Abstract: Methane is produced from peat by solubilizing the phenolic polymers therein, and oxidizing the solute to produce short chain molecules. The short chain molecules are fermented to produce a gas that this scrubbed to remove CO.sub.2 to produce methane. Solubilizing takes place in a vertically oriented pressurized vessel that is circular in cross-section and divided into a number of regular vertically elongated compartments, each comprising a circular sector in cross-section, and extending the majority the height of the vessel. Slurried peat is fed into the top of one compartment while another compartment is being emptied from the bottom, the compartment being filled or emptied being progressively changed in response to rotation of a central shaft in the vessel. Oxidation of solubilized peat takes place in a structure that transports the solubilized peat in a substantially vertical wave path from an inlet to an outlet with oxygen being introduced at the bottoms of segments of the wave path, and CO.sub.

Abstract: In a reactor housing for conducting the catalytic oxidation of gaseous sulfur compounds, a plurality of empty tubes are arranged in an outer zone of the housing for having incoming gas to be reacted flow therethrough. Larger catalyst-filled tubes are arranged in an intermediate zone for having the gas flow therethrough after flowing through the empty tubes for performing the catalytic oxidation in the larger catalyst-filled tubes. An inner chamber includes an axial-flow pump arranged therein and is in communication with the outer and intermediate zones in such a way that a heat-transfer agent is caused to flow cross-currently into and out of the outer zone, intermediate zone and inner chamber for contacting the empty tubes and catalyst-filled tubes.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for making red phosphorus by subjecting molten yellow phosphorus to a thermal conversion reaction in a closed reaction zone. To this end, a hollow shaft-provided and closed ball mill is preheated to a reaction temperature within the range 280.degree. to 590.degree. C. Yellow phosphorus is continuously introduced into the ball mill through the hollow shaft in quantities per unit time which permit the reaction temperature prevailing inside the ball mill to be maintained without supply of heat from the outside. More particularly, decreasing quantities of yellow phosphorous are introduced per unit time at increasing temperature and increasing quantities of yellow phosphorus are introduced per unit time at decreasing temperature within the limits specified. Red phosphorus is allowed to cool inside the ball mill, water is poured over it and the whole is subjected to wet-grinding. An aqueous suspension of red phosphorus is finally removed from the ball mill.

Abstract: A vertical, cylindrical reaction vessel for catalytic, exothermic gas-phase reaction in which gaseous raw materials are passed substantially in the radial direction through a catalyst layer including therein cooling tubes extended vertically. A cooling medium is passed through the cooling tubes to remove the heat of reaction generated thereby attaining the optimum temperature distribution along the direction of flow of the gaseous raw materials.

