Abstract: A system and method for enhancing passenger security in the travel industry by matching passengers with their baggage through storage of images of passengers and their baggage and other textual data in computer memory and in printed codes which may be on passenger baggage, a boarding pass, a positive passenger bag identifier, and a passenger identification card. The codes on boarding passes are scanned at the boarding gate before passengers may board to check whether the passenger image recovered from the code matches that of the passenger attempting to board. The boarding gate scan also generates a passenger manifest which, when compared to the list of passengers who checked baggage, identifies passengers who checked baggage but did not board. Positive passenger baggage match identifiers are generated associating passengers and the coded image of the baggage checked by the passenger.

Abstract: Methane and liquid hydrocarbon feeds boiling above 350.degree. C. are reacted by feeding finely divided droplets into hot gas at not more than 2 MPa containing at least 50% volume methane and not more than 15% volume hydrogen.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring solid particles to a receptacle comprises a loading tube (2) surrounded at or near its base by a gas supply chamber (7) terminating in a Coanda surface (9). A slot (10) between the outlet from the loading tube (2) and the beginning of the Coanda surface (9) forms a Coanda nozzle. A throttle (3) is preferably fitted in the loading tube (2) to form an annulus (4) down which the particles flow to the slot (10). A gas supply line (8) preferably enters a gas supply (7) tangentially to supply gas to the Coanda nozzle. The apparatus is particularly suitable for loading catalyst into a reactor.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring solid particles to a receptacle comprises a primary loading tube (2) containing at its lower end an annular gas supply chamber (3) coaxially aligned within it. The innermost surface of the annular chamber (3) forms a secondary loading tube (6) which has a Coanda surface (12) at its lower end. A slot (11) is provided between the innermost surface of the gas supply chamber (3) and the Coanda surface (12) to form a Coanda nozzle.The apparatus is particularly suitable for use in loading catalyst to a reactor and achieving a high packing density with a low voidage.In use, particles falling near the center of the primary loading tube are entrained and separated by gas emerging from the Coanda nozzle and have a high velocity imparted to them.

Abstract: Strengthened zeolite molecular sieve agglomerates are prepared by treating the agglomerates with an aqueous solution of a water soluble silicon compound and subsequently with an aqueous solution of a mineral acid of sufficient strength to decationize the molecular sieve and/or increase its SiO.sub.2 :Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio. The strengthened agglomerates are suitable for use as catalyst supports.

Abstract: Ethanol is produced by reacting methanol with carbon dioxide and hydrogen at a temperature in the range 150.degree. to 250.degree. C., a pressure in the range 100 to 300 bars and a residence time in the range 10 minutes to 8 hours in the presence of:(i) a cobalt-containing catalyst optionally promoted with iodine, bromine or an organo-phosphorus compound and optionally in the presence of a stabilizer and,(ii) an additive which may be a monocarboxylic acid and/or a derivative thereof and, optionally, a non-polar solvent such as an alkane, benzene or an alkyl-substituted benzene.The preferred additives are acetic acid and methyl acetate. The presence of the additive increases the total realizable yield and selectivity to ethanol.