Apparatuses for polymerizing or devolatilizing a composition, especially one of high melt viscosity, are disclosed. Methods of polymerizing and devolatilizing a composition, especially one of high melt viscosity, are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a sight glass cover (10) with an integrated cleaning device, for closing an opening (14), comprising a sight glass (18), which has a glass edge (57) and a glass inner side (20), wherein the glass inner side (20) is facing the opening (14) when a sight glass cover (10) is placed on the opening (14), and a frame device (16), which encloses the sight glass (18) at least in the region of the glass edge (57), wherein the frame device (16) has a frame inner side (32), which is facing away from the glass inner side (20) and lies against a wall region 34 surrounding the opening (14) when a sight glass cover (10) is placed on the opening (14), a cleaning device (22), which is formed in the frame device (16) and has at least one channel (24) with an inlet opening (26) and an outlet opening (28) at a distance from the inlet opening (26), wherein the outlet opening (28) of the channel (24) is formed between the glass inner side (20) and the frame inner side (32), and the channel (24) is designed and formed in such a way that the glass inner side (20) of the sight glass (18) can be at least partially wetted with a medium (30) fed into the channel (24) by way of the inlet opening (26) and leaving by way of the outlet opening (28). This is a way of providing a cover with a sight glass in the case of which the sight glass can be cleaned in a closed state of the cover with little effort.

A monitoring system for monitoring a process includes a housing with a viewing panel. The viewing panel includes a view port. An emitter generates light and illuminates an observation zone of the process. A detector is disposed within the housing and is configured to detect light entering the housing through the view port and create a plurality of images of the process in the observation zone. A thermal regulation system is configured to generate heat in the vicinity of the viewing panel of the housing so as to increase the temperature of at least the view port above ambient temperature.

A sight glass for observation of industrial applications using a non-glass lens.

A catalyst loading system comprising: a vessel comprising at least one gas distribution nozzle at or near the bottom of the vessel, a top fluid distributor located at or near the top of the vessel, a catalyst inlet through which catalyst is introduced into the vessel, a first contact point at which catalyst introduced into the vessel first contacts the contents of the vessel, and a discharge outlet whereby catalyst exits the vessel. Methods of preparing catalyst slurry for introduction into a downstream reactor or in-situ activation within the vessel utilizing the catalyst loading system are also disclosed.

A sight glass apparatus for viewing the interior of a pressurised vessel, chamber or a pipe conveying fluid under pressure is described. The sight glass apparatus comprises a sight glass assembly mounted over an opening into the vessel, chamber or pipe, the sight glass assembly comprising a sight glass adjacent the opening which provides a window to the inside of the vessel, chamber or pipe, and a containment vessel mounted behind and/or around the sight glass assembly for containing fluid exiting the opening in the pipe in the event that the sight glass assembly fails. In this way, even if the sight glass assembly fails, the pressurised fluid within the pressurised vessel, chamber or pipe is safely contained. In addition, a secondary sight glass can be provided behind the first, with a liquid or gel, or minimal gap, between the primary and secondary glasses to reduce the likelihood of a failure in the first sight glass triggering failure of the second sight glass, and/or a valve can be provided to automatically isolate the pressure system upon a sight glass failure.