Abstract: The killing of microorganisms on the surface of porous and non-porous materials including agricultural commodities is accomplished by use of methods and apparatus which expose the material to controlled applications of a biocidal treatment gas into a sub-atmospheric environment. The material is first exposed to a vacuum then, without an intervening flush step, full treated with an air-free treatment gas prior to being re-exposed to a vacuum. The method and apparatus successfully kill microorganisms both on the surface and within the pores or structural recesses of the material without causing significant deleterious changes to the material.

Abstract: A method is described for the preparation of lactulose by isomerizing lactose to lactulose, followed by complexing lactulose to boric acid. The isomerization reaction is carried out in alkaline solution, and it is followed by splitting the lactulose-borate complex in acidic solution and separating the two components. Separation is achieved by crystallizing boric acid, filtering the crystals out of the product mixture, evaporating the product mixture to form a concentrate, recirculating the concentrate to the crystallization step where it is mixed with fresh reaction mixture in order to provide volume and nuclei for the crystallization of the boric acid in the reaction mixture, then passing the resulting mixture through another filtration step followed by an additional separation step by column chromatography.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes and apparatus utilizing, choke means at least partially providing restriction to passage of material and measurement of magnitude of force(s) exterted on said choke means by passage of material, to provide: (1) an indication of characteristics of the material, and/or; (2) control of said passage of material and/or control or processes or apparatus associated with said passage of material in response to the magnitude of the measured force(s).

Abstract: Edible tallow is continuously processed through a crystallizing system to produce three fractions, one of which has physical and thermal properties like those of cocoa butter. Nominal residence time of the crystallizing solution in the system at steady state crystallizing temperature is less than ten minutes.

Abstract: A continuous process for the preparation of isopropenyl stearate in which a comelt of stearic acid and zinc stearate is pumped through a reaction zone simultaneously with stabilized propyne. Total reaction time is about 10 minutes.