Pressure sponge

The first cellular synthetic plastic was an unwanted cellular phenol—formaldehyde resin produced by early workers in this field. The elimination of cell formation in these resins, as given by Baekeland in his 1909 heat and pressure patent (2), is generally considered the birth of the plastics industry. The first commercial cellular polymer was sponge mbber, introduced between 1910 and 1920 (3). 

The iron sponge process is very old (introduced in England in the mid-19th century) and very simple. It removes only H S and mercaptans. It is good only for streams containing low H2S concentrations at pressures of 25 to l,200psig. Hydrated iron oxide containing water and of proper pH is supported on wood chips or other material. Water is injected with the gas. 

The iron sponge process uses the ehemical reaction of ferric oxide with Hi.S to sweeten gas streams. This process is applied to gases with low H S concentrations (300 ppm) operating at low to moderate pressures (. vO-SOO psig). Carbon dioxide is not removed by this process. 

The superficial gas velocity (that is, gas flow rate divided by vessel cross-sectional area) through the iron-sponge bed is normally limited to a maximum of 10 ft/min at actual flow conditions to promote proper contact with the bed and to guard against excessive pressure drop. Thus, the vessel minimum diameter is given by ... 

Haliclonacyclamine E (13) and arenosclerins A (14), B (15), and C (16) have been isolated from the marine sponge Arenosclera brasiliensis, endemic in Brazil. Crude extracts of this sponge displayed potent cytotoxic and antibiotic activities, and were subjected to fractionation by sihca-gel flash chromatography, medium pressure chromatography on a SiOH cyanopropyl-bonded column, and reversed-phase Cis column chromatography to give compounds 13-16 [18]. The structure elucidation was based on spectroscopic analysis, including HRFABMS, COSY, HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and HMBC NMR... 

Very precise kinetic experiments were performed with sponge Ni and Ru/C catalysts in a laboratory-scale pressurized slurry reactor (autoclave) by using small catalyst particles to suppress internal mass transfer resistance. The temperature and pressure domains of the experiments were 20-70 bar and 110-130°C, respectively. Lactitol was the absolutely dominating main product in all of the experiments, but minor amounts of lactulose, lactulitol, lactobionic acid, sorbitol and galactitol were observed as by-products on both Ni and Ru catalysts. The selectivity of the main product, lactitol typically exceeded 96%. 

Hydrogenation of lactose to lactitol on sponge itickel and mtheitium catalysts was studied experimentally in a laboratory-scale slurry reactor to reveal the true reaction paths. Parameter estimation was carried out with rival and the final results suggest that sorbitol and galactitol are primarily formed from lactitol. The conversion of the reactant (lactose), as well as the yields of the main (lactitol) and by-products were described very well by the kinetic model developed. The model includes the effects of concentrations, hydrogen pressure and temperature on reaction rates and product distribution. The model can be used for optinuzation of the process conditions to obtain highest possible yields of lactitol and suppressing the amounts of by-products. 

Maximum productivity is given by the shortest possible time of cure, provided the selected time and temperature do not produce an unacceptable level of defects or early failures in service. Sufficient cure must be given to prevent porosity, since badly undercured rubber will sponge at pressure release. It is better to risk a slight overcure rather than an undercure, since if the curatives are correctly chosen (in type and quantity) the compound should show a plateau effect, which means that a reasonable overcure will not have any marked effect on the physical properties of the product. 

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