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing resilient polyurethane foams by foaming an organic polyisocyanate, an iso-cyanate-reactive compound and a fusible polymer. The improvement in the hardness of the foams is achieved without adversely affecting the other properties of the foams, such as tensile strength and elongation.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for producing a polyurethane product with autocatalytic polyols with gelling characteristics. These auto-catalytic polyols are reacted with a polyisocyanate in the presence of other additives and/or auxiliary agents known per se to produce polyurethane products.

Abstract: A polyurethane-polymer composition suitable for preparing a lightweight tire support includes at least one isocyanate, at least one polyol, and at least one chain extender. A polyurethane-polymer composition can also include an additive such as a catalyst, a filler, a surfactant, a colorant, and a mold-release agent. A lightweight tire support can be prepared from a polyurethane-polymer composition by, for example, reaction injection molding. Such a tire support desirably has temperature stability and load-bearing capability.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing resilient polyurethane foams by foaming an organic polyisocyanate, an iso-cyanate-reactive compound and a fusible polymer. The improvement in the hardness of the foams is achieved without adversely affecting the other properties of the foams, such as tensile strength and elongation.

Abstract: The present invention is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or thermoplastic polyurethane/urea (TPUU) comprising structural units of: a) a diisocyanate; b) ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or 1,3-propanediol; c) a diol, a diamine, or an amino alcohol different from the one selected in (b) and having a molecular weight of less than 400 Daltons; and (d) ethylene oxide polyol or ethylene oxide-capped propylene oxide polyol. The TPU or TPUU has low temperature flexibility, high moisture vapor transition rates, and is considerably less expensive than state-of-the-art TPUs or TPUUs. The preferred composition is a TPU that is substantially free of phase segregation, and consequently has clarity and tensile strength not known for TPUs prepared using ethylene oxide polyol or ethylene oxide-capped propylene oxide polyol.

Abstract: A transparent polyurethane-hydrogel composition includes a reaction product in aqueous solvent of a prepolymer and a water-soluble crosslinker in the substantial absence of organic solvent, and such a composition can be prepared by admixing a prepolymer and a water-soluble crosslinker in aqueous solvent and in the substantial absence of organic solvent. A prepolymer is present in an amount of no greater than about 5 weight percent based on total weight of all hydrogel components. The prepolymer is generally prepared from at least one water-soluble polyol and an isocyanate. A water-soluble crosslinker generally has a crosslinker functionality of at least 2 and is selected to provide a site ratio of initial isocyanate to crosslinker (i.e., moles NCO×functionality/moles crosslinker×functionality) of at least about 1.5 and no greater than about 2.6.

Abstract: A polyurethane-polymer composition suitable for preparing a lightweight tire support includes at least one isocyanate, at least one polyol, and at least one chain extender. A polyurethane-polymer composition can also include an additive such as a catalyst, a filler, a surfactant, a colorant, and a mold-release agent. A lightweight tire support can be prepared from a polyurethane-polymer composition by, for example, reaction injection molding. Such a tire support desirably has temperature stability and load-bearing capability.

Abstract: The present invention is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or thermoplastic polyurethane/urea (TPUU) comprising structural units of: a) a diisocyanate; b) ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or 1,3-propanediol; c) a diol, a diamine, or an amino alcohol different from the one selected in (b) and having a molecular weight of less than 400 Daltons; and (d) ethylene oxide polyol or ethylene oxide-capped propylene oxide polyol. The TPU or TPUU has low temperature flexibility, high moisture vapor transition rates, and is considerably less expensive than state-of-the-art TPUs or TPUUs. The preferred composition is a TPU that is substantially free of phase segregation, and consequently has clarity and tensile strength not known for TPUs prepared using ethylene oxide polyol or ethylene oxide-capped propylene oxide polyol.

Abstract: The invention is a catalytic device comprised of a catalyst support of fused ceramic grains and a catalyst that is surface-bound to at least a portion of the ceramic grains, incorporated into at least a portion of the ceramic grains or combinations thereof, wherein the grains and catalyst form a surface structure that has a box counting dimension of greater than 1.00 or the box counting dimension has at least one step change when measured from a box size “d” of at least about 1 micrometer to at most about 1 millimeter. The invention is particularly useful in making a catalytic converter or catalytic converter-soot trap.

Abstract: A process for making a polymer foam sheet, which comprises (i) extruding through an annular extrusion die a foamable composition comprising at least one polypropylene polymer and at least one blowing agent, at a pressure, temperature, and extrusion rate sufficient to prevent foaming of the composition prior to exiting the die, under conditions sufficient to form a foam tube having a density of at least 16 kg/m3 and no greater than 200 kg/m3, an open cell content of less than 70 percent, a circumference of at least 1 meter, and a foam thickness of at least 2 mm and no greater than 25 mm, wherein the blowing agent is used in an amount of from 0.2 to 4.

Abstract: An energy absorbing article having a direction in which impact resistance is desired is formed of extruded thermoplastic foam exhibit anisotropic compressive strength. The extrusion direction of the thermoplastic foam is aligned substantially parallel with the direction in which impact resistance is desired to provide an energy absorbing article exhibiting a high ratio of compressive strength to weight.