Abstract: Burned oil shale recycled as heat transfer solids in retorting process conditioned under reducing conditions with hydrocarbon to improve product yield.

Abstract: A temperature gradient in staged turbulent bed retort established by adding heat transfer material at different levels along vertical length of retort to prevent thermal cracking of product vapors.

Abstract: A fluid-contacting process wherein fluid is contacted with convex and polylobal particles, the contacting stopped, a mixture of the particles formed and subsequently separated by screening. Also disclosed is a catalytic conversion process wherein a reaction is carried out in the presence of convex and polylobal catalysts, the reacting stopped, the catalysts withdrawn as a physical mixture from which one of the catalysts is separated, regenerated and returned to the process.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oil shale retorting process which is suitable for retorting lean oil shale containing less than 0.13 liters of oil per kilogram of shale. The raw shale is preferably retorted in a staged turbulent bed and the retorted hydrocarbonaceous vapors containing entrained shale fines are withdrawn therefrom. The fines are concentrated in a portion of the liquid product and fed to a combustion with the previously retorted shale to provide the heat required for retorting the raw shale.

Abstract: A process for producing a high-octane gasoline having reduced smog-forming tendencies, which comprises:A. thermally dehydrogenating-cracking isobutane to obtain propylene and isobutene;B. hydrating propylene to obtain isopropanol;C. etherating the isopropanol with the isobutene to obtain t-butyl isopropyl ether; andD. blending the t-butyl isopropyl ether with gasoline-boiling-range hydrocarbons.Preferably the thermal dehydrogenation is carried out under conditions, specifically including a temperature between about 1125.degree. and 1275.degree. F., to produce a molar ratio of isobutene to propylene between 1.0 and 1.25.