Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical method for converting an amino acid and/or its salts to an amine and/or a nitrile. The total yield and selectivity of amine and nitrile obtained by the method according to the present invention is higher than prior art when the reaction medium has a high concentration of amino acid and/or its salts at the beginning of the reaction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical method for preparing vanillin or its derivatives in the presence of a mediator. The mediator can be recycled and reused and therefore no salt is formed by the end of the reaction, which makes the method more environmental-friendly. Furthermore, lower potentials are needed when the mediator is used by comparing to prior arts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical method for converting an amino acid and/or its salts to an amine and/or a nitrile. The total yield and selectivity of amine and nitrile obtained by the method according to the present invention is higher than prior art when the reaction medium has a high concentration of amino acid and/or its salts at the beginning of the reaction.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of sodium sulfate from water, in particular from water deriving from a silica manufacturing process.

Abstract: The composition of the invention is based on oxides of cerium, of zirconium and of at least one rare earth metal other than cerium, with a cerium oxide content of greater than 50% by weight and it has, after calcination at 1000° C. for 4 hours, a specific surface area of at least 20 m2/g and an amount of mobile oxygen between 200° C. and 400° C. of at least 0.8 ml O2/g. It is prepared by a process in which, in a reactor, a mixture of compounds of cerium, of zirconium and of the other rare earth metal is reacted continuously with a basic compound with a residence time of the reaction medium in the mixing zone of the reactor of at most 100 milliseconds; the precipitate is heated then brought into contact with a surfactant before being calcined.

Abstract: A process for extraction of ferulic acid present in an aqueous phase, obtained by treatment of at least one plant material, and also containing polysaccharides, is described, said process comprising at least the following steps: 1) the treatment of said plant material followed by a solid/liquid separation to recover a solid phase and an aqueous liquid phase comprising the ferulic acid and said polysaccharides, 2) the treatment of said liquid phase to selectively separate, on the one hand, the polysaccharides and, on the other hand, the ferulic acid present in an aqueous fraction, 3) the concentration of said aqueous fraction containing the ferulic acid so as to recover a ferulic acid-concentrated stream, 4) the recovery of the ferulic acid in solid form.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of sodium sulfate from water, in particular from water deriving from a silica manufacturing process.

Abstract: The invention describes a method for separating a mandelic compound in salified form from an aqueous reaction medium resulting from the condensation reaction of a hydroxylated aromatic compound with glyoxylic acid in a basic medium, said method comprising a) decanting said reaction medium in such a way as to recover an organic phase formed from the excess of said aromatic compound and an aqueous phase formed from said mandelic compound and a quantity of the excess of said aromatic compound and b) bringing said aqueous phase into contact with an adsorbent support, resulting in the selective adsorption of said aromatic compound and the recovery of an aqueous flow comprising said mandelic compound in salified form, which is subjected to an oxidation step before being converted into hydroxyaromatic aldehyde by electrodialysis.

Abstract: The invention describes a method for separating a mandelic compound in salified form from an aqueous reaction medium resulting from the condensation reaction of a hydroxylated aromatic compound with glyoxylic acid in a basic medium, said method comprising a) decanting said reaction medium in such a way as to recover an organic phase formed from the excess of said aromatic compound and an aqueous phase formed from said mandelic compound and a quantity of the excess of said aromatic compound and b) bringing said aqueous phase into contact with an adsorbent support, resulting in the selective adsorption of said aromatic compound and the recovery of an aqueous flow comprising said mandelic compound in salified form, which is subjected to an oxidation step before being converted into hydroxyaromatic aldehyde by electrodialysis.

Abstract: A process for extraction of ferulic acid present in an aqueous phase, obtained by treatment of at least one plant material, and also containing polysaccharides, is described, said process comprising at least the following steps: 1) the treatment of said plant material followed by a solid/liquid separation to recover a solid phase and an aqueous liquid phase comprising the ferulic acid and said polysaccharides, 2) the treatment of said liquid phase to selectively separate, on the one hand, the polysaccharides and, on the other hand, the ferulic acid present in an aqueous fraction, 3) the concentration of said aqueous fraction containing the ferulic acid so as to recover a ferulic acid-concentrated stream, 4) the recovery of the ferulic acid in solid form.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for dispensing a liquid additive into a fuel circulation circuit for an internal combustion engine, comprising a reservoir (12) of liquid additive allowing an additive to be distributed into the fuel circulation circuit by means of a distribution line (16), characterized in that it comprises an additive chamber (22) in communication with the fuel circulation circuit and at least one wall (32) that is mobile and fluidtight between said additive chamber and the additive reservoir which, on the one hand, provides a fluidtight division and, on the other hand, maintains equal pressure between the additive in the additive reservoir and the fuel in the additive chamber.

