Configurations and related processing schemes of direct or indirect (or both) intra-plants and thermally coupled heating systems synthesized for grassroots medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries to increase energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste heat sources are described. Configurations and related processing schemes of direct or indirect (or both) intra-plants and thermally coupled heating systems synthesized for integrated medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries and aromatics complex for increasing energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste sources are also described.

Configurations and related processing schemes of inter-plants and hybrid, intra- and inter-plants' direct or indirect heating systems synthesized for grassroots medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries to increase energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste heat sources are described. Configurations and related processing schemes of inter-plants and hybrid, intra- and inter-plants' direct or indirect heating systems synthesized for integrated medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries and aromatics complex for increasing energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste sources are also described.

A method for treating petroleum, petroleum fraction, or natural gas, the process comprising:

adding a) a first component which is selected from material, particularly roots, of a plant of the genus Glycyrrhiza, and/or an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and b) a second component which is selected from a plant material or -ingredient comprising plastids, algae and/or cyanobacteria,
to the petroleum, petroleum fraction, or natural gas.

A feedstock delivery system transfers a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas generation system. The feedstock delivery system includes a splitter for splitting bulk carbonaceous material into a plurality of carbonaceous material streams. Each stream is processed using a weighing system for gauging the quantity of carbonaceous material, a densification system for forming plugs of carbonaceous material, a de-densification system for breaking up the plugs of carbonaceous material, and a gas and carbonaceous material mixing system for forming a carbonaceous material and gas mixture. A pressure of the mixing gas is reduced prior to mixing with the carbonaceous material, and the carbonaceous material to gas weight ratio is monitored. A transport assembly conveys the carbonaceous material and gas mixture to a first reactor where at least the carbonaceous material within the mixture is subject to thermochemical reactions to form the product gas.

The invention relates to CeO.sub.2 and La.sub.2O.sub.3 for catalyzing Fe.sub.2O.sub.3Al.sub.2O.sub.3 based chemical-looping reforming of CH.sub.4 with CO.sub.2 (CL-DRM). The reaction performance of all the composite oxygen carriers was evaluated in a fixed-bed reactor at atmospheric pressure condition. The influencing factors, including temperature and time-on-stream (TOS) were investigated. The characteristics of the oxygen carriers were checked with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The reducibility of the composite materials was elucidated with temperature-programmed reduction by CH.sub.4 (CH.sub.4-TPR). Preliminary experimental observations suggest that the simultaneous presence of CeO.sub.2 and La.sub.2O.sub.3 can not only enhance the reactivity of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3Al.sub.2O.sub.3 toward CH.sub.4 oxidation and its oxygen releasing rate for fast reaction kinetics, but also improve the reactivity of its reduced form toward CO.sub.2 splitting.

The present invention describes a process and catalysts for the conversion of a light hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide input stream into high quality syngas with the subsequent conversion of the syngas into fuels or chemicals. In one aspect, the present invention provides an efficient, solid solution catalyst for the production of a carbon containing gas from carbon dioxide and light hydrocarbons. The catalyst comprises a single transition metal, and the transition metal is nickel.

Configurations and related processing schemes of direct or indirect inter-plants (or both) heating systems synthesized for grassroots medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries to increase energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste heat sources are described. Configurations and related processing schemes of direct or indirect inter-plants (or both) heating systems synthesized for integrated medium grade crude oil semi-conversion refineries and aromatics complex for increasing energy efficiency from specific portions of low grade waste sources are also described.

A continuous high capacity system for converting hydrocarbon-containing post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, and/or renewable hydrocarbon feedstock into biofuels having an extruder for agglomerating particles and pressurizing them, a shredder to shred the agglomerated particles, a heating system to rapidly heat the fine particulate, a separator that receives heated solids and prevents heated vapors from leaving the system, and a filter with solids separator that receives the heated vapor and further separates microfine solids from the heated vapor forming a substantially cleaned vapor. A vapor cooling system receives the substantially cleaned vapor and using controlled pressure and controlled temperature, cools the substantially cleaned vapor to at least one hydrocarbon liquid and a gas, forming a hydrocarbon liquid for transfer to another device and/or using the gas as a fuel.

Processes for producing high biogenic concentration Fischer-Tropsch liquids derived from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSW) feedstock that contains a relatively high concentration of biogenic carbon (derived from plants) and a relatively low concentration of non-biogenic carbon (derived from fossil sources) wherein the biogenic content of the Fischer-Tropsch liquids is the same as the biogenic content of the feedstock.

A variety of amphiphobic porous materials are provided. The materials can include a variety of porous frameworks that have an outer surface functionalized by a plurality of perfluoroalkyl moieties. By careful selection of appropriate perfluoralkyl moieties, hydrophobic properties can be imparted to the exterior surface of the porous materials without significantly impacting the wetting properties of the porous interior. This can be used to create a variety of highly amphiphobic porous materials. Methods of making and using the amphiphobic porous materials are also provided.