Abstract: A method for generating electricity in which sludge is anaerobically digested to form a gas mixture of methane and carbon dioxide and a residue of digested sludge. Water is removed from the digested sludge to form dewatered sludge, which, in turn, is gasified to form a gaseous composition which includes carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas mixture containing methane and carbon dioxide produced in the anaerobic digestion step is mixed with the gas mixture containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the gasification step and burned in an apparatus, such as a micro-turbine, for generating electricity. The non-carbonaceous fraction of the sludge is melted during the gasification step and rendered environmentally benign.

Abstract: An anionically stabilized lithium catalyst wherein the anion is sulfate, phosphate, aluminate, silicate and mixtures thereof. The anionically stabilized lithium catalyst may be supported on a metal oxide support of magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, calcium oxide, barium oxide, strontium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, samarium oxide, and mixtures thereof or when aluminate or silicate is used as the anion the aluminate or silicate may act as the support. The catalyst may be used to promote reactions at temperatures higher than prior lithium catalysts, particularly higher than about 600.degree. C., such as oxidative coupling of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons to produce higher molecular weight compounds and oxydehydrogenation of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons to produce unsaturated hydrocarbons or to change the functional group of the hydrocarbon.

Abstract: A liquid catalyst composition for the oxidative coupling of methane and other hydrocarbon compounds to produce higher hydrocarbons and for the oxidative dehydrogenation of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon compounds, aliphatic and alicyclic substituted aromatic hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof is disclosed.

Abstract: A catalytic process for gas phase oxidative coupling of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon compounds to produce higher molecular weight hydrocarbon compounds, the catalyst being a mixed basic metal oxide or sulfide catalyst. One preferred mixed basic metal oxide catalyst is boron/alkali metal promoted metal oxide.

Abstract: A mixed basic metal oxide/sulfide catalyst having the formulaxA.yB.zC.qDwherein A is an alkali metal selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and mixtures thereof; B is a cation which has an ionization state 2 and 3 greater than the ionization state of C; B is selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, vanadium and mixtures thereof; C is selected from magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and mixtures thereof; D is selected from oxygen, sulfur and mixtures thereof; x and y are in mole fractions of z such that when z=1 then x=0.001 to 0.25, and y=0.001 to 0.25; and q is a number necessary to maintain charge balance with D. The sulfide form provides tolerance for sulfur containing feedstocks. The catalyst is useful for oxidative coupling of methane and aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon compounds with an aromatic compound to produce higher molecular weight hydrocarbons and for dehydrogenating hydrocarbon compounds to produce unsaturated aliphatic and alicyclic chains.

Abstract: A mixed basic metal sulfide catalyst having the formula:xA.yB.zC.qSwherein A is an alkali metal selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and mixtures thereof; B is a cation which has an ionization state 1 greater than the ionization state of C; B is selected from scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, actinium, aluminum, boron and mixtures thereof when C is selected from beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, zinc, cadmium, mercury and mixtures thereof and B is selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, silicon and mixtures thereof when C is selected from scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, actinium, aluminum, boron and mixtures thereof; x and y are in mole fractions of z such that when z=1 then x=0.001 to 0.25, and y=0.001 to 0.25; and q is a number necessary to maintain charge balance with S being sulfur.