Abstract: The present invention is a process for operating equilibrium controlled reactions in continuous mode wherein a feedstock is reacted in a plurality of reactors containing an admixture of a desired process catalyst and an adsorbent to form a product which is selectively adsorbed by the adsorbent and an admixture containing a product which is withdrawn from the reactor. A series of separation steps is used to desorb the product which is selectively adsorbed by the adsorbent and to prepare the reactor for a subsequent process cycle. The process utilizes a novel series of adsorption and desorption steps to collect the less selectively adsorbed product in substantially pure form under relatively constant flow rate at feedstock pressure.

Abstract: Porous carbonaceous adsorptive membranes are protected or passivated from surface degradation in moist air by oxidizing the surface at relatively mild conditions after initial preparation of the membrane by pyrolysis. Carbon dioxide is a preferred passivating gas. Contact of passivated membranes with moist air at ambient conditions unexpectedly improves membrane effectiveness in separating gas mixtures containing hydrogen and light hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A condensable component present at low concentration in a feed gas mixture containing the condensable component and a noncondensable component is recovered by selective adsorption from the feed gas mixture in an adsorption step, the resulting adsorbed condensable component is desorbed by a heated purge gas in a regeneration step to yield a purge gas effluent enriched in desorbed condensable component, and the purge gas effluent is cooled to condense and recover the condensable component as a liquid.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an improved process for producing plastic containers with excellent resistance to permeation by solvents such as hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon fuels, and hydrocarbon fuels with organic additives including lower alkanols and ethers consistently and reliably. The process is related to a treatment of plastic containers in a controlled manner with fluorine containing gases while blow molding them. In the process of the present invention, an article of manufacture, a container, is formed and subjected to fluorination by exposure to a fluorination gas. After the fluorination, the container is quenched by exposing the container to a fluorine reactive gas to react with the fluorine, thereby converting the fluorine to a less reactive gas.

Abstract: A method for increasing product recovery or reducing the size of steam methane reformer and pressure swing adsorption systems utilized for hydrogen production. A significant portion of the hydrogen in the PSA depressurization and purge effluent gas, which is otherwise burned as fuel in the reformer, is recovered and recycled to the PSA system to provide additional high purity hydrogen product. This is accomplished by processing selected portions of the depressurization and purge effluent gas in adsorbent membrane separators to increase hydrogen content for recycle to the PSA system. Remaining portions of the depressurization and purge effluent gas which contain lower concentrations of hydrogen are utilized for fuel value in the reformer.

Abstract: Recovery of hydrogen from hydrogen-containing gas mixtures by pressure swing adsorption is increased by utilizing an adsorbent membrane to concentrate hydrogen in the pressure swing adsorption reject gas and recycling the resulting hydrogen-enriched stream to the feed of the pressure swing adsorption system. Lower compression requirements are realized compared with the use of polymeric membranes for the same service because the hydrogen-enriched stream is recovered from the adsorbent membrane as nonpermeate at essentially the membrane feed pressure. Simultaneous permeation of carbon dioxide and methane occur in the adsorbent membrane, which can be operated at feed pressures as low as 5 psig when hydrogen is used as a sweep gas.

Abstract: A floating gate electrically erasable MOS transistor comprising a silicon substrate having source and drain regions and a channel region disposed between the source region and the drain region. The source and drain regions are formed from a semiconductor material having one conductivity type, and the channel region is formed from a semiconductor material having a conductivity type opposite the conductivity type of the semiconductor material forming the source and drain regions. A control gate region is formed in the silicon substrate horizontally spaced apart from the channel region. The gate region is formed from a semiconductor material having the same conductivity type as the semiconductor material forming the source and drain regions. A polysilicon layer bridges the control gate region and the channel region for communicating an electrical potential from the first gate region to the channel region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a surface modified polymeric gas separation membrane having improved selectivity, particularly for oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures, prepared by forming a membrane of a polymer having the structural formula ##STR1## wherein R and R" can be the same or different linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group having one to twelve carbon atoms, or R can be H, with the proviso that both R and R" cannot be methyl, and n is at least 100, and treating the surface of the membrane with a fluoro-oxidizing agent at conditions sufficient to fluoro-oxidize the membrane surface.

Abstract: A composite of a rigid, glassy, permeable membrane of a silyl or germyl-containing polyacetylene and a thin surface layer of a plasma polymerized monomer having pendant nitrogen heterocycles is provided; the composite has high flux and selectivity and is particularly useful for separating gas mixtures containing at least two components having different permeabilities through the composite structure.

Abstract: The present invention is a modified polymeric membrane having improved selectivity for separating gas mixtures. The membrane comprises a silyl substituted polyacetylene polymer to which has been added 5 to 50 wt. % of an additive which is miscible with the polymer, has a boiling point >300.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure, is soluble in a common solvent for the polymer and increases the selectivity ratio of O.sub.2 /N.sub.2 by at least 15% over the polymer without the additive.

Abstract: Polymers having a substantially completely fluorinated surface of low surface energy and substantially free of oxygen and having a thickness up to about 200 Angstroms, the remainder of the polymer comprising a non-fluorinated polymer.

Abstract: Fluorinated low energy polymer surfaces are provided by fluorinating a hydrocarbon polymer with ions or radicals of fluorinated species in a cold plasma.