In a method for the continuous precipitation of lignin from black liquor black liquor is provided so as to flow as a pressurized flow in a reactor with a dwell time of less than 300 s. An acidifying agent selected from the group of carbon dioxide, acid and their combinations is led to the flow at one or more feeding sites to lower the pH of black liquor. The pH is allowed to decrease by the effect of the acidifying agent in the pressurized flow to the precipitation point of lignin, the pressure of the pressurized flow is abruptly released, and lignin particles are separated from black liquor.

In a method for the continuous precipitation of lignin from black liquor black liquor is provided so as to flow as a pressurized flow in a reactor with a dwell time of less than 300 s. An acidifying agent selected from the group of carbon dioxide, acid and their combinations is led to the flow at one or more feeding sites to lower the pH of black liquor. The pH is allowed to decrease by the effect of the acidifying agent in the pressurized flow to the precipitation point of lignin, the pressure of the pressurized flow is abruptly released, and lignin particles are separated from black liquor.

This specification discloses an operational continuous process to convert lignin as found in ligno-cellulosic biomass before or after converting at least some of the carbohydrates. The continuous process has been demonstrated to create a slurry comprised of lignin, raise the slurry comprised of lignin to ultra-high pressure, deoxygenate the lignin in a lignin conversion reactor over a catalyst which is not a fixed bed without producing char. The conversion products of the carbohydrates or lignin can be further processed into polyester intermediates for use in polyester preforms and bottles.

A method for upgrading a petroleum feedstock using a supercritical water petroleum upgrading system includes introducing the petroleum feedstock, water and an auxiliary feedstock. The method includes operating the system to combine the petroleum feedstock and the water to form a mixed petroleum feedstock and introducing separately and simultaneously into a lower portion of an upflowing supercritical water reactor. The auxiliary feedstock is introduced such that a portion of a fluid contained within the upflowing reactor located proximate to the bottom does not lack fluid momentum. An embodiment of the method includes operating the supercritical water petroleum upgrading system such that the upflowing reactor product fluid is introduced into an upper portion of a downflowing supercritical water reactor. The supercritical water petroleum upgrading system includes the upflowing supercritical water reactor and optionally a downflowing supercritical water reactor.

An instrument system for acid digestion is disclosed. The instrument includes a heating block, a reaction vessel formed of a polymer that is resistant to acid and other chemical attack at temperatures above 150° C. and that has a structure (thickness, etc.) sufficient to withstand pressures above atmospheric, a metal sleeve surrounding the polymeric reaction vessel, and an opening in the block that has a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of the metal sleeve.

An integrated upgrading process for upgrading a heavy oil, the process comprising the steps of introducing a heavy oil to a visbreaker unit; processing the heavy oil in the visbreaker unit to produce a visbreaker product stream; feeding the visbreaker product stream to a fractionator; separating the visbreaker product stream in the fractionator to produce a bottoms stream, a gas oil stream, a naphtha stream, and a gas product stream; feeding the bottoms stream to a supercritical water unit; and processing the bottoms stream in the supercritical water unit to produce an upgraded bottoms stream.

A method for revamping an ammonia plant including a steam system, said steam system comprising at least a high-pressure section operating at a first pressure and a medium-pressure section operating at a second pressure lower than said first pressure, the revamping including: the provision of at least one additional heat recovery by means of a steam flow at a third pressure which is intermediate between said first and second pressure, and the provision of a steam export line arranged to export outside the ammonia plant at least a portion of said steam flow at said third pressure.

Processes for drying gel particles, in particular for producing aerogels, involve providing a suspension containing gel particles and a solvent, introducing the suspension into a column where carbon dioxide flows in countercurrent, and removing dried aerogel particles from the column. The suspension is introduced in the top region of the column and dried aerogel particles are removed in the lower region. Pressure and temperature in the column are set such that the mixture of carbon dioxide and solvent is virtually supercritical or is supercritical. The aerogel particles can be discharged via discharge vessels or continuous decompression. Aerogel particles can be obtained by such a process and the aerogel particles can be used for medical and pharmaceutical applications, as additive or carrier material for additives for foods, as catalyst support, for cosmetic, hygiene, washing and cleaning applications, for production of sensors, for thermal insulation, or as a core material for VIPs.

Compositions are provided that include having at least 95% by weight of a taxane, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, where the particles have a mean bulk density between about 0.050 g/cm.sup.3 and about 0.15 g/cm.sup.3, and/or a specific surface area (SSA) of at least 18 m.sup.2/g, 20 m.sup.2/g, 25 m.sup.2/g, 30 m.sup.2/g, 32 m.sup.2/g, 34 m.sup.2/g, or 35 m.sup.2/g. Methods for making and using such compositions are also provided.

A process to produce aromatic compounds in a heavy oil product stream comprising the steps of separating the depressurized effluent to produce a vapor product stream and a liquid product stream, reducing a temperature of the vapor product stream to produce a cooled vapor product, separating the cooled vapor product to produce a light oil stream, wherein the light oil stream comprises olefins, separating the light oil stream to produce a light oil slip stream and a light stream, mixing the light stream with a water feed stream to produce an olefin-containing water stream, increasing a pressure of the olefin-containing water stream to produce a pressurized water feed, increasing a temperature of the pressurized water feed to produce a hot water feed, wherein a temperature of the hot water feed is greater than 450° C., converting olefins to aromatic compounds in the hot water feed.