Abstract: In the oxidation of propylene and/or acrolein, high-boiling or non-volatile byproducts are separated from the solvents used for absorbing the acrylic acid by treating the said solvents laden with byproducts with the hot reaction gases in such amounts that the major portion of the solvents evaporates, the residual solvent containing a high percentage of said byproducts then being discarded or worked up.

Abstract: A water-containing pond for collecting solar energy for utilization in a process for recovering potable water from non-potable water and/or for the generation of power. The solar pond is designed to increase the quantity and efficiency of water evaporation, from heated pond water, into a heated flowing air stream. Construction in such that there is afforded an increase in the absorptivity/emissivity (a/e) ratio with respect to the incidence of solar radiation.

Abstract: Process for the separation or purification of heat-sensitive compounds by carrier-vapor distillation, wherein the superheated solvent vapor which is loaded with the compound to be distilled is cooled by treatment with condensed solvent in counter-current and the amount of condensed solvent is measured in such a manner that a saturated solution of the compound which is almost at boiling point is formed from the superheated, loaded vapor. The process being especially apted for separating or purifying 4-hydroxybenzaldehydes optionally substituted by one or more C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy groups.

Abstract: A process for recovering potable water from a source of salinous water -- e.g. sea and/or ocean water. Certain modifications afford the simultaneous generation of power. A portion of salinous water and an air stream are introduced into a solar radiation heat sink, with the air stream flowing over the salinous water. Heated, water-containing air is withdrawn from the heat sink and reduced in temperature to recover potable water. The heated salinous water, from the heat sink, may be recycled thereto, or at least in part introduced into a flash separation zone, maintained at a subatmospheric pressure to provide a non-salinous vaporous phase which is passed through a turbine, from the resulting motion of which power is generated. The exiting turbine vapors are cooled and/or condensed via indirect contact with a second portion of salinous water to recover additional potable water.

Abstract: A process for recovering potable water from a source of salinous water -- e.g. sea and/or ocean water. Certain modifications afford the simultaneous generation of power. A portion of salinous water and an air stream are introduced into a solar radiation heat sink, with the air stream flowing over the salinous water. Heated, water-containing air is withdrawn from the heat sink and reduced in temperature to condense potable water. The heated salinous water, from the heat sink, is at least in part recycled thereto, while the remainder is introduced into a plurality of flash separation zones, each succeeding one of which is maintained at a lower subatmospheric pressure than the preceding, and through which the liquid phase passes in series. In order to afford a 24-hour continuous process, the hourly rate of heated salinous water withdrawal, including evaporated water, is less than the rate of salinous water introduction to the heat sink.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the distillation of readily polymerizable vinyl aromatic compounds which comprises subjecting such compounds to distillation conditions in the presence of an effective amount of a combination of phenothiazine and a phenolic compound, preferably tert-butylcatechol (TBC), as a polymerization inhibitor system in the presence of oxygen.

Abstract: A method of recovering primary or secondary amines from aqueous, organic or aquo-organic solutions of said amines by subjecting these solutions to distillation or rectification in the presence of carbonic acid.

Abstract: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is recovered from the raffinate and extract phases produced by its use in hydrocarbon extraction processes, particularly lube oil extraction, through the use of flash evaporation and/or distillation followed by gas stripping. Water buildup in the recovered solvent is prevented by employing solvent dehydration means in the solvent recovery line after gas stripping. Proper control of process parameters enables the dehydration means to remove excess water without requiring additional heat input to the process.

Abstract: Liquid radioactive wastes are concentrated to form a pasty radioactive concentrate by evaporation below the boiling point of the waste by injecting a hot gaseous medium tangentially in a vortex stream over the entire surface of the liquid waste, thereby entraining vapor evaporated from the liquid surface, removing the gaseous medium together with the entrained vapor, drying and reheating the removed gaseous medium and recirculating it in a vortex stream over the surface of the waste, which may then be stored in the same container in which the evaporation took place.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting the polymerization of acrylic acid or acrylic esters during the distillation for separating or purifying the acrylic acid obtained by the vapor phase catalytic oxidation of propylene or acrolein, or the acrylic esters derived from said acrylic acid, said method comprising carrying out the distillation operation in the presence of (A) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, hydroquinonemonomethyl ether, cresols, phenols, t-butyl catechol, diphenylamine, phenothiazines and methylene blue (B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of copper dimethyldithiocarbamate, copper diethyldithiocarbamate copper dibutyldithiocarbamate and copper salicylate: and (C) molecular oxygen.

Abstract: Seawater is deoxygenated with a nitrogen stripping gas, with the nitrogen stripping gas containing stripped oxygen, being subjected to low temperature fractionation to separate oxygen from the nitrogen. The nitrogen recovered from the fractionation is then recycled to the stripping operation. Air is also employed as feed to the fractionation to provide additional nitrogen and reflux requirements.

