Abstract: Apparatus and method for cleaning substrates. A substrate is held and rotated by a chuck and an atmospheric pressure plasma jet places a plasma onto predetermined areas of the substrate. Subsequently liquid rinse is sprayed onto the predetermined areas. In one embodiment, a nozzle sprays a gas onto the predetermined areas to assist in drying the predetermined areas when needed.

Abstract: An atmospheric pressure plasma etching reactor has a table holding a wafer to be processed and which moves the wafer to be processed under at least one electrode that is mounted in close proximity to the table and defines an entry of a gas mixture. With a radio-frequency voltage connected between the table and the at least one electrode, a plasma is created between the at least one electrode and the wafer to be processed processing the wafer to be processed as it is moved under the at least one electrode by the table.

Abstract: Large area atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. A plasma discharge that can be operated at atmospheric pressure and near room temperature using 13.56 MHz rf power is described. Unlike plasma torches, the discharge produces a gas-phase effluent no hotter than 250° C. at an applied power of about 300 W, and shows distinct non-thermal characteristics. In the simplest design, two planar, parallel electrodes are employed to generate a plasma in the volume therebetween. A “jet” of long-lived metastable and reactive species that are capable of rapidly cleaning or etching metals and other materials is generated which extends up to 8 in. beyond the open end of the electrodes. Films and coatings may also be removed by these species. Arcing is prevented in the apparatus by using gas mixtures containing He, which limits ionization, by using high flow velocities, and by properly spacing the rf-powered electrode.

Abstract: An improved star head sanding assembly for sanding on the peripheral edges of the individual abrasive discs. The discs are provided with radially arranged non-parallel skip cuts, and are devoid of radial cutout sections to provide maximum peripheral surface area. During use, the free edges of the individual fingers tend to twist through substantially a right angle to present a line contact with the workpiece surface at least partially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the assembly relative to the workpiece.

Abstract: A power system fault handling mechanism for portable electronic devices having multiple power supplies. A safety-net circuit is triggered when a power fault condition is detected. The safety-net circuit is a diode-based bridging circuit which couples all available power supplies to the power load, yet avoids feeding power back from any of the supplies to one another. This ensures that the load continues to receive power after a fault condition occurs without interruption. A microcontroller may then implement routines to switch to a working power supply so that the device may resume normal operation. The power system fault detection mechanism thus allows for the switching between system power supplies without disrupting a running process.

Abstract: The glycosylphospholipid nucleoside derivatives of the invention are based on the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sub.1 is a nucleoside derivative selected from the group consisting of 3'-azidothymidine (AZT); 2', 3'-dideoxythymidine (ddT); and 2'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (dFU);R.sub.2 is a hexose or pentose sugar, with the exception of glucose when x is 1;A is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or alkoxy chain containing from 5 to 20 carbon atoms, said alkyl or alkoxy chain having at its extremity a group selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom and an NR'R" group, wherein R' and R" represent hydrogen or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;x is a number from 1 to 12;y is a number from 1 to 4; andz is 0 or 1; and further wherein:attachment of said hexose sugar is at position 1 or position 6 of said hexose sugar, and attachment of said pentose sugar is at position 1 or position 5 of said pentose sugar.

Abstract: Pulverized mineral material is calcined by suspending it in a current of gas constituted by a combustive gas and a fuel whose combustion furnishes the necessary calories for the calcination. To enable solid fuels rich in ash, substantially inert and difficult to condition to be used, the fuel is gasified in a fluidized bed hearth by blowing air from below through the bed whereby a gaseous fuel is disengaged from the bed and flows upwardly with the very finest particles of the solid fuel suspended therein. This is mixed with air and the mineral material to calcine the same.

Abstract: Pulverized mineral material is calcined by suspending it in a current of gas constituted by a combustive gas and a fuel whose combustion furnishes the necessary calories for the calcination. To enable solid fuels rich in ash, substantially inert and difficult to condition to be used, the fuel is gasified in a fluidized bed hearth by blowing air from below through the bed whereby a gaseous fuel is disengaged from the bed and flows upwardly with the very finest particles of the solid fuel suspended therein. This is mixed with air and the mineral material to calcine the same.

Abstract: A process for the calcination of a solid pulverulent material comprises the steps of gasifying a solid fuel in a fluidized bed to produce an ascending current of gaseous fuel, and injecting the material in an oxidizing carrier gas into the ascending gaseous fuel current above the fluidized bed of solid fuel to disperse the pulverulent material in the gaseous fuel current, the flow velocity of the gases in the zone of injection of the material into the current being sufficient to entrain the material in the gases and to prevent them from falling into the fluidized bed.

Abstract: A process for the calcination of a solid pulverulent material comprises the steps of gasifying a solid fuel in a fluidized bed to produce an ascending current of gaseous fuel, and injecting the material in an oxidizing carrier gas into the ascending gaseous fuel current above the fluidized bed of solid fuel to disperse the pulverulent material in the gaseous fuel current, the flow velocity of the gases in the zone of injection of the material into the current being sufficient to entrain the material in the gases and to prevent them from falling into the fluidized bed. An apparatus for the calcination comprises a calcination chamber whose bottom is a grid carrying a bed of solid fuel through which air is blown to produce the ascending current of gaseous fuel in the chamber. An array of nozzles in an upper portion of the chamber is used to inject the pulverulent material suspended in the carrier gas into the chamber above the fluidized bed.

Abstract: Cement clinker is produced from cold, dry, finely divided raw material by causing hot flue gases to flow in a first direction out of a rotary kiln and suspending a major portion of the finely divided raw material in the hot flue gases until the raw material has been preheated and at least partially decarbonized. The preheated and at least partially decarbonized raw material is introduced into the kiln. A fraction of the cold, dry, finely divided raw material is pneumatically injected into an end of the kiln to flow countercurrently to said first direction approximately parallel to the axis of the kiln to form a dust cloud of the raw material occupying substantially the entire cross section of the kiln at said end, the end being upstream with respect to a second direction of flow of the raw material into the kiln.

Abstract: High temperature phosphate are burning process in which the ore is preheated by gases produced by the combustion of a fuel in the burning zone, and then enters the burning zone and is cooled by a current of cool air which is used, at least partly, as combustion in the burning zone, characterized by the fact that burning is carried out in a static combustion chamber in which the preheated ore is placed in suspension in the current of air which has cooled the burned ore and in which fuel is injected, whereby the combustion of air and fuel supplies the required heat for burning, and that the retention time of the ore in the combustion chamber is less than thirty seconds, the burned ore being blow out of the chamber by the gases resulting from the combustion of the fuel injected into the chamber.

Abstract: An internally cooled roller particularly useful for continuous casting of metals comprises a roller body and a sleeve mounted on the circumferential surface of the roller body, a conduit for circulating a cooling fluid being defined between the roller body and sleeve. A flange is mounted on one end face of the roller body. The flange has a first tubular member projecting between the sleeve and a reduced diameter end of the roller body surface, a first annular seat being defined by the first tubular member, the sleeve and the roller body surface, and a second tubular member concentrically surrounding the first member and defining therewith a second annular seat. An end of the sleeve projects into the second annular seat and a fluid-tight element is mounted in the first annular seat under compression, the sleeve end being gripped to prevent its radial expansion and thus loosening of the fluid-tight element in the first seat.

Abstract: Continuously cast metal, such as steel, ingots are supported and cooled while being displaced along a path on a panel comprised of alternating support bars and cooling fluid spray banks extending parallel to each other transversely to the path of displacement. The spray banks are mounted individually and removably on the panel.