A process is provided for removing a heavy polynuclear aromatic (HPNA) compound from a hydrocarbon oil. The process includes contacting the hydrocarbon oil containing the HPNA compound with a lean hydrocarbon-immiscible liquid stream to produce a mixture comprising the hydrocarbon oil and a rich hydrocarbon-immiscible liquid containing the HPNA compound; and separating the mixture to produce a hydrocarbon oil effluent having a reduced level of the HPNA compound and a hydrocarbon-immiscible liquid effluent containing the HPNA compound. The hydrocarbon-immiscible liquid can be a halometallate ionic liquid, a liquid coordination complex, or a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to a method for the chlorination of a sucrose-6-acylate to produce a 4,1,6-trichloro-4,1,6-trideoxy-galactosucrose-6-acylate wherein said method includes steps of: (i) combining the sucrose-6-acylate with a chlorinating agent in a reaction vehicle comprising a tertiary amide to afford a mixture; (ii) heating said mixture for a heating period in order to provide chlorination of sucrose-6-acylate at the 4,1 and 6 positions thereof; and (iii) quenching the product stream of (ii) to produce a 4,1,6-trichloro-4,1,6-trideoxy-galactosucrose-6-acylate;
wherein before said quenching, a portion of said tertiary amide is removed by extraction into a solvent in which said tertiary amide is at least partially soluble.

A sample purification system includes a container assembly bounding a sample purification compartment and having an upper end and an opposing lower end, the sample purification compartment comprising mixing zones and settling zones. A plurality of shielding elements are positioned within the sample purification compartment so as to at least partially separate adjacent mixing zones and settling zones or separate adjacent mixing zones, the mixing zones being in fluid communication with the settling zones. A mixing element is disposed within each mixing zone. An acoustic wave settler is aligned with a portion of the container assembly, the acoustic wave settler being configured to emit an acoustic wave through the portion of the container assembly and a mixture disposed therein, the acoustic wave coalescing fluid phase droplets disposed in the mixture to increase the buoyancy or density of the fluid phase droplets.

A sample purification system includes a mixing zone; a settling zone in fluid communication with the mixing zone; a mixer element disposed in the mixing zone, the mixer element being configured to mix immiscible liquids to form a mixture; and a first acoustic wave settler configured to emit an acoustic wave into the mixture.

An apparatus and method for extraction of oils from botanical material using high-pressure hydrocarbons such as propane, or butane, or mixtures thereof are described. A high-pressure propane or butane saturated liquid/vapor mixture formed by pressure reduction through a valve placed before an extraction column, thereby serving as an expansion port was employed. The apparatus is capable of both continuous liquid extraction or batch-style liquid operation through the use of a manifold valve, which directs the solvent liquid/vapor in the system to either a supply tank or an extraction column.

According to the invention a system and method for catalyst removal from MTO effluent is provided. The method includes removing catalyst from methanol to olefin effluent including contacting the methanol to olefin effluent with a wash oil separate the catalyst fines from the effluent into the wash oil and cool the effluent, separating the catalyst fines from the cooled effluent in a separator or a column to obtain an essentially catalyst free effluent, directing the catalyst free effluent out from the separator or the column, slurrying the separated catalyst fines to obtain a slurry and directing the slurry to one or more filters to filter out the catalyst.

Disclosed is a device for controlling an interface of a liquid-liquid extraction column using pressure equilibrium. The device includes a vertical pipe provided beside an extraction column parallel thereto. The device enables internal pressures of the extraction column and the vertical pipe to be balanced with each other by moving fluid from the extraction column into the vertical pipe. Therefore, the device can maintain the level of an interface between fluids having different specific gravities with a simple control system. The device includes the liquid-liquid extraction column having a column body; and upper and lower tanks having respective inlet pipes and respective outlet pipes, wherein a pipeline is connected to the outlet pipe of the lower tank, and the internal pressures are balanced by controlling a level of the fluid in the pipeline, thereby maintaining the level of the interface.

A sample purification system includes a container assembly bounding a sample purification compartment and having an upper end and an opposing lower end, the sample purification compartment comprising mixing zones and settling zones. A plurality of shielding elements are positioned within the sample purification compartment so as to at least partially separate adjacent mixing zones and settling zones or separate adjacent mixing zones, the mixing zones being in fluid communication with the settling zones. A mixing element is disposed within each mixing zone. An acoustic wave settler is aligned with a portion of the container assembly, the acoustic wave settler being configured to emit an acoustic wave through the portion of the container assembly and a mixture disposed therein, the acoustic wave coalescing fluid phase droplets disposed in the mixture to increase the buoyancy or density of the fluid phase droplets.

An energy efficient, environmentally greener process that converts alkali salts to various salt/fertilizer compounds and chloride/sulfate compounds is disclosed. The process uses bipolar membrane electrodialysis or multi-compartment electrolysis to initially convert potassium, sodium and lithium salts to their respective alkali and acid components. The alkali is subsequently reacted with sulfur or phosphoric acid or other acid to produce thiosulfate, phosphate, acetate or other salt products. The acid coproduct is concurrently converted to compounds such as calcium chloride, lysine hydrochloride, ammonium sulfate through solvent extraction and subsequent stripping of the loaded solvent with an appropriate alkali.

In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.