The present invention concerns a reactor and a process for the hydrothermal treatment of an aqueous mixture, such as watery biomass. The reactor according to the invention comprises (31) an inlet for receiving the aqueous mixture, (32) a tube-shaped reactor interior, which is inclined at an angle in the range of 1-45°; (33) a first zone in the reactor interior (32) comprising means (5) for heating the aqueous mixture; (34) a second zone in the reactor interior (32) for keeping the aqueous mixture at the predetermined temperature; (35) a third zone in the reactor interior (32) for cooling the aqueous mixture; (38) an outlet for discharging a hydrothermally treated aqueous mixture, and (43) an outlet for discharging gas, wherein inlet (31) and outlet (43) are positioned at the top part of the reactor and outlet (38) at the bottom part of the reactor. The inclined nature of the reactor ensures that all gases are efficiently removed from the liquid effluent, and the CO.sub.2 formed during the process is used to improved efficacy of the hydrothermal treatment.

A fluid flow conduit comprises a flow-shaping element shaped to control the velocity distribution of fluid flowing therethrough. A conduit body is shaped to define a longitudinally oriented interior flow region. The flow-shaping element comprises a flow-shaping channel shaped to provide a first curved channel portion curved about a longitudinal axis in a first angular direction to impart angular momentum about the longitudinal axis in the first angular direction on fluid flow therethrough. The flow-shaping channel may be shaped to provide a second curved channel portion that is curved about the longitudinal axis in a second angular direction (opposed to the first angular direction) to impart angular momentum about the longitudinal axis in the second angular direction on fluid flow therethrough. The flow-shaping channel may be shaped to provide one or more slits that communicate fluid between the first and second curved channel portions and a central bore portion.

A reaction apparatus, comprising: a reaction kettle (1); a circulation loop, comprising a circulation pipeline (2) and a circulator pump (4) provided on the circulation pipeline (2), a discharging end of the circulator pump (4) being communicated with the top of the reaction kettle (1) by means of a circulation valve (3) and a charging end of the circulator pump (4) being communicated with the bottom of the reaction kettle (1) by means of a block valve (9); a feeding loop, comprising a feeding pipeline (7) and a bypass pipeline (5), the feeding pipeline (7) being provided between the block valve (9) and the circulator pump (4) and being communicated with the circulation pipeline (2), the bypass pipeline (5) being provided with a control valve (6), and one end of the bypass pipeline (5) being communicated with the discharging end of the circulator pump (3) and the other end thereof being communicated with the bottom of the reaction kettle (1); and a discharging loop, comprising a discharging pipeline (10) provided between the circulator pump (4) and the circulation valve (3) and communicated with the circulation pipeline (2), the discharging pipeline (10) being provided with a discharging valve (11).

The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, wherein the monomer solution comprises partly neutralized acrylic acid formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid and an aqueous solution of a base, the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a vessel (B), and the vessel (B) has a cylindrical shape and a torispherical bottom.

This disclosure relates to systems and processes for cooling polymer product mixtures manufactured at high pressure. The processes of the invention involve cooling and then subsequently reducing the pressure of the product mixture from the reactor. In the systems of the invention, a product cooler is located downstream of the high pressure reactor and upstream of a high pressure let down valve.

A process for the oxidation of powder materials containing starch, which comprises the steps of mixing a powder material comprising starch with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2), adding to the mixture thus obtained an aqueous solution of ammonia which reacts with said mixture and drying the mixture to obtain a powder material containing oxidized starch.

Disclosed are a method and system for propylene polymerization utilizing a loop slurry reactor. The method can include polymerizing propylene in a loop slurry reactor under bulk polymerization conditions to produce polypropylene. The propylene polymerization system can include i) a loop slurry reactor and a heat exchange system that is configured to cool the legs of the loop slurry reactor and/or ii) an inlet manifold that is configured to connect flashline heaters to a separator.

An apparatus for preparing an oligomer including: a reactor supplied with a monomer stream and a solvent stream to perform an oligomerization reaction; a product discharge line provided on a lower portion of a side surface of the reactor; a washing liquid supply line connected to a first point of the product discharge line; and a washing liquid discharge line extending from a second point of the product discharge line, wherein the product discharge line includes a branch point at which the product discharge line is branched into two or more lines and a junction point at which the respective branched lines are joined, and the product discharge line includes pressure control devices provided in each of the two or more branched lines.

The present invention provides a multistage single reactor system for hydroprocessing and a process of carrying out multistage hydroprocessing in the said reactor assembly consisting of, a fixed bed solid catalyst system, a feed injection system enabling axial flow of hydrogen saturated hydrocarbon feed, a hydrogen dispensing system inside the reactor enabling minimum required hydrogen flow in cross-flow pattern, also using multitudes of integrated separation and withdrawal limbs for continuous staging. The innovative reactor disclosed in the present invention enables continuous separation and withdrawal of gaseous products along the reactor length by means of combined horizontal reactor orientation and vertical separation limbs provided at the top of the horizontally oriented reactor. The advantage of the reactor assembly includes effective heat sink of exothermic reactions and lower severity of operation due to removal of inhibitory gaseous products.

A method of forming articles from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, the method comprising: feeding a monomer stream comprising a petrochemical monomer into a reactor; contacting the petrochemical monomer with a polymerization activator within the reactor to produce a polymerized stream comprising rubber, latex, or a combination thereof and withdrawing the polymerized stream from the reactor; passing the polymerized stream through a filter to produce a filtered product stream, wherein the filter is a continuously self-cleaning filter; passing the filtered product stream through a grafting unit comprising acrylonitrile and styrene to produce acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene; and forming an article from the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, wherein the article is an extruded sheet, a molded part, or a combination thereof.