Abstract: The composition of the invention is based on oxides of cerium, of zirconium and of at least one rare earth metal other than cerium, with a cerium oxide content of greater than 50% by weight and it has, after calcination at 1000° C. for 4 hours, a specific surface area of at least 20 m2/g and an amount of mobile oxygen between 200° C. and 400° C. of at least 0.8 ml O2/g. It is prepared by a process in which, in a reactor, a mixture of compounds of cerium, of zirconium and of the other rare earth metal is reacted continuously with a basic compound with a residence time of the reaction medium in the mixing zone of the reactor of at most 100 milliseconds; the precipitate is heated then brought into contact with a surfactant before being calcine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composition essentially consisting of a zirconia-ceria mixed oxide, with a zirconia content of at least 40 wt. % and, after 4 hours of calcination at 1000° C., a specific surface area of at least 25 m2/g and a quantity of mobile oxygen between 200° C. and 400° C. of at least 0.5 ml O2/g. Said composition is produced using a method wherein a mixture of cerium and zirconium compounds is continuously reacted with a basic compound in a reactor, with a maximum residence time of the reactive medium in the mixture zone of the reactor of 100 milliseconds; and the precipitate is heated then brought into contact with a surfactant before being calcinated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composition essentially consisting of ceria-zirconia mixed oxide, with a ceria content of at least 60 wt. % and, after 4 hours of calcination at 1000° C., a specific surface area of at least 15 m2/g and a quantity of mobile oxygen between 200° C. and 400° C. of at least 0.7 ml 02/g. Said composition is produced using a method wherein a mixture of cerium and zirconium compounds is continuously reacted with a basic compound in a reactor, with a maximum residence time of the reactive medium in the mixture zone of the reactor of 100 milliseconds; and the precipitate is heated then brought into contact with a surfactant before being calcinated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for dispensing a liquid additive into a fuel circulation circuit for an internal combustion engine, comprising a reservoir (12) of liquid additive allowing an additive to be distributed into the fuel circulation circuit by means of a distribution line (16), characterized in that it comprises an additive chamber (22) in communication with the fuel circulation circuit and at least one wall (32) that is mobile and fluidtight between said additive chamber and the additive reservoir which, on the one hand, provides a fluidtight division and, on the other hand, maintains equal pressure between the additive in the additive reservoir and the fuel in the additive chamber.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for extracting by electrodialysis a compound comprising at least amine functions capable of protonation from a liquid medium. More particularly it concerns a method for extracting, and separating at least the monomers comprising amine functions capable of protonation from a liquid medium derived from the hydrolysis of polyamides. The method of extraction from a liquid medium consists in subjecting to protonation the amine function(s) of the compounds to be extracted by adjusting the pH of the medium and in separating the compounds by passing them through a cationic membrane under the effect of an electric current. The invention is particularly applicable in processes for the chemical stabilisation of polyamides such as the PA 66 PA 6.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for isolating, by membrane electrodialysis, a catalyst from a solution containing it. More precisely, it relates to the isolation of a catalyst used in a homogeneous phase molecular oxidation reaction. The invention consists of a process for isolating a homogeneous catalyst dissolved in a mixture also containing at least one aliphatic diacid, characterized in that the catalyst contains cobalt and the isolation is performed by membrane electrodialysis.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the preparation of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid or the ammonium salt of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid by enzymatic hydrolysis of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile, comprising: a) preparing a biological material having a nitrilase activity; b) immobilizing the biological material, c) exposing the 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile to the biological material thus immobilized to obtain the ammonium salt of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid; and d) optionally converting the salt obtained to the corresponding acid.

Abstract: Catalyst compounds comprising at least one transition metal in an oxidation state of 0 to 1, and at least one monodentate or bidentate water-soluble phosphine, well suited for the hydrocyanation of ethylenically unsaturated compounds, are electrochemically synthesized, by electrolyzing an aqueous solution catholyte (contained in the cathode compartment of any suitable electrolytic cell) comprising at least one transition metal compound and at least one monodentate or bidentate water-soluble phosphine, advantageously at least one phosphine having the following formulae (I) and/or (II):P(Ar1).sub.a (Ar2).sub.b (Ar3).sub.c (D1).sub.d (D2).sub.e (D3).sub.f(I)(Ar1).sub.a (Ar2).sub.b (D1).sub.d (D2).sub.e P-L-P(Ar1).sub.g (Ar2).sub.h (D1).sub.i (D2).sub.j (II).

Abstract: Catalyst compounds comprising at least one transition metal having an oxidation number of 0 or 1 and at least one sulfonated phosphine are electrochemically synthesized, by electrolyzing an aqueous solution catholyte (contained in the cathode compartment of any suitable electrolytic cell) comprising at least one transition metal compound and at least one sulfonated phosphine.