Abstract: Method for sterilizing soft contact lenses and the like using methoxymethane while the lenses are in a liquid-wetted state. Methoxymethane on the water-wet surface for a sufficient time kills the microorganisms (bacteria, molds and yeasts) that invade and are entrapped in the pores and irregular surfaces of the hydrophilic materials from which such soft contact lenses are made. An easily portable apparatus for applying this sterilization technique to the lenses is also disclosed. It includes a lens holder that can be held in a chamber that can be pressure-isolated to receive the methoxymethane gas from portable sources. In one form, an indicator shows that the lenses are under sterilization pressure. This novel arrangement dispenses with the inconvenience of using prolonged steaming, or questionable sterilization in disinfecting fluids which may affect the composition of the soft contact lens.

Abstract: The invention is a process for manufacturing a material, a mass of finely divided particles of which an applied magnetic field can induce to change from a non-magnetized condition, in a sense of exhibiting no net external field, to a magnetized condition, in a sense of exhibiting an external field, which comprises:A. reacting starting materials comprising a salt of an alkali metal, e.g., lithium, sodium or potassium, a salt of a first metal in a divalent state, a salt of iron in a trivalent state, at least one of said salts being a halide, and an epoxy compound in the presence of a solvent selected from the group consisting of lower alkanols and water to obtain a mixture comprising a metal hydroxide-containing and solvent-containing gel;B. drying said gel to remove the majority of the solvent therefrom without significantly altering the distribution of lithium, sodium, or potassium therein to obtain porous particles; andC. heating the porous particles to produce the desired material.

Abstract: Aflatoxin is removed from seeds or nuts such as peanuts by extraction with methoxymethane.

Abstract: The invention is an improvement in the prior art processes for producing a microorganism using ethylene as a carbon source. The improvement comprises:1. hydrating ethylene by contacting ethylene and water, both being in the vapor phase, with a supported phosphoric acid catalyst to form an aqueous-phase effluent comprising ethanol, diethyl ether, acetaldehyde, dissolved phosphate and water;2. feeding said effluent without substantial purification to a microorganism fermentation zone; and3. withdrawing from the fermentation zone an effluent and separating said microorganisms from said effluent and recycling to said hydration zone at least a portion of the unreacted water, ethanol, ether and aldehydes along with excess residual salts.

Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbons by injecting a mixture of oxidizing gas and steam into a lateral conduit in a hydrocarbon-containing formation to produce a product gas and, based on values contained in such gas, controlling the reactions between mixtures of oxidizing gas and steam and hydrocarbons in the formation to optimize the Btu value of the product gas.