Abstract: A process for removing unreacted monomers or solvents from synthetic rubber latex or synthetic resin latex comprising bringing said latex into contact with an inert gas fluid at a temperature ranging from 40.degree. to 100.degree. C by feeding said latex into the upper part of a wetted-wall tower without imposing any substantial mechanical shear stress.

Abstract: 2,5 DIOXO-1-OXA-2-PHOSPHOLANES OF THE GENERAL FORMULA: ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 stands for an alkyl radical having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a phenyl radical, and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each stand for hydrogen or CH.sub.3, are distillatively purified. To this end the respective crude compound is preheated to 120.degree. to 160.degree. C and fed to the head of a distilling column provided with a plurality of individually heatable trays maintained at temperatures increasing from the upper-most tray to the lowermost, the uppermost tray in the column being maintained at 120.degree. to 160.degree. C and the lowermost tray being maintained at 160.degree. to 200.degree. C, the pressure at the head of the column being 20 to 200 mm Hg, preferably 50 to 120 mm Hg; an inert gas preheated to 160.degree. to 200.degree.

Abstract: This invention relates to the low temperature regeneration of liquid desiccants and acid gas absorbing liquid desiccants. Both classes of desiccants can be regenerated to separate water and/or water and acid gases to a satifactory degree under the pressure conditions employed at temperatures substantially below the normal boiling point of the dry desiccant or desiccant-water mixture by countercurrently contacting the desiccant to be regenerated in conventional distillation equipment with the vapors of an easily condensable hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture which is substantially immiscible with the regenerated desiccant at the boiling temperature of the hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture employed as a stripping agent.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a gaseous developer medium for a diazotype material from a developer solution, which apparatus comprises a vessel provided with a heater and an outlet for residual liquid, for generating a stream of vapor from a liquid,A conduit in which a stream of developer solution flowing in one general direction can come into contact with a stream of vapor flowing in the other general direction, which conduit communicates at one end with the vessel and is provided at, or in the vicinity of, the other end with an inlet for the developer solution,A condenser which communicates with the end of the conduit remote from the vessel, the condenser having an outlet for gaseous developer medium and an outlet for condensed developer medium,And a vaporizing vessel adapted to be located in a developing chamber for diazotype materials, which vaporizing vessel communicates with the outlet for condensed developer medium.

Abstract: Manufacture of formaldehyde by oxidative dehydrogenation of methanol in the presence of a silver catalyst, wherein methanol and water are evaporated in the presence of air in a plate column containing a number of double plates each consisting of a sieve plate and a lower plate having the form of a shallow bowl and inclined at a specific angle to the horizontal, the resulting vaporous mixture then being reacted. The formaldehyde which may be produced by the process of the invention is a disinfectant, tanning agent, reducing agent and a valuable starting material for the manufacture of synthetic resins, adhesives and plastics.

Abstract: The process of separating a mixture which is in liquid state or solid state or liquid and solid state and contains at least one compound containing an organic group, which comprisesA. contacting said mixture with a gas maintained under supercritical conditions of temperature and pressure such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, and so that there is a substantial gas component that is identifiable as gas phase,B. separating the gas in the form of said identifiable gas phase loaded with the compound taken up during said contacting from any of the mixture not taken up by the gas while still maintaining supercritical conditions as aforesaid,C. thereafter separating the compound from the gas.

Abstract: An effluent from a process for producing vinyl chloride includes 1,2-dichloroethane and heavier components, with the 1,2-dichloroethane being recovered, in a heavy ends stripping column by use of ethane and/or ethylene as stripping gas. The stripping gas is ultimately used for production of vinyl chloride.

Abstract: Crude hydroquinone containing impurities is purified in a sublimation purification apparatus where the crude hydroquinone is introduced into a stirred and fluidized bed, a carrier gas which is inert to the hydroquinone is passed therethrough, and the temperature therein is kept at about 110.degree.-170.degree.C whereby crude hydroquinone is sublimed, and thereafter a mixed gas consisting of the sublimed vapor and the carrier gas is introduced into a condenser at a temperature at about 25.degree.-90.degree.C whereby the hydroquinone only is fractionally solidified. After the sublimation purification, hydroquinone of high purity can be collected.

Abstract: Water containing dissolved salt, e.g., sea water, is desalinized by vaporng a part thereof by direct contact with a flame within a closed vessel, e.g., by introducing the water as a spray into a closed vessel onto the flame, removing a gaseous mixture of vaporized water and combustion products, and condensing the water in the mixture within a condenser, while withdrawing unvaporized residual water, enriched in salt, from the bottom of the vessel at a rate to maintain a pool thereof in the vessel.