A device for treating crude oil or heavy fuel oil with a method that can lower the pour point to at least 0 C. Crude oil or heavy fuel oil treated thusly maintains this property for at least one year. The device for lowering the pour point of crude oil or heavy fuel oil uses a specific ionization method. The method is conducted by passing a heated medium through the main ionization device which is grounded and which includes three parallelly connected segments whereby each segment includes a protective copper tube inside which a protective insulating shell is situated, inside which a copper housing is situated. In each copper housing there is one cylindrical-shaped external core in which an internal core is placed, and the external core and internal core are manufactured as two different alloys by composition. Also described is a process for casting the external core and internal core.

A nozzle and methods of gas stripping utilizing the nozzle are provided. A nozzle is provided comprising a ceramic nozzle assembly comprising an inlet at one end of a cylindrical portion, an outlet at one end of a conical portion; the cylindrical portion transitioning to the conical portion at an end of the cylindrical portion distal from the inlet; the conical portion transitioning to the cylindrical portion at an end of the conical portion distal from the outlet; and a ceramic vane assembly within the cylindrical portion; the vane assembly comprising a central vane support located substantially concentrically within the cylindrical portion, and a plurality of angled vanes extending from the central vane support to an inner wall of the cylindrical portion; wherein the ceramic nozzle assembly and the ceramic vane assembly are manufactured such that the two assemblies comprise a single piece of ceramic.

Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for producing emulsions, and, in particular, for maintaining laminar flow during production of emulsions containing microsuspensions.

Bromine containing compounds, such as calcium bromide, sodium bromide and the like, are prepared in high purity and more quickly with less waste by using a process with two bromination stages and often a third step wherein the crude product mixture can be adjusted to meet specific product requirements. In the first bromination stage, the majority, but not all, of a substrate is brominated using a reductive bromination reaction, the remaining unreacted substrate is converted to product in the second stage through another a reductive bromination reaction, although the specific reagents may be different, wherein the addition of bromine and a reducing agent are carefully monitored.

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 device and a method for influencing the flow of a flowable medium through a flow-through reactor are described. The flow-through reactor has at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening, through each of which a flowable medium can flow in or out. By means of at least one energy source for changing at least one property of the flowable medium flowing through the flow-through reactor, energy can be introduced whose intensity is non-uniformly distributed in the volume of the flow-through reactor. According to the invention, the flow of the flowable medium flowing through the flow-through reactor is influenced by at least one mechanical component positioned in the flow-through reactor in such a way that a majority of the flowable medium flowing through the flow-through reactor flows through the zones of high energy intensity generated by means of the energy source.

Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for producing emulsions, and, in particular, for maintaining laminar flow during production of emulsions containing microsuspensions. Disclosed herein are columns for receiving a packing material that permits fluid flow through the column. The columns have a periphery that defines an interior cavity in fluid communication with inlets and outlets of the column. Disclosed herein is a method of preparing an emulsion that includes (1) forming a first phase typically containing an organic solvent, a polymer, and one or more biologically active agents and/or chemicals; (2) forming a second phase typically containing water as the second solvent, an emulsion stabilizer and optionally a solvent; and (3) passing the first and the second phases through the column to form a water in oil type emulsion.

An emissions control system including a fluidized bed apparatus containing a reactive sorbent material is disclosed for gaseous and non-gaseous contaminated emissions. The reactive sorbent material may be CZTS, CZTS-Alloy, or a carbon-based sorbent material. The fluidized bed apparatus is configured with one or more closed loop sorbent recycling subsystems. The sorbent recycling subsystems include the capability to separate sorbents from each other, separate contaminates from sorbents for disposal and/or recycling, clean and/or rejuvenate sorbents for return to the fluidized bed apparatus, dispose of spent and exhausted sorbents, and replace the spent and exhausted sorbents with new sorbent to maintain consistent sorbent function in the fluidized bed apparatus. Monitoring sensors provide information useful in a method for establishing and maintaining consistent process parameter controls.

A system and method for cleaning, conditioning, and/or rejuvenating carbon-based sorbents is disclosed where a chemical cleaning process is used to separate contaminants from the sorbent. The contaminants can be disposed of or recycled for industrial uses. The cleaned and/or rejuvenated carbon-based sorbent is recycled back into a reverse venturi shaped fluidized bed apparatus for later use. Spent carbon-based sorbent can be routed for appropriate disposal. The carbon-based sorbents include, but are not limited to, activated carbon sorbent and biochar sorbent. Optionally, the sorbents can be processed through the system prior to exposure to contaminated emissions to enhance and increase the porosity of the outer surface of the sorbents.

A nozzle and methods of gas stripping utilizing the nozzle are provided. A nozzle is provided comprising a ceramic nozzle assembly comprising an inlet at one end of a cylindrical portion, an outlet at one end of a conical portion; the cylindrical portion transitioning to the conical portion at an end of the cylindrical portion distal from the inlet; the conical portion transitioning to the cylindrical portion at an end of the conical portion distal from the outlet; and a ceramic vane assembly within the cylindrical portion; the vane assembly comprising a central vane support located substantially concentrically within the cylindrical portion, and a plurality of angled vanes extending from the central vane support to an inner wall of the cylindrical portion; wherein the ceramic nozzle assembly and the ceramic vane assembly are manufactured such that the two assemblies comprise a single piece of ceramic.