Abstract: The continuous in-line melt flow rate control system (40; 100) is coupled to a mixer/extruder system (10; 97) including a polymer, stabilizer and degradent feeding system (12, 16, 18; 102) supplying mixed materials to the inlet end of an extruder (24; 108) having a die head (26) at the outlet end thereof. The control system (40; 100) is coupled between a rheometer (42; 112) which monitors a slip stream (46; 110) of melt from the extruder (24; 108) and a ratio controller (48; 93) in the feeding system (12, 16, 18; 102).

Abstract: A continuous process for the preparation in at least one esterification reactor of phthalate diesters utilizing phthalic acid or anhydride and a stoichiometric excess of at least one saturated aliphatic alcohol containing about 4 to about 10 carbon atoms comprises (a) reaction of phthalic acid or anhydride with said alcohol in a reactor zone, (b) purification of the diester in a purification zone in which the reaction product is neutralized with an alkali metal hydroxide, i.e., sodium hydroxide, to separate the diester and the unreacted phthalic acid or anhydride together with said saturated alcohol utilized in the reaction, said reaction product is separated into an organic phase and an aqueous waste phase.

Abstract: An improvement in the process for the removal of residual catalyst from polyether polyols is achieved by the use of a solvent wash and recovery system.

Abstract: A line driver system for digital communication, using logic-level voltages, between an electronic transmitter-receiver device and an electronic receiver device, such as between a computer and a typewriter, a line printer or a cathode ray tube, has the transmitter-receiver device at a location remote from the receiver device. An output of the transmitter-receiver device is electronically coupled to an input of the receiver device using one line of a communications bus. This output of the transmitter-receiver device is coupled to that line of the bus through an optical isolator and then through a power booster. The receiver device has an output that provides a voltage signal when the receiver device is switched on-line. This voltage signal is provided at that output of the receiver device when the receiver device is capable of transforming digital information, that is provided at its input, to a readable form that is printed or displayed by the receiver device.

Abstract: During the use of process equipment it is necessary to position control valves, change analog set-point signals for process controllers, move thermocouples to specific positions in thermowells, etc. A computer control system for these operations utilizes binary information on three sets of bits of a bus and an execute signal on another bit provided by a computer, usually at a remote area, to select the device of the equipment to be changed and to make the change. The system includes: an information interface card; a number of actuator module cards; decoder/demultiplexer means; and device select means. The interface card is connectable to first and second sets of bits of a bus that is connectable to additional systems. The device select means is connected to a third set of bits of the bus. The binary information to the device select means results in a signal only at one of its outputs, each output being connected to a different system.

Abstract: Aqueous streams contaminated with minor amounts of organic materials are separated into an aqueous fraction which is concentrated with respect to the organic contaminants and a water fraction relatively free of the organic contaminants by a method which includes a unique combination of reverse osmosis (RO) and ultrafiltration (UF). The organic contaminants include substances having molecular weights of less than 10,000 which are soluble in the aqueous stream initially but have limited solubility ranges and are precipitated therefrom upon concentration. The contaminated aqueous stream is circulated from the high pressure compartment of a RO unit to the high pressure compartment of an UF unit, then to the low pressure compartment of the UF unit, and then back to the high pressure compartment of the RO unit.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a plurality of filter press diaphragms at any one time is disclosed herein. In one form of the invention the apparatus includes a sealed housing containing a plurality of sealed modules fed from a common header, to produce the diaphragms batch-wise. In another form of the invention, an indexing table is employed to produce the diaphragms continuously.

Abstract: The system includes: a number of subassemblies, each containing a set of switches connectable at their pair of inputs to different sources of analog signals and containing a multiplexer/decoder having outputs connected to different switches for their selective actuation; a differential amplifier having a pair of inputs connected to the pair of outputs of all of the switches; analog/digital converter means having its input connected to the output of the amplifier and having outputs providing multi-bit digital information; and control means that provides various functions.

Abstract: At the general area of a set of BCD counter means, each to contain individual accumulated counts, a system, called a multi-counter register, is generally located for its use that permits the individual reading of the counter means in a selective mode by local readout means at the general area or by a computer at a remote area by the use of a small number of address channels extending from the location of the counter means to the computer.