Abstract: An improved device for the distribution of liquids in a vertical heat-exchange apparatus which has reeds mounted on the top ends of vertical tubes to spread a liquid in film form over the internal surface of each tube of the tube bundle. The reeds of the invention are closed at their tops instead of being open as was common in conventional practice, and the reeds have an array of circumferential perforations near their closed tops for venting off gases and vapors which evolve from said liquid, while tangential perforations extend through the peripheral surface of the reeds in intermediate sections thereof. The pressure drop of gases and vapors can be adjusted within a wide range and corrosion in the top portion of the tubes is very efficiently prevented.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting, i.e. hydrogenating, dry particles of coal with hydrogen to give hydrocarbons such as engine or heating fuels. The invention combines together several steps in the hydrogenation process, such as compressing the dry coal, heating, plasticized and hydrogenating, in one apparatus. The apparatus comprises a housing, preferably a cylinder containing a feed and preparation portion of a chamber with a rotatable friction element therein and an immediately adjoining hydrogenation portion of the chamber with a rotating rotor therein and with static mixing nozzles projecting thereinto, through which nozzles heated hydrogen can be injected into the coal which has been brought, by the friction element into a heated, plastic state. The friction element and rotor can be driven by a single drive means, the feed and preparation portion of the chamber can be fed with coal from a hopper through a wheel lock and the hydrocarbon products can be ejected through a valve into a separator.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a process and apparatus for manufacturing vanadium pentoxide in powder form by the thermal decomposition of ammonium metavanadate containing more than 10% NH.sub.3 in a single operation.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for producing potassium sulfate and hydrogen chloride gas from potassium hydrogen sulfate and potassium chloride is provided, which comprises a horizontal type muffle furnace having an arcuate upper wall, at least one shaft of an agitator, a means for feeding raw materials, and a means for discharging the reaction product, to discharge the product by overflow; and an outer casing for said muffle furnace in which said furnace is accomodated on a bed of an insulating material and a space over said furnace, as a passage for heating gas. A heating gas introduced into said space over said furnace supplies the heat quantity required for the total reaction, through the upper wall of the furnace to raw materials. According to this apparatus, the life of furnace for continuous operation can be prolonged.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for condensing solid materials such as phosphates which tend to sinter and adhere when heated in a reactor wherein the reactants are introduced into a trough-like reactor provided with at least one set of rotatable agitating paddles. Heat is supplied to the reactor by passing a heating medium, such as a molten salt or a molten metal, through one or more heating jackets on the exterior of the reactor housing. The agitating paddles press the solid material in a thin layer against the wall of the reactor housing, and the material in the layer absorbs heat from the heating medium and sinters to a hard layer. One paddle of each set of paddles is provided with a stripping knife which moves along a path closely adjacent to the exterior wall of the reaction chamber to strip sintered material from the wall of the reactor housing. Heat is also transferred to the interior of the reactor housing by circulating the peeled material through the interior region of the reactor housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing the drive end of a chamber for the preparation and hydrogenation of coal with hydrogen to form hydrocarbons in which the chamber comprises a hollow cylinder with a rotatable element therein having a conveying web thereon and in a sealing region a pressurized sealing substance such as coal particles mixed with oil is fed from a storage container through a feed passage into an annular recess at a pressure higher than that in the chamber so that the sealing substance passes through a conical annular gap which tapers towards the chamber. A further narrower gap on the drive side of the recess leads to a further annular recess from which the sealing substance can be extracted through a return pipe. Pressure comparison means control the feed pressure in the feed passage. The recesses and the annular gap can be provided by machining the rotatable element rather than the hollow cylinder and forward feed screw forms may be provided on the rotatable element in the sealing region.

Abstract: A heat exchanger, reactor or like apparatus capable of carrying out heat exchange, material exchange or combinations thereof, comprises a cylindrical housing formed at one end with a cover and provided internally with a cylindrical partition carried by the cover and reaching toward but terminating short of the opposite end of the housing to subdivide the interior into an inner chamber or space and an outer annular chamber or space. A first fluid is fed to a helical-coil tube bundle in the outer space and then passes into a helical-coil tube bundle in the inner space before being discharged through a manifold and pipe in the cover disposed centrally. The inlet pipe or pipes are also carried by the cover outwardly of the central pipe. The conduits for the second fluid which open into the spaces and which pass around the heat exchanger pipes in these spaces are also carried by the cover and may extend coaxially with the first fluid conduits.

Abstract: A catalytic vapor phase oxidation reactor which comprises a fixed-bed shell and tube heat exchange apparatus in which a bundle of a multiplicity of tubes filled with at least one type of oxidizing catalyst are disposed in a shell and these tubes are passed through the apertures formed in at least one perforated shield plate to partition the inside of the shell into at least two heat transfer medium feed zones and in such a manner that each of the tubes passing through the perforated shield plate is not in direct contaction with the shield plate but the outer surface of the tube and the inner surface of the aperture are spaced apart by a distance of between 0.2-5 mm, supplying feed gas to the tubes of the reactor, and conducting exothermic catalytic vapor phase oxidation while controlling the temperatures for the heat transfer medium in each of the zones so that the temperature difference between each of the zones can be maintained between 0.degree.-100.degree. C.

