A particular embodiment of the invention relates to a conveyor system (10) for conveying material (for example: particulate material such as a catalyst) from a particular storage area (such as drum (18)) to a second location (such as a reactor (13)). In accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, the conveyor system (10) is adapted to isolate from the environment the particular material to be conveyed; thus, avoiding that the particular material enters in contact with, for example, the atmosphere. Isolating the particular material is particular advantageous; because, for example, the isolation process suppresses activation of the material (such as the catalyst) due to coming in direct contact with the oxygen and moisture content of the atmosphere.

Systems, devices, and methods for transferring heat associated with an interface corresponding to a reactor. In some aspects, a system includes a sleeve having a body portion that defines a channel that extends from a first end to a second end of the body portion. The channel is configured to define a flow path that extends through a flange that is coupled to a pipe via a welding point a lip portion extending radially away from the first end and configured to be positioned between the flange and a reactor.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a process for producing hydrogen and graphitic carbon from a hydrocarbon gas comprising: contacting at a temperature between 600° C. and 1000° C. the catalyst with the hydrocarbon gas to catalytically convert at least a portion of the hydrocarbon gas to hydrogen and graphitic carbon, wherein the catalyst is a low grade iron oxide.

The invention relates to an apparatus for analyzing heterogeneously catalyzed reactions comprising at least one reactor (3) through which a particulate catalyst flows and at least one reactant feed, wherein arranged downstream of each reactor (3) is a separation apparatus (17) for separating the particulate catalyst from a reaction product comprising condensable gases and arranged downstream of the separation apparatus (17) is a liquid separator (31) for separating liquid constituents from the reaction product, wherein the liquid separator (31) comprises a metallic tube (103) and a deflection body (119), wherein the metallic tube (103) is closed at its ends and the deflection body (119) is accommodated in the metallic tube (103) and the metallic tube (103) comprises a side feed (135) at a first end (105) and a gas outlet (113) at a second end (107) and the gas outlet (113) is connected to at least one sample vessel (37). The invention further relates to a process for analyzing heterogeneously catalyzed reactions in the apparatus.

A process for cleaning and beneficiating biomass is described which may allow removal of entrained salts and light volatiles from biomass materials. The process may also minimize energy use through capturing steam and flue gases for re-use. The process may generally comprise the following steps: prewashing and/or preheating a biomass, pressurizing the biomass in a steam explosion vessel, rapidly depressurizing the steam explosion vessel, releasing the steam from the steam explosion vessel entrained with fine lignin-enriched particles into a cyclone-type gas expansion vessel, routing the steam from the gas expansion vessel to the input hopper, subjecting the biomass to a second washing step, mechanically removing a portion of the water from the biomass, and evaporatively heating the biomass.

A membrane reactor includes a catalyst layer, a separation membrane, and a buffer layer. The catalyst layer contains a catalyst for promoting a conversion reaction from a feed gas containing hydrogen and carbon oxide to a liquid fuel. The separation membrane is permeable to water vapor which is a byproduct of the conversion reaction. The buffer layer is disposed between the separation membrane and the catalyst layer, and permeable to the water vapor toward the separation membrane.

Provided is a ceramic composite material and a wavelength converter. The ceramic composite material includes: an alumina matrix, a fluorescent powder uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, and scattering centers uniformly distributed in the alumina matrix, wherein the alumina matrix is an alumina ceramics, the scattering centers are alumina particles, the alumina particles each have a particle diameter of 1 μm to 10 μm, and the fluorescent powder has a particle diameter of 13 μm to 20 μm.

A device for cooling a fine-grained solid includes a fluidized bed cooler/heater in which the solid is fluidized with a fluidizing gas and thereby releases energy in the form of heat within the cooler/heater at least two cyclones which are connected in parallel. The cyclones are arranged such that after the fluidization of the solid the fluidizing gas passes through the cyclones so contained particles are removed.

The present invention describes an integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilisation, which comprises: a) providing an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous solution and a particulate solid comprising an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) in a dissolution stage, contacting a CO.sub.2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry to dissolve magnesium from the mineral to provide a magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution and a magnesium depleted solid residue; c) recovering at least a portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue; d) in a separate acid treatment stage, reacting the recovered portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue with a solution comprising a mineral acid or acid salt to further dissolve magnesium and other metals and to provide an acid-treated solid residue; e) recovering the acid-treated solid residue; and f) in a separate precipitation stage, precipitating magnesium carbonate from the magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution.

A system for processing a hydrocarbon feed has a final stage reactor and internal separator with cyclone that forms a substantially gas stream and a substantially non-gas stream. The substantially gas stream is sent directly from the final stage reactor and separator to further downstream processing.