The invention providing methods of loading and unloading particulate from microchannels in apparatus that contains multiple microchannels, typically apparatus that is designed to operate with hundreds or thousands of particulate-containing microchannels. Aligning a sonicating head at one end of a set of microchannels provides a particularly effective mode for densifying particulate in microchannels.

A contact chamber in which a bed of fluid treatment media is fully fluidized by using a fluidizer. The fluidizer may be, for example, an internal or external eductor that acts as a pump for a media and fluid mixture to boost fluid flow and generate recirculation that keeps the media suspended in the fluid or an arrangement of nozzles, mixing blades, pumps, baffles, or irregular cross-sectional shapes (or combinations of any of these) to promote fully fluidizing the media in the chamber and causing the media to recirculate within the chamber.

A reactor comprises an outer sidewall and a bottom wall enclosing a hollow chamber comprising a lower fluidized bed zone and an upper freeboard zone. A plurality of inlets is provided for injecting at least one fluidizing medium into the fluidized bed zone and creating a swirling flow. At least one feed inlet communicates with the fluidized bed zone; and at least one product outlet is provided for removing a product from the chamber, the outlet(s) communicating with either the fluidized bed zone or the freeboard zone. The reactor has at least one internal barrier located inside the hollow chamber, and at least partly located in the fluidized bed zone. The internal barrier(s) have at least one opening within the fluidized bed zone, such as an underflow opening, to permit internal recirculation of material from the product zone to the feed zone, thereby simplifying reactor structure.

A reactor comprises an outer sidewall and a bottom wall enclosing a hollow chamber comprising a lower fluidized bed zone and an upper freeboard zone. A plurality of inlets is provided for injecting at least one fluidizing medium into the fluidized bed zone and creating a swirling flow. At least one feed inlet communicates with the fluidized bed zone; and at least one product outlet is provided for removing a product from the chamber, the outlet(s) communicating with either the fluidized bed zone or the freeboard zone. The reactor has at least one internal barrier located inside the hollow chamber, and at least partly located in the fluidized bed zone. The internal barrier(s) have at least one opening within the fluidized bed zone, such as an underflow opening, to permit internal recirculation of material from the product zone to the feed zone, thereby simplifying reactor structure.

A method of hydrating a dry powdered viscosifier such as a powdered polymer is disclosed. The method includes mixing the powdered viscosifier with a solvent such as water to form a mixture; moving the mixture through a cavitation zone; inducing energetic shock waves and pressure fluctuations in the mixture by mechanically inducing cavitation events within the mixture, the shock waves and pressure fluctuations untangling, separating, and straightening polymer molecule chains and distributing the chains throughout the mixture, and extracting the resulting hydrated viscosifier from the cavitation zone.

A method of hydrating a dry powdered viscosifier such as a powdered polymer is disclosed. The method includes mixing the powdered viscosifier with a solvent such as water to form a mixture; moving the mixture through a cavitation zone; inducing energetic shock waves and pressure fluctuations in the mixture by mechanically inducing cavitation events within the mixture, the shock waves and pressure fluctuations untangling, separating, and straightening polymer molecule chains and distributing the chains throughout the mixture, and extracting the resulting hydrated viscosifier from the cavitation zone.

Provided is a method for producing an organic compound, said method including a step for repeating an operation in which a liquid containing an organic solvent is passed through a packed column packed with magnesium, a material containing an organic halide being added to the liquid before it is passed through. Further provided is a device for producing an organic compound, said device comprising: a packed column which is packed with magnesium; a liquid passing unit which repeats an operation in which a liquid containing an organic solvent is passed through the packed column; and a material adding unit which adds a material containing an organic halide to the liquid before it is passed through.

This disclosure describes an improved heat transfer system for use in reaction vessels used in chemical and biological processes. In one embodiment, a heat transfer baffle comprising two sub-assemblies adjoined to one another is provided.

This disclosure describes an improved heat transfer system for use in reaction vessels used in chemical and biological processes. In one embodiment, a heat transfer baffle comprising two sub-assemblies adjoined to one another is provided.

The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.