Systems and processes for dehydrogenating one or more alkanes using electrically heated dehydrogenation reactors. The source of electric energy or power can be a power grid, solar panel, windmill, hydropower, nuclear power, fuel cell, gas turbines, steam turbines, portable generator or the like. The systems and processes provided herein result in a simpler dehydrogenation process which is particularly beneficial at a small scale and at remote locations, including the well site.

A process for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene comprises i) in a first adiabatic reactor comprising a fixed bed composed of an inlet and an outlet, bringing hydrofluoric acid into contact, in the gas phase with at least one chlorinated compound in order to produce a stream A comprising 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, ii) in a second adiabatic reactor comprising a fixed bed composed of an inlet and an outlet, bringing the stream A into contact, in the gas phase in the presence of a catalyst, with hydrofluoric acid, to produce a stream B comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene. The temperature at the inlet of the fixed bed of one of said first or second reactors is between 300° C. and 400° C. The longitudinal temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet of the fixed bed of the reactor is less than 20° C.

A conduit contactor for conducting chemical reactions or chemical extractions between immiscible liquids includes a conduit having a hollow interior, a first open end, and a second open end opposite the first open end; a separator in fluid communication with and proximate the second open end; and a plurality of fibers disposed within the conduit. A total surface area of the fibers per volume of the hollow interior of the conduit is from 100 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 to 490 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3.

A pressurized fluid mixing device is disclosed, including an inner casing and an outer casing. A first channel is arranged in the inner casing and includes one or more unit channels, adjacent unit channels of which are communicated with each other, flow blocking members are fixed on the unit channels, the inner casing is provided with one or more first inlets and one or more first outlets, a second channel is arranged in the outer casing, the outer casing is provided with one or more second inlets and one or more second outlets, and the inner casing is fixed on the second channel.

The present invention relates to a method of growing plants in a coherent growth substrate product, the method comprising: providing at least one coherent growth substrate product comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition free of phenol and formaldehyde; positioning one or more seeds, seedlings, cuttings or plants in contact with the growth substrate product; irrigating the growth substrate product;

wherein the aqueous binder composition prior to curing comprises; a component (i) in form of one or more lignosulfonate lignins having a carboxylic acid group content of 0.03 to 1.4 mmol/g, based on the dry weight of the lignosulfonate lignins, a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers.

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 method for producing plasmonic nanomaterials that are catalytically or photocatalytically active by fabricating plasmonic nanostructures on substrates using electrodeposition into a nano-template structure and forming a plurality of nanorods in an array, wherein the nanorods are made from materials chosen from the group consisting of materials that are plasmonic and/or catalytic, and materials that are catalytically activated by depositing pure elemental metals, alloys, or alternating layers of different metals or alloys, and producing catalytic plasmonic nanomaterials. Catalytic plasmonic nanomaterials made from the above method. An optical reactor device that utilizes catalytic nanomaterials for photocatalytic synthesis of methanol or ammonia. A method of photocatalytic synthesis of methanol and ammonia by using catalytic plasmonic nanomaterial to convert CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 to methanol and N.sub.2 and H.sub.2 to ammonia using optical power. A hybrid plasma-plasmonic reactor for the utilization of CO.sub.2 and CH.sub.4 to produce methanol, ethylene, and acetic acid.

A fiber bundle contactor may include: a flow path defined by a conduit; a catalytic carbon fiber bundle disposed in the conduit; and an inlet allowing fluid flow into the flow path. A method may include: introducing into vessel a hydrocarbon comprising mercaptan sulfur, an aqueous caustic solution, and an oxidizer; reacting at least a portion of the mercaptan sulfur and the aqueous caustic solution to produce a mercaptide; and reacting the mercaptide and the oxidizer in the presence of a catalytic carbon fiber bundle to produce a disulfide oil.

Systems and methods are provided for production of carbon nanotubes and H.sub.2 using a reaction system configuration that is suitable for large scale production. In the reaction system, a substantial portion of the heat for the reaction can be provided by using a heated gas stream. Optionally, the heated gas stream can correspond to a heated H.sub.2 gas stream. By using a heated gas stream, when the catalyst precursors for the floating catalyst—chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) type catalyst are added to the gas stream, the gas stream can be at a temperature of 1000° C. or more. This can reduce or minimize loss of catalyst precursor material and/or deposition of coke on sidewalls of the reactor. Additionally, a downstream portion of the reactor can include a plurality of flow channels of reduced size that are passed through a heat exchanger environment, such as a shell and tube heat exchanger. This can provide cooling of the gas flow after catalyst formation to allow for carbon nanotube formation, while also reducing the Reynolds number of the flow sufficiently to provide laminar flow within the region where carbon nanotubes are formed.

A process and apparatus for converting an alkane to an olefin. In one embodiment, the process involves oxidative coupling of an alkane, e.g., methane, with an oxidant, such as air, to produce an olefin having twice the number of carbon atoms as the alkane, e.g., ethylene. In another embodiment, the process involves oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane, e.g., ethane, with an oxidant to form an olefin having the same number of carbon atoms as the alkane, e.g., ethylene. The process involves passing a flow of the oxidant from a first flow passage through a porous medium; diffusing a flow of the alkane from a second flow passage into the porous medium; and contacting the reactant alkane and the oxidant in the presence of a catalyst within the porous medium to produce the olefin.