Abstract: A facilitated liquid membrane for the separation of olefins from a gaseous feed stream comprises a porous support structure (10, 15) and a liquid membrane which comprises an aqueous solution containing a metal salt facilitator capable of coordinating with olefin gases, and an alkyl carbonate co-solvent. A process for the separation of olefins from gaseous feed streams comprises the steps of passing a gaseous feed stream over one side of a facilitated liquid membrane according to the present invention and collecting the olefins on the other side of the membrane.

Abstract: Erasable optical memories for storing information are prepared from organic materials having two stable crystalline forms. Each crystalline form has at least one different optical characteristic and the materials are reversibly thermally convertible between the crystalline forms. Information is recorded or erased with a laser beam that heats a film of the organic material in a local area to change the crystalline form. Information may also be recorded or erased by melting a local area or all of the film and quickly cooling it to restore the original crystalline form. Examples of such organic compounds are biaryl compounds, such as binaphthyls, bianthryls and biquinolyls.

Abstract: A first row transition metal catalyzed procedure for the production of adiponitrile from acrylonitrile comprising mixing a first row transition metal salt, acrylonitrile, metallic reducing agent and solvent, heating the solution, and adding a quench solution to the mixture comprising a proton donor material having a 0<pk.sub.a <12 and an organic amide solvent for the proton donor material. Preferably, an organic ligand is added to the solution prior to heating and adding the quench solution.

Abstract: Disclosed is the dimerization of acrylonitrile to .alpha.-methyleneglutaronitrile using certain metal aryl sulfinate and selenate catalysts.