Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of substantially pure ethyl acetate from a feedstock including ethyl acetate, ethanol and water. The process includes supplying the feedstock to a first distillation zone maintained under first distillation conditions effective for distilling from the feedstock a first distillate including ethyl acetate, ethanol, and less than about 10 mol % water. The first distillate is recovered from the first distillation zone and is supplied to a second distillation zone maintained under second distillation conditions, which include use of a higher pressure than that of the first distillation zone. The second distillation conditions are effective for distilling from the first distillate a second distillate including ethanol, water, and a minor proportion of ethyl acetate and yielding a substantially pure ethyl acetate bottom product, which is recovered. The second distillate is returned to the first distillation zone.

Abstract: Ethanol is dehydrogenated in the presence of hydrogen over a dehydrogenation catalyst, for example, a copper on silica catalyst. The liquefiable products present in the resulting intermediate reaction product mixture are selectively hydrogenated over a suitable catalyst, such as 5% ruthenium on carbon, so as selectively to hydrogenate reactive carbonyl-containing by-products to the corresponding alcohols. Butan-2-one and n-butyraldehyde are thereby hydrogenated to 2-butanol and n-butanol respectively. A two stage distillation procedure is then used to purify the selectively hydrogenated product. A first distillate of ethyl acetate, ethanol and water produced in the first distillation zone is redistilled in the second distillation zone, thereby producing a bottom product comprising, typically, from about 99.8 mol % to about 99.

Abstract: An automated liquid handler includes a probe assembly with a probe foot that can be moved down against the top of sample containers of a variety of sizes and shapes defined by racks, tubes or plates. A seal at the bottom of the foot provides a seal between the foot and the containers making it possible to prepare a SPE sample by using positive, probe introduced pressure within the containers to force liquid samples out through media at the bottom of the container. The foot seal is self sealing without the need for adhesives or other potential contaminates, and is removeably mounted to the probe foot.

Abstract: An open computing system including a central client system and a plurality of server systems connected through a network, wherein the servers each include load calculators for calculating the load on the server at predetermined first sampling instants, a load rate calculator for determining the progress rate of the load on each server and memory for storing the load and the progress rage. The client includes means for polling, which at predetermined second sampling instants, requests each server to furnish the progress rate of the load and an average load over a predetermined number of first sampling instances, memory for storing the progress rate of the load and the average load, and a server selector for selecting the least loaded server to provide services for an application running on the client. The system optimizes the selection of servers in a multi-server system.

Abstract: Compensation is provided in a welded structure formed from dissimilar metals e.g. carbon steel and stainless steel for knife-line corrosion occurring at the interface between the dissimilar metals by making the length of the path along which knife-line corrosion is liable to occur between the metals towards the load bearing area of the weld exceed the expected extent of knife-line corrosion over the design life of the structure. The interface exposed to the corrosive environment may be displaced from the load bearing region of the weld by providing a layer of metal e.g. the weld metal over, and fused to the surface of the one of the components with which the metal of the layer forms a knife-line corrodable combination. That surface may include the surface of an appendage integral with or welded to the component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously circulating a mixture comprising a liquid and a gas around a system comprising a riser and a downcomer and a gas disengagement section in which liquid flows downwardly at a velocity which does not exceed 0.2 meters per second and is being injected into a lower section of the riser. The method and apparatus are particularly useful for conducting aerobic fermentations.