Abstract: A continuous, low severity process for dewatering peat. The process comprises the steps of flowing a slurry of peat through a reactor directly heated by the addition of live steam to heat the slurry to a temperature of between 160.degree. C. to 200.degree. C., subjecting the heated slurry to intense mechanical shear and mixing, and then, after a period of between 1 to 3 minutes, quenching the product.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the wet oxidation of water soluble organic pollutants or of an aqueous suspension of organic pollutants. In the contacting of an oxidizing gas and a polluted aqueous phase, the improvement comprises forming a fine mist of the polluted aqueous phase in the presence of the oxidizing gas, thereby increasing the interfacial area between the gas and the polluted aqueous phase. Then the formed mist is introduced into a heated reaction chamber under pressure, thereby enhancing the rate of the destructive oxidation of the organic pollutant by the increase in mass transfer between the gaseous phase and the aqueous mist, the reaction temperature being selected to favor rapid destruction of the pollutant without the formation of stable intermediate reaction products. After destruction of the pollutants, the reaction mixture is allowed to flash off at a pressure lower than the reaction pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for continuous conversion of starch or starch containing materials into hydrolysates such as dextrins, higher sugars, maltose or dextrose. It provides for an extremely fast heating of an acidified or non acidified slurry by spraying it very finely into a chamber containing steam under pressure. The fast heating rate combined with the high operating temperature allow processing times of less than 20 seconds, usually between 1 and 4 seconds during which the starch is converted into the desired hydrolysate without passing through the classical "gelatinized" or "pasted" state. The desired product can be custom tailored from dextrins to glucose, in high yield and low level of degradation products. Moreover, the dextrins so produced have a very uniform molecular weight and the process can handle purified as well as impure starch such as ground corn, cassava and deteriorated harvests.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the hydrogenolysis of raw humid peat by treating untreated peat as obtained from the bog with carbon monoxide at a temperature of from 350.degree. to 373.degree. C. and under a pressure up to 35 MPa and recovering bitumen-like compounds from the non-aqueous phase.

Abstract: There is provided a novel process for preparing a carbon supported metal catalyst which comprises impregnating a peat material selected from finely divided peat, ammoniated peat and humic materials derived from peat with an aqueous solution of a metallic salt, drying the impregnated peat and pyrolyzing same in an inert atmosphere to yield a carbon supported metal and/or metal oxide.