Abstract: Process for the conversion of lignin to liquid hydro-carbons comprising: subjecting the lignin to hydrogenolysis in the presence of at least one hydrogenolysis catalyst, at a temperature ranging from 250° C. to 350° C., preferably ranging from 290° C. to 320 ° C., so as to obtain depolymerized lignin; subjecting said depolymerized lignin to hydrotreating so as to obtain a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons. Said liquid hydrocarbons can be used as such (biofuels) for the production of reformulated gasolines, or they can be used for the production of gasolines or of gas oils through conventional refining processes.

Abstract: A process for the production of bio-oil from solid urban waste, comprising the following steps: a) subjecting said solid urban waste to liquefaction, obtaining a mixture including an oily phase consisting of bio-oil, a solid phase and an aqueous phase; b) subjecting the aqueous phase obtained in the liquefaction step a) to fermentation, obtaining a fermented biomass; c) feeding the fermented biomass obtained in the fermentation step b) to the liquefaction step a). The bio-oil (or bio-crude) thus obtained can be advantageously used in the production of biofuels which can be used as such or mixed with other motor vehicle fuels. Alternatively, this bio-oil (or bio-crude) can be used as such (biocombustible) or mixed with fossil combustibles (combustible oil, coal, etc.) for the generation of electric energy or heat.

Abstract: The cultivation of heterotrophic and phototrophic micro-organisms is integrated for the production of bio-oil for biofuels, wherein the overall algal suspension produced is first thickened, with recirculation of the excess water to cultivation containers, and then thermally treated at a high temperature. After cooling, a bio-oil phase is recovered together with a suspension rich in soluble carbohydrates and proteins which forms a nutritional/energy source for heterotrophic micro-organisms.

Abstract: A new process is described for the direct synthesis of esters of levulinic acid starting from biomasses containing one or more polysaccharides and from aliphatic alcohols, in the presence of a suitable organic acid catalyst. In particular, the biomasses can be lignin-cellulose biomasses. The esters thus obtained can be used as oxygenated components in the formulation of fuels for motor vehicles, with the aim of reducing the particulate emissions.

Abstract: Process for the solubilization of polymeric material deposited on a porous medium, which comprises putting said polymeric material in contact with an aqueous composition comprising: (a) a catalyst selected from: (a1) a complex having general formula (I), Fe++(L)n(Y)s, L being a binder selected from those having general formula (II), wherein X?CH, N, (a2) a hydrosoluble cobalt2+ salt, preferably cobalt acetate; (b) an oxidizing agent selected from: (b1) hydrogen peroxide, (b2) MHSO5, wherein M is an alkaline metal, preferably potassium; with the constraint that the catalyst (a1) can only be used in the presence of the oxidizing agent (b1) and the catalyst (a2) can only be used in the presence of the catalyst (b2).

Abstract: A process to activate a titanium silicalite catalyst for the oxidation of benzene to phenol is provided. The catalyst is activated in the reactor for the oxidation by feeding to a reactor containing the titanium silicalite catalyst, during a time of from 2 to 6 hours, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 120° C., an aqueous solution of ammonium acid fluoride in a concentration ranging from 0.1% to 1% by weight; and hydrogen peroxide in a concentration ranging from 3% to 10% by weight; feeding water to the reactor at the end of the reaction; and drying or calcining the catalyst contained in the reactor to obtain the activated catalyst. The catalyst is represented by the formula: xTiO2.(1?x)SiO2 wherein x is from 0.0001 to 0.04.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of phenol by means of the direct oxidation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst based on titanium silicalite TS-1 comprising: (a) running the process in a fixed bed reactor containing the catalyst based on TS-1 at a temperature ranging from 80-120° C. and at a pressure ranging from 3-15 atm; (b) feeding to the reactor a stream containing H2O2, benzene, sulfolane and water in a single or double phase, wherein the quantities of the single components are within the range of 0.2-6, 15-60, 30-80, 0.5-30 parts by weight, respectively, for every 100 units fed and whose total flow rate is calculated so that the residence time in the reactor (defined as the ratio between the quantity of catalyst by weight and the feeding flow rate) ranges from 0.3 to 2 min; (c) recovery of the products, by-products and solvent from the liquid stream leaving the reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the solubilization of material containing scleroglucan and/or xanthan gum which comprises putting the above material in contact with an aqueous solution comprising an enzyme selected from a cellulase from Trichoderma reesei and/or a glucosidase from Aspergillus Niger.

Abstract: An apparatus for treatment of signals obtained from photomultiplier tubes, in particular for carrying out a PET, by at least one couple of scintillators associated to photomultiplier tubes (100, 200). For each head (100) of sensors, a relative phototube (3) generates current pulses that are weighed by two resistive chains (6), each of which generates two output currents, and respectively X?A, X?B for the first chain and Y?A, Y?B for the second chain. The phototube (3) generates also a synchronization signal (S?), or last dynode signal, that serves as signals synchronism indicator for a coincidence comparation with signals coming from the other phototube of a paired head (200). The current pulses are transformed into voltage pulses and processed by correcting circuits (40, 41, 42 and 43), obtaining respective transformed signals XA, XB, and YA, YB, whereas the last dynode signals S? are amplified at S by a amplifying block (44).

