The invention relates to the use of an amine base as neutralisation agent for polymer dispersions, characterised in that the amine base used corresponds to the formula (I),

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where R.sup.1 represents C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl, CH.sub.2CH.sub.2OH or CH.sub.2CH(CH.sub.3)OH.

Provided is a cooling water spray apparatus including a plurality of spinners disposed to be adjacent to one another along a travel path of a target to be cooled, and a plurality of cooling water spray holes provided on each spinner and configured to spray cooling water. The plurality of spinners may be non-overlappingly disposed with respect to one another.

A system and method of collecting and transporting exhaust gases, preferably gases generated via the burning of fossil fuels, to a remote treatment facility. The exhaust gases include greenhouse gases, airborne particulates, and other pollutants. The present system comprises a gas extraction cap for collecting exhaust gas emitted from a point source of pollution, a pump for drawing water from a water source, a means for mixing the captured exhaust gas with the drawn water, a pipeline for transporting the gas-water solution to a remote treatment facility, and one or more high-pressure boilers for separating the water from the gas-water solution, leaving the exhaust gases available for treatment at the facility. Once the gas-water mixture arrives at the processing location, it then goes through one or more boiling steps in order to separate the water from the captured gases.

The present invention provides a method of treating an exhaust gas stream 12 from a processing chamber 10. The method comprises the steps of: conveying the exhaust gas from the processing chamber using a vacuum pumping arrangement 11, 22 or atmospheric line; abating the exhaust gas in an abatement region 18 of an abatement device 14; and injecting a cooling agent, such as a liquid 26, downstream of the abatement region to cool the abated gases in a cooling region 24 by phase change of the cooling agent.

A method of cooling an abatement apparatus for abatement of an effluent stream from a semiconductor processing tool includes: providing at least one modular cooling assembly having a cooling capacity; determining a cooling requirement of an abatement apparatus; and incorporating into the abatement apparatus a number of the modular cooling assemblies whose cumulative cooling capacity at least matches the cooling requirement of the abatement apparatus. In this way, multiple modular cooling assemblies may be incorporated into the abatement apparatus, each of which provides cooling capacity. The number of modular cooling assemblies can be selected to suit the cooling requirement of the abatement apparatus.

A gas quench tower of a flue gas generator utilizes an incoming water stream at ambient temperature to cool the flue gas stream. Hot water discharged from the flue gas quench tower can be pumped to a variety of destinations, including the flue gas generator to be utilized as boiler feed water having an elevated temperature, thereby reducing the fuel demand for the boiler. Water may also be used to supply hot water demand to a building or may be utilized in an absorption chiller to provide chilled air. The oxygen content of the feed air delivered to the flue gas generator may be enriched by use of a membrane unit which provides a permeate stream having an enriched oxygen and carbon dioxide content to replace normal combustion air, reduce consumption of fuel gas, and further concentrate the CO2 and water in the flue gas.