Abstract: A process for isomerizing xylenes containing ethylbenzene to obtain near equilibrium amounts of paraxylene and to convert the ethylbenzene to hydrocarbons readily removable from the xylenes. The isomerization reaction uses a ZSM-5 type catalyst with 0.05 to 1.5 percent of an added metal such as zinc, cadmium, or barium. The isomerization is carried out in the absence of added hydrogen at low pressure, preferably between about 0 and 200 psig. Relatively low xylene losses are achieved even at high ethylbenzene conversion levels.

Abstract: A process for forming plastic inorganic agglomerates from which inorganic catalysts or adsorbent bodies can be formed is disclosed. The process involves(a) dispersing a portion of said inorganic material as surface hydrated noncolloidal sized dry particles in a water-immiscible solvent;(b) titrating the dispersion with a controlled quantity of an aqueous phase in the presence of colloidal sized particles of the same or different inorganic material while mixing until a hydrous plastic agglomerate forms; and(c) separating said hydrous plastic agglomerate from said water-immiscible solvent.

Abstract: A method for separating collidal zeolite crystals from aqueous mother liquor solutions with conventional filtration apparatus by initially freezing the dispersion to a slush and conducting the filtration operation as the slush melts.

Abstract: A process for catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon feedstock which comprises contacting the feedstock with a catalyst which comprises predominantly a synthetic silica-alumina matrix containing 56 to 90 weight per cent alumina and wherein the catalyst does not contain any clay constituent.Preferably the matrix contains more than 65 weight per cent alumina. At these high alumina levels, which are about double or treble most of the current commercial cracking catalyst alumina levels, we have found that surprisingly high activity is achieved by our cracking catalyst.