Abstract: A high-temperature, fluid-wall chemical reactor can be equipped with a variable profile, counterflow heat exchanger and a reaction product control system. The heat exchanger includes two tubular walls, positioned concentric of one another, and a spiral baffle disposed between the two walls to define a spiral, annular coolant channel. The walls and baffle are made of a refractory material. The heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet to permit a coolant to be circulated through the coolant channel. The reaction product control system includes a reaction product analyzer and means for withdrawing and transferring samples of reaction product exiting the reactor. The reaction product analyzer can receive samples of reaction product and generate a signal corresponding to deviations between the chemical composition of the product and a preselected composition.

Abstract: A regeneration equipment for spent activated carbon comprises a regeneration reactor provided vertically through a vertical heating furnace and an integrated body of a longitudinal series of numerous spiral elements fixedly provided almost throughout the length of said regeneration reactor. Steam ducts are provided so that they are inserted in said regeneration reactor at about the middle portion thereof. On the outside surface of the wall of said regeneration reactor, fixedly provided are exhaust chambers, each of which communicates at its bottom portion with the inside of said regeneration reactor through exhaust holes provided in the wall of said reactor, and is filled with heat-resisting balls piled up in three layers so that the balls in the top and bottom layers are larger in diameter than said exhaust holes and those in the middle layer are similar in diameter to activated carbon particles.

Abstract: Ammonia converter for radial flow through two catalyst beds has a central heat exchanger mounted centrally in one of the beds. The process stream of synthesis gas is obtained by combining inside the converter separate feed streams: a shell stream serving to cool the converter shell, an exchange stream serving to cool the central heat exchanger, and a by-pass stream for final adjustment of the temperature of the process stream. The process stream passes in succession radially through the first catalyst bed in inwards direction through the central heat exchanger for being cooled, and radially through the second catalyst bed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calcining calcium sulphate dihydrate in a calcination vessel in which the dihydrate is heated in the vessel to calcination temperature not only by heat applied to the exterior of the vessel but also by hot gas, especially hot gaseous combustion products, supplied into the interior of the mass of calcining material within the vessel. The supply of hot gas according to the invention can improve the production rate in both batch and continuous calcination operations without adversely affecting the product quality, by permitting increase in the heat input to the vessel without entailing the risk of vessel bottom burn-out.

Abstract: Glass lined reactors for use with chemical reactions which require special conditions such as high temperatures or temperature control. These reactors include an integral baffle which improves the carrying out of such reactions without sacrificing advantages resulting from use of such equipment.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a product such as fertilizer which has acidic and basic constituents having, a venturi pump and a mixing tank. The venturi pump is powered by mixing the constituents in a reaction chamber and expelling the resulting product through a venturi tube. The venturi tube entrains additional product adjacent to the entrance of the tube and expels the additional product along with the product just produced by the reaction in order to mix the product in the tank.

Abstract: A low energy process for the production of hydrogen-rich gas which involves the process sequence of primary reforming and secondary reforming includes parallel steam reformers for the primary reforming of the hydrocarbon feed, one portion of the hydrocarbon feed being heated using radiant heat, i.e., a steam reforming furnace, and another portion of the hydrocarbon feed being heated using indirect heat exchange with the effluent from the secondary reforming, i.e., an exchanger-reactor.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a homogeneous, chemically reactive system of a starting material of highly viscous or pasty consistency, and at least one further reaction partner which is added to the starting material to chemically treat the starting material. The apparatus includes a substantially vertically oriented vessel having a cylindrical interior side wall and a frontal face at the top of the vessel. An inlet opening is provided for the starting material to be treated and an inlet opening is provided for each of the other reaction partners. The inlet openings are disposed in the frontal face of the vessel, are arranged in close juxtaposition when seen in the circumferential direction, and are in the vicinity of the interior wall of the vessel. A driven rotor, studded with a plurality of blades, is coaxially arranged in the interior of said vessel. The rotor has a first ring of blades which is arranged so that it scrapes over the openings of the inlet openings in the form of a knife edge.