A reactor tank is provided having an enzyme inlet, a heating jacket positioned around the exterior center of the tank, a gas outlet communicating with a vacuum apparatus and a condensing unit, a first gas inlet for receiving gas from a feed tank and a first liquid outlet for recirculating the liquid back to the feed tank. The tank further includes a sparged unit connected to the first gas inlet for receiving gas from the feed tank and a screen positioned between the sparged unit and the first liquid outlet. The reactor tank is utilized in a reactor system further including a condensing unit, vacuum pump or venturi valve, a first feed tank, a coalescer having at least one circulation pipe and a first circulation pump.

The present invention relates to the field of biological and chemical transformation as well as physical and chemical trapping. More specifically, the invention relates to a new reactor arrangement for performing, by means of at least one solid reaction member, biological or chemical transformation, or physical or chemical trapping from or release of agents to, a fluidic medium. The reactor arrangement is comprised of an auxiliary reactor having a transformation device and a main reactor. The invention also provides an auxiliary reactor adapted for being connected to a main reactor, a method of using such a reactor arrangement, as well as a process involving the reactor arrangement.

Devices and methods for controlling the properties of chemical species during time-dependent processes. A device includes a reactor for containing one or more chemical species of a time-dependent process, an extraction pump for automatically and continuously extracting an amount of the one or more chemical species from the reactor, one or more detectors for measuring property changes of the one or more extracted chemical species and generating a continuous stream of data related to the one or more property changes to the one or more chemical species during a time interval, and a process controller configured to fit the continuous stream of data to a mathematical function to predict one or more properties of the one or more chemical species at a future time point and make one or more process decisions based on the prediction of one or more properties at the future time point.

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.

A device is configured to increase the portion of low-boiling fractions of a liquid, particularly mineral oil. A device includes a pressure wave generator for generating a pressure wave having a first frequency, in which the pressure wave generator is arranged to subject the liquid to the pressure waves in a region of application, at least one pipe which is arranged through which treated liquid flows after the region of application, and means for exciting the at least one pipe through which such treated liquid flows to oscillations of a second frequency, which is the resonance frequency of the excited system.

A method for adjusting the operating point of a pressure wave generator for treating a first liquid, in particular a mineral oil, with pressure waves of a first frequency for increasing the portion of low-boiling fractions in the liquid. The pressure wave generator is communicated with a second liquid, in particular water, via flowed-through pipe(s) (piping(s) and the frequency of application via the pressure wave generator is varied. An operating point is determined as a maximum in temperature rise of the second liquid, after passing the pressure wave generator, as a function of the frequency of application.

The present invention relates to a process for the continuous production of nitrobenzene by the nitration of benzene with nitric acid and sulphuric acid under adiabatic conditions, not the entire production plant being shut down during a production stop, but the production plant being entirely or at least partly operated in recirculation mode. The invention further relates to a plant for producing nitrobenzene and to a method for operating a plant for producing nitrobenzene.

A reaction vessel includes a vessel that accommodates a substance, a stirring device that stirs the substance, and a bypass that causes the substance to circulate outside the vessel, in which one end and the other end of the bypass are connected to the vessel in a position at which the substance circulates in the bypass when the substance is stirred by the stirring device.

An actuator is provided that includes a housing, a linear actuating shaft disposed within the housing, a piston coupled with the shaft, and a fluid barrier disposed on an end of the shaft and encircled by the piston. The piston is movable longitudinally between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration upon rotation of the shaft. The fluid barrier engages an inner surface of the piston preventing fluid communication across the fluid barrier. The fluid barrier has a shaft engaging side which receives the shaft and a fluid facing side. A cavity is formed between the piston and the fluid facing side and expands when the piston moves to the extended configuration and contracts when the piston moves to the retracted configuration. A port is disposed in the piston and extends from the cavity to external the piston thereby permitting fluid communication between the cavity and external the piston.

The invention discloses a method for the continuous preparation of n-butyl nitrite with a low content of n-butanol comprising the reaction of n-butanol, an acid and NaNO.sub.2 in a continuous way, in which the n-butanol, an acid and NaNO.sub.2 are mixed in a mixing device which provides for a pressure drop of at least 1 bar; the acid is selected from the group consisting of HCI, H.sub.2SO.sub.4, formic acid, methanesulfonic acid, and mixtures thereof; and the amount of HCI is at least 1.02 molar equivalent based on the molar amount of n-butanol.