The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms and methods for producing mogroside compounds and mogroside precursors.

The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms and methods for producing mogroside compounds and mogroside precursors.

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.

An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.

The problem addressed by the present invention is providing a fluid processing method including extraction that can extract material to be extracted continuously with high efficiency. In a thin film fluid formed between at least two processing surfaces (1, 2) disposed facing each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other such that at least one rotates relative to the other, a fluid processing that extracts at least one kind of material to be extracted in at least one kind of the extraction solvent that can extract that material to be extracted is carried out. In addition, the fluid containing at least one kind of material to be extracted and a fluid for extraction that contains the at least one kind of extraction solvent are mixed in the thin film fluid formed between the at least two processing surfaces (1, 2) disposed facing each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other such that at least one rotates relative to the other, and a fluid processing process that extracts the at least one kind of material to be extracted into the at least one kind of extraction solvent is carried out.

The problem addressed by the present invention is providing a fluid processing method including extraction that can extract material to be extracted continuously with high efficiency. In a thin film fluid formed between at least two processing surfaces (1, 2) disposed facing each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other such that at least one rotates relative to the other, a fluid processing that extracts at least one kind of material to be extracted in at least one kind of the extraction solvent that can extract that material to be extracted is carried out. In addition, the fluid containing at least one kind of material to be extracted and a fluid for extraction that contains the at least one kind of extraction solvent are mixed in the thin film fluid formed between the at least two processing surfaces (1, 2) disposed facing each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other such that at least one rotates relative to the other, and a fluid processing process that extracts the at least one kind of material to be extracted into the at least one kind of extraction solvent is carried out.

Methods and systems for recovering materials from streams from processes for the co-production of propylene oxide and styrene monomer. The processes may permit the recovery of products, such a mono-propylene glycol, or the recycling of products, such as α-methyl benzyl alcohol.

A supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) apparatus is provided that is capable of being operated in a continuous and/or steady-state fashion. The SFE apparatus may include an extraction assembly. The extraction assembly may include a first extraction chamber (FEC) to contain a first amount of source material from which a compound is to be extracted, and a second extraction chamber (SEC) to contain a second amount of the source material. The extraction assembly may include a valve to control a flow of a solvent into the FEC or the SEC. The SFE apparatus may include a collection chamber that is mounted substantially perpendicular to the extraction assembly. Other embodiments are described.

Embodiments of the disclosure produce a method and system for deasphalting a hydrocarbon feed. The hydrocarbon feed and a first solvent is combined using a Taylor-Couette mixer to form a mixed stream. The mixed stream and a second solvent are introduced to an extractor to produce a first deasphalted oil stream and a pitch stream. The first deasphalted oil stream is introduced to a solvent recovery unit to recover the first solvent and the second solvent via a recovered solvent stream and to produce a second deasphalted oil stream.

A counter-current liquid-liquid extraction column (1) adapted for the flow of two or more liquids (2) therein is disclosed. The column comprises within one common vessel (3): a first inlet (41) for a first liquid feed stream (51), a second inlet (42) for a second liquid feed stream (52), a first outlet (61) for a product stream (71), a second outlet (62) for a byproduct stream (72), a mixing section (8) comprising an agitation means (9), a static section (10) comprising a packing (11), optionally a collector (12) and/or distributor (13), characterized in that within the common vessel (3) are only one mixing section (8) and only either one or two static sections (10). The invention further relates to a process for using said column. The present invention further relates also to the use of the column or process in removing aromatic compounds from organic streams, in treating an oil stream of a refinery, or in a liquid-liquid extraction process.