The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an aerogel blanket, the method including 1) introducing a catalyzed sol and a substrate for a blanket into a reaction vessel to impregnate the catalyzed sol into the substrate for a blanket, and 2) rotating the substrate for a blanket into which the catalyzed sol is impregnated to perform gelation, wherein the catalyzed sol includes a silica precursor composition, and the silica precursor composition includes a silicate containing a hydrophobic group and a tetraalkyl silicate, wherein a molar ratio of the silicate containing a hydrophobic group and the tetraalkyl silicate is 60:40 to 98:2.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to carbon foams, processes for forming carbon foams, doped carbon composites, processes for forming doped carbon composites, and uses thereof, e.g., as electrodes. Processes described herein relate to fabrication of carbon foam and materials derived from the pyrolyzation of biomass at supercritical and subcritical conditions for CO.sub.2, N.sub.2, H.sub.2O, or combinations thereof. The process includes exposing biomass to CO.sub.2, N.sub.2, H.sub.2O, or combinations thereof under various parameters for temperature, pressure, heating rate and fluid flow rate. Silicon-carbon composites and sulfur-carbon composites for use as, e.g., electrodes, are also described.

A process for producing olefins comprising the steps of separating the liquid oil in the fractionator to produce a light oil product; separating the light oil product in the extractor to produce a paraffin fraction stream; increasing a pressure of the paraffin fraction stream in a paraffin pump to produce a pressurized paraffin stream; mixing the pressurized paraffin stream with a pressurized water feed in the water mixer to produce a paraffin-containing water stream; heating the paraffin-containing water stream in the water heater to produce a hot paraffin-water stream, wherein a temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream is greater than 450 deg C., wherein the short chain paraffins are operable to crack at the temperature of the hot paraffin-water stream; mixing the hot paraffin-water stream and the hot feedstock in the feed mixer to produce a mixed feed stream; and introducing the mixed feed stream to the supercritical unit.

The present invention relates to the field of renewable energy. More specifically, the present invention relates to the production of biofuel from biomass including, for example, polymeric materials.

In a general aspect, a system can include a reactor for combusting fuel and producing high-temperature, high-pressure liquid as a byproduct, and at least one vessel defining a cavity to be partially filled with water, with an air pocket within the cavity above the water. The system can further include respective valves to control admission of liquid from the reactor into the air pocket when the air pocket has a pressure lower than an operating pressure of the reactor, and to control emission of the water from the at least one vessel through of the vessel after the water in the at least one vessel has been pressurized by the liquid from the reactor. The system can also include a hydroelectric drive system for receiving water emitted from the cavity, and for converting energy in the received water into electrical energy.

Provided is a process which allows uranium and molybdenum fluorides to be efficiently separated, said process comprising a step of providing a mixture containing MoF.sub.6 and UF.sub.6; a step of reducing the UF.sub.6 to UF.sub.5 in the gas phase or in a liquid phase; and a step of separating the UF.sub.5 and the MoF.sub.6 or a conversion product thereof which may be obtained by further converting the molybdenum fluoride to another molybdenum compound. In a further aspect, a process for the fluorination of metals or semimetals is provided.

Apparatuses and methods of use are provided for a lobular catalyst for use in processes featuring water at high pressures and high temperatures, including in supercritical or near supercritical water conditions. The lobular catalyst structure features a shaped, plate-like structure extending along the reactor length with a high surface area. The lobular catalyst structure is fixed in place and mounted within a high temperature and high pressure reactor. The catalyst includes a catalytically active component, which can be a transition metal. The catalyst can be used in high pressure and high temperature processes, including in supercritical or near supercritical water processes, to improve heavy oil upgrading and hydrocarbon conversion in chemical processes.

A wet air oxidation system includes a reactor including an inlet and an outlet. The reactor is operable to oxidize a portion of a two-phase process fluid and to discharge a hot oxidized fluid from the outlet. A heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes that extend along a long axis of the heat exchanger and cooperate to define a hot fluid inlet coupled to the outlet to receive the hot oxidized fluid and a hot fluid outlet, a shell that surrounds the plurality of tubes and defines a process fluid inlet arranged to receive the two-phase process fluid, and a process fluid outlet arranged to discharge a preheated two-phase process fluid to the inlet of the reactor, wherein the long axis of the heat exchanger is arranged in a non-horizontal direction.

According to one or more embodiments described herein, a method for processing a hydrocarbon feedstock may include contacting a mixed feed with a solvent in a deasphalting system to form residue and deasphalted oil, contacting the deasphalted oil with supercritical water to form an upgraded oil, separating the upgraded oil into at least a light fraction and a heavy fraction, and combining at least a portion of the heavy fraction with the hydrocarbon feedstock to form the mixed feed.

Disclosed are systems and methods for producing particles of organic substances, in particular nanoparticles and microparticles of active pharmaceutical ingredients, wherein the particles are collected in the aid of an extension member engaged to a collection chamber and positioning a nozzle.