Abstract: A method to make primary alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, and other value-added chemicals from plastic waste. The method includes the steps of pyrolyzing plastic waste to yield pyrolysis oil; hydroformylating the pyrolysis oil in the absence of any added co-reactants to yield a mixture comprising aldehydes; and hydrogenating, oxidizing, aminating, or aldolizing the mixture to yield a product comprising primary alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, or larger (>C10) chemicals with carbonyl function groups.

Abstract: Organocatalysts can be engineered to mimic biological enzymes for use in a variety of industrially relevant chemical reactions. The organocatalyst comprises a chemical catalyst that is made by imidation of an amine-containing compound to form an N-substituted maleimide and appending the N-substituted maleimide on a furan-containing compound by Diels-Alder reaction and hydrogenation. The N-substituted maleimide may also be made by reacting a protected maleimide and compound containing a primary alkyl halide moiety. The organocatalysts are engineered to append chemical functionalities of amino acids such as glutamic acid for catalyzing hydrolysis of lactose. The organocatalyst further comprises a support to immobilize the chemical catalyst which plays the role of a scaffold to stabilize catalytic active sites and bind the reactants nearby the active sites, similar to a protein scaffold in biological catalysts.

Abstract: A system to carry out solvent targeted recovery and precipitation (STRAP) to recover individual polymers from multilayer plastic films or mixed plastic wastes, comprising a down-sizing device to shred the plastic wastes into particles with a size and aspect ratio to be flowable; a feeder that conveys the plastic particles in a constant flow without bridging; a dissolution vessel to selectively dissolve an individual polymer component in a solvent; a high temperature filter to separate the dissolved polymer component from the undissolved plastics; a precipitator to precipitate the dissolved polymer component; a low temperature filter to separate the precipitated polymer component from the solvent; and a distillation unit to purify the recycled solvent. The unique design of the feeder and the dissolution vessels allows the system to run in a semi-continuous mode.

Abstract: A catalytic process for converting biomass-derived carbohydrates to liquid alkanes, alkenes, and/or ethers is described. The process uses combinations of self- and crossed-aldol condensation reactions, dehydration reactions, and hydrogenation reactions, over specified metal-containing catalysts, to yield alkane, alkene, and ether products from carbohydrate reactants.

Abstract: An array of magnetically-actuatable electrical switches is controlledly operated in response to changes in position of a movable member controlling the magnetic field reaching the switching elements. The movable member may for example comprise a panel, supporting permanent magnets which are moved into switch-closing or switch-opening positions by motion of the panel, or a movable magnetic shielding arrangement used in conjunction with fixed permanent magnets so that the position of the magnetic shield determines whether the switches are open or closed. The preferred arrangement is such that the motion of the movable switch-controlling member can be accomplished mechanically by a manually-operable actuator or electrically by an electrically-controlled solenoid arrangement, at the option of the operator.

Abstract: A first set of conductors (e.g. 25 of them) leading for example to a communications modem, is connected by way of a corresponding set of normally-closed switches to corresponding conductors of a second set, leading for example to local equipment such as a computer. At least one of the above sets of conductors is also connected to connector means into which a multi-wire (e.g. 24 wire) patching cable may be plugged. The plugging-in of the patching cable automatically opens the normally-closed switches to isolate the first and second sets of conductors from each other, as is usually desired for patching purposes. Preferably the switches are magnetically-operable reed switches, switched between their open and closed states by magnet means controlled by the plugging-in of the patching cable.