Abstract: Process for the conversion of hydrocarbons to ethanol and optionally acetic acid by converting hydrocarbon in a syngas reactor into a stream A comprising a mixture of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen preferably having a H2/CO molar ratio between 1.5 and 2.5, converting at least part of stream A in the presence of a particulate catalyst in a reactor under a temperature between 150 and 400° C. and a pressure of 5 to 200 bar, into a C2-oxygenates stream B, where stream B includes water, alkanes, ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate and acetic acid, which together represent least 80% by weight of the products obtained from the C2-oxygenates conversion reactor. The C2-oxygenates stream B is separated into a stream C comprising H2, CO, CO2 and alkanes, and a stream D including 15 to 40 wt % of acetic acid, 10 to 40 wt % of acetaldehyde and 15 to 40 wt % of ethanol.

Abstract: Process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks to oxygen-containing hydrocarbon compounds in the presence of a particulate catalyst, by reacting carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen in the presence of a particulate catalyst in a conversion reactor to form oxygen-containing hydrocarbon compounds. A saturated monocarboxylic acid having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms and/or an ester of a saturated monocarboxylic acid having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms with a monohydric aliphatic paraffinic alcohol having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms is added to the conversion reactor.

Abstract: A method of creating an image 4 obtained from say a camera 1 to obtain a substantially linear representation of the brightness of the image includes, for each of a set of pixels (x, y) in a two dimensional array, calculating, in a computer 3, an estimate of the true image intensity (ixy) as a weighted average of n samples of the apparent image intensity (vn,xy). This is calculated as: i ^ xy = ? n ? ? ( w n , xy ? ( v n , xy - C KT n ) ) ? n ? w n , xy = 1 K ? ? n ? ? ( w n , xy ? ( v n , xy - C T n ) ) ? n ? w n , xy where vn,xy is the apparent intensity measured, Tn is the exposure time, K is the gain of the system, C is an offset and wn,xy is a weighting factor which is defined to maximize the signal to noise ratio and discard insignificant, that is saturated or near zero, values.

Abstract: An immunogenic agent which comprises a killed strain of Burkholderia pseudomallei, or a combination of components thereof which combination produces a protective immune response in an animal to whom it is administered, and which comprises at least two members selected from the group consisting of (i) a lipopolysaccharide of Burkholderia pseudomallei, (ii) a capsular polysaccharide of Burkholderia pseudomallei and (iii) a protein of Burkholderia pseudomallei or an immunogenic variant thereof or an immunogenic fragment of either of these, or a nucleic acid which expresses said protein, immunogenic variant or immunogenic fragment thereof in a host animal; for use in the prevention or treatment of infection by Burkholderia pseudomallei and/or Burkholderia mallei.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process in term of selectivity and catalyst activity and operating life for the conversion of hydrocarbons to ethanol and optionally acetic acid in the presence of a particulate catalyst, said conversion proceeding via a syngas generation intermediate step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks to oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds in the presence of a particulate catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks to oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds in the presence of a particulate catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks to oxygen containing hydrocarbon compounds in the presence of a particulate catalyst.

Abstract: A process for producing an olefin and/or an ether is described, which comprises heating an alcohol in the presence of an acidic ionic compound which exists in a liquid state at a temperature of below 150° C.

Abstract: A system is provided for creating a larger montage image 8 of an object from a series of smaller source images 7 of different views of an object through, say, a microscope which forms an imaging means for providing images of an object. A data storage means such a framestore board 4 in a computer 5 stores data representative of the montage image of the object. Data representative of a first and subsequent source images is included in that representative of the montage image, in order to increase the data stored representative of the montage image.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for purifying a heteropolyacid which comprises: subjecting an aqueous solution comprising (i) the heteropolyacid and (ii) salt impurities to at least one liquid/liquid extraction step with an organic solvent, characterized in that the organic solvent comprises a dihydrocarbyl ether having at least 5 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A method of creating an image 4 obtained from say a camera 1 to obtain a substantially linear representation of the brightness of the image includes, for each of a set of pixels (x, y) in a two dimensional array, calculating, in a computer 3, an estimate of the true image intensity (ixy) as a weighted average of n samples of the apparent image intensity (&ngr;n,xy).

Abstract: There is disclosed an ejection apparatus for ejecting material from a fluid. An ejection cell (5) contains fluid from which the material is to be ejected and has an ejection upstand (6) which defines a location from which the material is ejected. One or more ejection electrodes (9) are disposed in the cell substantially surrounding the ejection upstand (6).

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for purifying a heteropolyacid which comprises: subjecting an aqueous solution comprising (i) the heteropolyacid and (ii) salt impurities to at least one liquid/liquid extraction step with an organic solvent, characterized in that the organic solvent comprises a dihydrocarbyl ether having at least 5 carbon atoms.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for making glycol ethers by reacting an olefin oxide with an alcohol over a catalyst comprising a layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay with its layered structure intact and having interlamellar anions at least some of which are metal anions or (poly)oxometallate anions. In the LDH clays, the interlamellar anions present are inorganic metal anions, oxometallate or polyoxometallate anions and include inter alia one or more of the following anions: chromium, vanadium, molybdenum and phosphorus, and (poly)oxoanions thereof. A copper-chromium hydrotalcite anionic clay or a magnesium-aluminium hydrotalcite anionic clay exchanged with (poly)oxometallate anions are preferred.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the alkylation of aromatics by reacting an aromatic hydrocarbon with an olefin in the presence of an ionic liquid comprising (a) a compound of the formula R.sub.n MX.sub.3-n wherein R is a C1-C6 alkyl radical, M is aluminium or gallium, X is a halogen atom and n is 0, 1 or 2 and, (b) a hydrocarbyl substituted imidazolium halide or a hydrocarbyl substituted pyridinium halide wherein at least one of the said hydrocarbyl substituents in the imidazolium halide is an alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms. The process allows ready separation of reaction products from the ionic liquid and improves selectivity to alkylated products.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the production of lower aliphatic esters by reacting a lower olefin with a saturated lower aliphatic mono-carboxylic acid in the vapor phase in the presence of a heteropolyacid catalyst characterized in that an amount of water in the range from 1-10 mole % based on the total of the olefin, aliphatic mono-carboxylic acid and water is added to the reaction mixture during the reaction. The presence of water enhances the yield of the desired ester. The reaction mixture may optionally contain a di-ether to minimize the by-products.The process is particularly suitable for producing ethyl acetate from ethylene and acetic acid in the presence of water.