A switching valve includes a rotor having a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on both ends thereof, a rotor drive unit rotationally driving the rotor, a pair of pressing members, each being provided at a position where each of the pair of pressing members cooperates with each of the pair of rollers outside a revolution orbit of each of the pair of rollers revolving by rotation of the rotor, and a pair of tubes, each being disposed between the revolution orbit of each of the pair of rollers and each of the pair of pressing members. A rotation center axis of the rotor is disposed on a straight line connecting centers of rotation of the pair of rollers, and each pressing member has the pair of pressing areas symmetrical with respect to a straight line passing through the center of rotation of the rotor and extending a vertical direction.

Systems for preparing butenes are provided. The systems can include a reactor inlet coupled to both a reactor and at least one reactant reservoir; at least one of the reactant reservoirs containing one or both of an aldehyde and/or ethanol; a catalyst within the reactor, the catalyst comprising a metal component and an acidic support material; and a reactor outlet operationally configured to convey a butene-rich reaction product to a product reservoir. Methods for preparing butenes are also provided. The methods can include exposing one or both of ethanol and/or an aldehyde to a catalyst comprising a metal component and an acidic support to form a butene-rich product that comprises one or both of 1-butene and/or 2-butene.

An apparatus is described which includes at least one reactor, at least one linear piston pump, the or each piston pump including a tube, a piston and an arm coupled to the piston, the or each piston pump arranged to inject feedstock to a respective reactor, a beam or plate coupled to the arm(s) of the piston pump(s) configured to linearly drive the piston(s) and a linear actuator for driving the beam or plate. The piston pump has a volume of at least 50 milliliters and an output port having a diameter of at least 5 mm.

An apparatus is described which includes at least one reactor, at least one linear piston pump, the or each piston pump including a tube, a piston and an arm coupled to the piston, the or each piston pump arranged to inject feedstock to a respective reactor, a beam or plate coupled to the arm(s) of the piston pump(s) configured to linearly drive the piston(s) and a linear actuator for driving the beam or plate. The piston pump has a volume of at least 50 milliliters and an output port having a diameter of at least 5 mm.

A system includes rigid reservoirs, each divided by a flexible diaphragm into a hydraulic chamber and a delivery chamber. The hydraulic chamber is connected to a hydraulic liquid conduit via a valve and the delivery chamber is connected to a delivery conduit. A hydraulic actuator is operable to apply pressure to the hydraulic liquid so as to force the hydraulic liquid into a hydraulic chamber whose valve is open, pushing the diaphragm distally to force the delivery liquid from the delivery chamber into the connected delivery conduit. The actuator is also operable to apply suction to the hydraulic liquid in the hydraulic liquid conduit so as to draw hydraulic liquid from the hydraulic chamber, proximally pulling the flexible diaphragm to draw the delivery liquid from the delivery conduit into the delivery chamber.

An evaporative gas generating device and a method for producing evaporative gas. A hydrogen bromide production device and a method for producing hydrogen bromide are also disclosed. The hydrogen bromide production device is provided with an evaporative gas generating device (1) that generates bromine gas, and a reactor (3) that reacts the bromine gas with hydrogen gas to form hydrogen bromide. The evaporative gas generating device (1) is provided with a container (10) that accommodates liquid bromine (B), and heating jackets (35, 36) that supply heat to a wall surface of the container (10), and heat and evaporate the liquid bromine (B) within a liquid accommodating part (15) of the container (10) to raise the temperature of the bromine gas within the evaporative gas accommodating part (16).

An evaporative gas generating device and a method for producing evaporative gas. A hydrogen bromide production device and a method for producing hydrogen bromide are also disclosed. The hydrogen bromide production device is provided with an evaporative gas generating device (1) that generates bromine gas, and a reactor (3) that reacts the bromine gas with hydrogen gas to form hydrogen bromide. The evaporative gas generating device (1) is provided with a container (10) that accommodates liquid bromine (B), and heating jackets (35, 36) that supply heat to a wall surface of the container (10), and heat and evaporate the liquid bromine (B) within a liquid accommodating part (15) of the container (10) to raise the temperature of the bromine gas within the evaporative gas accommodating part (16).

Carbon particles are disclosed, as well as methods and systems for forming the particles. In one embodiment, the system may include a receiving vessel configured to receive a liquid carbon precursor and at least one orifice at a bottom of the receiving vessel and configured to release droplets of the precursor. A cooling vessel may be positioned below the receiving vessel to receive the droplets and configured to hold a coolant for solidifying the droplets into carbon precursor particles. The method may include introducing a liquid carbon precursor into a tank having a plurality of orifices defined therein such that droplets of the precursor are released from the orifices and solidifying the droplets in a cooling vessel positioned to receive the droplets from the orifices. The method may then include carbonizing the solidified droplets to form carbon particles. The particles may be solid or hollow.

A processing system and method of producing a particulate material are provided. The processing system includes a system inlet connected to one or more gas lines to deliver one or more gases into the processing system, a buffer chamber, a dispersion chamber, a heating assembly, a reaction chamber and a system outlet for delivering particulate material out of the processing system. The method includes delivering one or more gases via a system inlet into a buffer chamber of a processing system, jetting a liquid mixture into one or more streams of droplets using one or more power jet modules into the processing system, delivering flows of one or more heated gases via a heating assembly, forming a reaction mixture and processing the reaction mixture at a reaction temperature into a product material inside the reaction chamber.

Provided are various methods and systems for producing peroxycarboxylic acid compositions, and in particular, nonequilibrium compositions of peracetic acid. The methods and systems control flow rates and proportions of feedstocks/reactants, perform the required sequence of reaction steps to produce high yield peroxycarboxcylic acid solutions in a continuous manner, and provide optimal reaction time and reactant mixing for continuous and safe on-site production.