Abstract: A system for coating discontinuous fibers with a liquid coating material uses a hopper/blender which entrains the fiber particles in a toroidal mass of moving fibers. The hopper/blender has an inverted conical section with an agitator assembly rotated therein. The agitator assembly has a base disc with tubular blades projecting outwardly therefrom into the conical section. Aft swept lifter blades relative to the direction of rotation are mounted to the agitator disc. A method of applying a liquid coating material to discontinuous fibers is also disclosed.

Abstract: A technique for controlling the flow of solid particles including at least a certain minimum amount of magnetizable particles in a static fashion, that is, without moving parts is disclosed herein. This technique which relies on magnetism may be utilized for providing a static on/off valve for solids, a static variable control valve for solids, and other valve related operations. The disclosed technique may also produce a distributor for a fluidized bed of magnetic particles along or in combination with non-magnetic particles, and can also be used as a positively controlled distributor-downcomer for single or staged fluidized beds.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for transferring heat from a relatively hot stream of solid materials to a relatively cold stream of solid materials. Both streams cascade downward under the force of gravity over a series of heat pipes which are arranged between the streams to transfer heat therebetween. The heat pipes are arranged so they provide countercurrent heat transfer between the two materials streams. The invention is shown applied to a process for recovering hydrocarbons from shale rock.

Abstract: In a process that involves use of a fluidized bed of solid particulate material wherein fludization is obtained by passage of a gas through the bed, and the bed is stabilized by including discrete magnetizable particles in the bed and applying a substantially uniform magnetic field to the bed, temperature gradients that occur in the bed when the process in which the fluidized bed is used involves release or absorption of heat are reduced by periodically removing the magnetic field in a cyclical fashion. The period of magnetic field removal is long enough to destabilize the fluidized bed with respect to the positioning of fluidized particles so that the particles will move about in the bed, but the period of removal is not so long as to permit the unstabilized bed to exhibit a boiling or bubbling effect. The ratio of "on" time to "off" time is generally within the range of from about 4 to 1 to about 4000 to 1.