Abstract: A blower includes a housing including an inlet and an outlet, a bearing-housing structure provided to the housing and adapted to rotatably support a rotor, a motor provided to the bearing-housing structure and adapted to drive the rotor, and an impeller provided to the rotor. The bearing-housing structure includes a bearing shaft having a bearing surface that rotatably supports the rotor. The bearing shaft provides only a single bearing of the non-ball bearing type for the rotor.

Abstract: A derivative of coniferous tree barks is produced by reacting at elevated temperatures an alkaline polyphenolic solution of a coniferous bark extract in the proportion of from 0.1, and preferably from 0.5 to 8.0 moles of a carbonyl-activated halocompound per mole of monomeric unit in the polyphenol of the formula ##STR1## or with a cyano-activated halocompound of the formula ##STR2## wherein R' is H, HC.dbd.O or R--C .dbd.O where R is alkyl or aryl; X is halogen and R" is alkyl, OH, oxyalkyl, aryl or OM in which M is a metal. The starting materials are the alkaline extracts resulting from the digestion of coniferous tree barks with an alkaline aqueous solution or preferably the sulfonated acid extracts of such barks. The reaction products are etherified polyphenolic compounds which are water-soluble and possess chelating characteristics.

Abstract: Spent sulfite liquor is converted into a nitrogen containing water insoluble product useful as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. The spent sulfite liquor is heated at a temperature of 170.degree. to 260.degree. C to form a partially pyrolyzed water insoluble material and the water insoluble material is then reacted with ammonia at a temperature of 170.degree. to 260.degree. C.

Abstract: Spent sulfite liquor is converted into a nitrogen containing, water insoluble product useful as a soil conditioner and as a slow-release fertilizer. The spent sulfite liquor is reacted at a temperature of from 170.degree. to 250.degree.C with hexamethylenetetramine or with an ammonia-formaldehyde mixture. The weight ratio of hexamethylenetetramine or ammonia and formaldehyde to SSL solids should be greater than about 0.5:1 and preferably greater than 1:1.

Abstract: A derivative of coniferous tree barks is produced by reacting at elevated temperatures an alkaline polyphenolic solution of a coniferous bark extract in the proportion of from 0.1, and preferably from 0.5 to 8.0 moles of a carbonylactivated halocompound per mole of monomeric unit in the polyphenol of the formula ##EQU1## or with a cyano-activated halocompound of the formula ##EQU2## wherein R' is H, HC=O, or R--c=O where R is alkyl or aryl; X is halogen and R" is alkyl, OH, oxyalkyl, aryl or OM in which M is a metal. The starting materials are the alkaline extracts resulting from the digestion of coniferous tree barks with an alkaline aqueous solution or preferably the sulfonated acid extracts of such barks. The reaction products are etherified polyphenolic compounds which are watersoluble and possess chelating characteristics.

Abstract: Polyphenolic components of coniferous tree barks are reacted with a concentrated aqueous solution containing ammonia and sulfur dioxide to produce aminated sulfite reaction products having high nitrogen contents. The products have a number of valuable applications including utility in the agricultural field. The reaction takes place at temperatures of 130.degree. - 190.degree.C., the ratio of NH.sub.3 /bark is within the range of 0.2 - 1.2 and ratio of SO.sub.2 /bark is within the range of 0.25 - 0.4, on a weight basis.

Abstract: Polyphenolic extracts of coniferous tree barks and condensed tannins from wood such as quebracho extracts are etherified by reaction at elevated temperature in the presence of an alkaline catalyst with an olefin containing a double bond-activated carbonyl group having the structure ##EQU1## A particularly effective olefin is acrolein. The reaction products are produced in high yield, are water or alkali soluble and act among other uses as good dispersants.