Abstract: Heat exchangers and other equipment whose surfaces have become fouled with sludge deposits that comprise a cuprous halide are cleaned by contacting the fouled surfaces of the equipment with a cleaning solution that contains 5% to 35% by weight of an alkyl aluminum halide in a hydrocarbon solution and then washing the surfaces with a hydrocarbon solvent to remove loosened sludge and residual cleaning solution.

Abstract: Heat exchangers and other equipment whose surfaces have become fouled with sludge deposits during the use of the equipment in the removal of carbon monoxide, lower olefins, or other complexible ligands from gas streams with a liquid sorbent that comprises a cuprous aluminum tetrahalide and an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent are cleaned by contacting the fouled surfaces of the equipment with an aqueous ammonium chloride solution to dissolve and/or loosen substantially all of the deposited sludge, washing the surfaces with water to remove loosened sludge and residual cleaning solution, and drying them.

Abstract: Metals are removed from waste materials that contain an organic component and a bimetallic salt complex component that comprises complexes having the formula M.sub.I M.sub.II X.sub.n .multidot.Aromatic and/or the formula M.sub.I M.sub.II X.sub.n .multidot.M.sub.II OX.multidot.Aromatic, wherein M.sub.I is a Group I-B metal, M.sub.II is a Group III-A metal, X is halogen, n is the sum of the valences of M.sub.I and M.sub.II, and Aromatic is a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 12 carbon atoms by contacting the waste material with water and sufficient alkali metal hydroxide to form a hydrolysis mixture which has a pH above 5 and which separates into an upper organic phase and a lower aqueous phase. After separation of the phases, there is obtained a slurry of M.sub.I oxide, M.sub.I hydroxide, and/or M.sub.II hydroxide from which the metals can be recovered or which can be discarded in ways that are not damaging to the environment.

Abstract: Metals are recovered from waste materials that contain an organic component and a bimetallic salt complex component that comprises complexes having the formula M.sub.I M.sub.II X.sub.n.Aromatic and/or the formula M.sub.I M.sub.II X.sub.n.M.sub.II OX.Aromatic, wherein M.sub.I is a Group I-B metal, M.sub.II is a Group III-A metal, X is halogen, n is the sum of the valences of M.sub.I and M.sub.II, and Aromatic is a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, by hydrolyzing the waste material with dilute hydrochloric acid to form a hydrolysis mixture that separates into an organic phase and an aqueous phase, and, after removing the organic phase, adding to the aqueous phase sufficient aluminum or another reducing metal to precipitate the Group I-B metal. After the precipitated metal has been removed from it, the aqueous solution is treated with sufficient base to precipitate the Group III-A metal hydroxyide, which is recovered from the aqueous solution.

Abstract: Gas streams that contain from about 10 ppm to 1000 ppm of vinyl chloride are purified by passing them through a zone of silent electric discharge. This treatment destroys at least 80%, and in most cases 90% or more, of the vinyl chloride in the gas stream.

Abstract: Liquid sorbents that are solutions in an aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon of a bimetallic salt complex having the generic formula M.sub.I M.sub.II X.sub.n.Aromatic, wherein M.sub.I is a Group I-B metal, M.sub.II is a Group III-A metal, X is halogen, n is the sum of the valences of M.sub.I and M.sub.II, and Aromatic is a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 12 carbon atoms and that contain as impurities polyalkylated aromatic compounds and/or olefin oligomers are purified by contacting them with an organic solvent in which the impurities are soluble and with which the liquid sorbents are immiscible. Suitable organic solvents include paraffinic hydrocarbons having 5 to 14 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Vinyl chloride is removed from gas streams that contain from about 10 ppm to 1000 ppm of vinyl chloride by contacting the vinyl chloride in the gas stream with ozone in the presence of activated carbon. The gas streams treated in this way contain less than about 1 ppm of vinyl chloride and no detectable amount of ozone or ozonides.

Abstract: Water, ammonia, and certain other reactive impurities are removed from gas streams that contain such complexible ligands as olefins, acetylenes, aromatics, and carbon monoxide by contacting the gas streams with a purification medium that comprises (a) a bimetallic salt complex having the generic formula,M.sub.I M.sub.II X.sub.n.sup.. Aromaticwherein M.sub.I is a Group I-B metal, M.sub.II is a Group III-A metal, X is halogen, n is the sum of the valences of M.sub.I and M.sub.II, and Aromatic is a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, (b) a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and (c) at least one product of the reaction of the impurities with said bimetallic salt complex.