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of phenol by means of the direct oxidation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst based on titanium silicalite TS-1 comprising: (a) running the process in a fixed bed reactor containing the catalyst based on TS-1 at a temperature ranging from 80-120° C. and at a pressure ranging from 3-15 atm; (b) feeding to the reactor a stream containing H2O2, benzene, sulfolane and water in a single or double phase, wherein the quantities of the single components are within the range of 0.2-6, 15-60, 30-80, 0.5-30 parts by weight, respectively, for every 100 units fed and whose total flow rate is calculated so that the residence time in the reactor (defined as the ratio between the quantity of catalyst by weight and the feeding flow rate) ranges from 0.3 to 2 min; (c) recovery of the products, by-products and solvent from the liquid stream leaving the reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of phenol comprising the following phases: 1) preparation in continuous of phenol by means of the direct oxidation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide operating with an H2O2/benzene ratio ranging from 10 to 70%, in a three-phase reaction system comprising a first liquid phase consisting of benzene and an organic solvent, a second liquid phase consisting of water, a solid phase consisting of an activated catalyst based on titanium silicalite TS-1; 2) separation of the phenol and non-reacted benzene from the reaction mixture of the oxidation section (1), by means of fractionated distillation; 3) separation of the solvent and by-products from the mixture coming from the distillation tail (2), by means of basic extraction; 4) transformation of the by-products obtain in section (3) to phenol by means of hydrodeoxygenation with hydrogen operating in continuous, in aqueous solution, at a temperature ranging from 250 to 500° C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of phenol comprising the following phases:

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of phenol and biphenols from their homogeneous mixtures containing benzene, sulfolane and water, which is based on the use of an alkaline solution and benzene for the separation of biphenols from sulfolane, after removing the benzene, H2O and phenol contained in the reaction effluent. The process allows the recovery of phenol and biphenol by-products dissolved in sulfolane, directly obtaining the purified solvent containing the benzene necessary for the feeding to the reactor for the direct oxidation of benzene, as well as the biphenols dissolved in water and pure phenol.

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of phenol and biphenols from their homogeneous mixtures containing benzene, sulfolane and water, which is based on the use of an alkaline solution and benzene for the separation of biphenols from sulfolane, after removing the benzene, H2O and phenol contained in the reaction effluent.

Abstract: A method is described for improving the catalytic performances of titanium silicalite having formula (I) by the activation of the catalyst (I) in an aqueous medium with hydrogen peroxide, in the presence of precursors of fluoride ions or anionic species containing fluorine. The activated catalyst (I) is particularly useful in oxidation processes with hydrogen peroxide of organic substrates and, in particular, in hydroxylation reactions of aromatic compounds, amoximation reactions of carbonyl compounds, epoxidation reactions of olefinic compounds and oxidation reactions of nitrogenated compounds.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the hydroxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons by direct oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. The process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst comprising:iron, administered as inorganic salt;iron ligand, consisting of carboxylic acids of ether-aromatic compounds containing nitrogen, in particular pyrazin-2-carboxylic acid and derivatives;acidifying agent, especially trifluoracetic acid, and a solvent system comprising an organic phase consisting of a substrate and acetonitrile and an aqueous phase containing the catalyst and hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: An improved process is described for the synthesis of hydroxylated aromatic compounds by means of the oxidation of an aromatic substrate with hydrogen, peroxide in an organic solvent, in the presence of synthetic zeolites, wherein the improvement consists in the fact that the organic solvent is selected from compounds having general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein: R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, the same or different, represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group with from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or from compounds having general formula (II) ##STR2## wherein R and R', the same or different, represent an alkyl radical with from 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the hydroxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons by direct oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. The process is carried out in the presence of a catalyst comprising:iron, administered as an inorganic salt;a carboxylic acid of an aromatic compound containing nitrogen, in particular a pyrazin-2-carboxylic acid or derivative;acidifying agent, especially trifluoracetic acid, and a solvent system comprising an organic phase consisting of a substrate and acetonitrile and an aqueous phase containing the catalyst and hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: A process is described for the preparation of hydrogen peroxide by the reaction of carbon monoxide, oxygen and water in an organic solvent immiscible with water, in the presence of a catalytic complex soluble in the organic solvent, deriving from the combination of a palladium salt, a non-coordinating organic or inorganic acid and a ligand capable of binding itself to the palladium atom, characterized in that said ligand is a mono or polydentate nitrogenated compound.

Abstract: A process is described for separating the optical isomers of 1,2-isopropylideneglycerol, of formula (I), comprising partially stereoselective enzymatic hydrolysis of 1,2-isopropylideneglycerol benzoyl ester (II) catalyzed by a free or immobilized lipase, the hydrolysis being conducted in the presence of a cosolvent and followed by crystallization enabling crystals of (II) in raceme form and mother liquor containing (II) in the form of the pure enantiomer to be selectively obtained.The compound (I) is widely used industrially as an intermediate in the synthesis of chiral drugs such as (R)-(-)-carnitine, (S)-beta-blockers, (S)-antiviral agents, analgesic drugs etc.