A process for treating effluent streams in a renewable transportation fuel production process is described. One or more of the sour water stream and an acid gas stream are treated directly in thermal oxidation section. The process allows the elimination or size reduction of a sour water stripper unit, waste water treatment plant, and sulfur recovery unit.

An apparatus for steam reforming includes a reactor, a condensate separator, a condensate stripper, and a steam boiler. The reactor produces hydrogen and is connected to the condensate separator such that a gas mixture is conducted from the reactor into the condensate separator. The condensate separator and the condensate stripper are connected so that condensate separated out in the condensate separator is conducted into the condensate stripper. The condensate separator and the steam boiler are connected such that cleaned condensate can be conducted into the steam boiler. The steam boiler is connected to the reactor and to the condensate stripper in a steam-conducting manner. The boiler water feed line of the steam boiler is connectable to the condensate stripper in a liquid-conducting manner. A supply from the boiler water feed line is at a same location of the condensate stripper as a supply of the condensate from the condensate separator.

An apparatus for steam reforming includes a reactor, a condensate separator, a condensate stripper, and a steam boiler. The reactor produces hydrogen and is connected to the condensate separator such that a gas mixture is conducted from the reactor into the condensate separator. The condensate separator and the condensate stripper are connected so that condensate separated out in the condensate separator is conducted into the condensate stripper. The condensate separator and the steam boiler are connected such that cleaned condensate can be conducted into the steam boiler. The steam boiler is connected to the reactor and to the condensate stripper in a steam-conducting manner. The boiler water feed line of the steam boiler is connectable to the condensate stripper in a liquid-conducting manner. A supply from the boiler water feed line is at a same location of the condensate stripper as a supply of the condensate from the condensate separator.

An apparatus and a method for plant extraction are disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention comprises an extraction module, a separating module and a reservoir. The method essentially includes plant material preparing, decarboxylating, active components extracting and separating. By using liquid tetrafluoroethane as the solvent in the apparatus of the present invention, the active components of the plant material are efficiently extracted under low pressure extraction and high pressure extraction conditions.

The present invention relates to a process for purifying a wastewater stream WW1 contaminated with nitrobenzene, comprising (I) stripping of the wastewater stream WW1 with a stripping gas SG1 in a continuously operated stripping column to obtain a wastewater stream WW2 which contains nitrobenzene in a concentration reduced relative to WW1 (c.sub.NB,WW2), (II) further purification of the wastewater stream WW2 in a wastewater treatment plant, wherein a target value (c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET) is specified for the concentration of nitrobenzene in the wastewater stream WW2, which is greater than zero but takes into account the requirements of the wastewater treatment plant for the maximum content of nitrobenzene in the wastewater streams supplied thereto, wherein, for at least one combination of specified boundary conditions of (a) nitrobenzene concentration in WW1, (b) the temperature of WW1, and (c) the temperature of SG1, a set of linear mathematical relationships of the type m.sub.SG1=x.Math.m.sub.WW1 is stored in a database, which linear mathematical relationships define a range of concentrations of nitrobenzene in WW2, wherein the set comprises, in addition to a mathematical relationship (0) which corresponds to the target value c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET, at least a first mathematical relationship (1) for a first value of c.sub.NB,WW2, which corresponds to 98% of the target value c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET, and a second linear mathematical relationship (2) for a second value of c.sub.NB,WW2, which corresponds to 102% of the target value c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET, and wherein the flow rate of the stripping gas is adapted to the flow rate of the wastewater WW1 such that the flow rate of WW1 is within a range of values (AB) that is generated by the first mathematical relationship (1) and the second mathematical relationship (2) at the respective flow rate of WW1, and controlling the concentration of nitrobenzene in WW2 (c.sub.NB,WW2) by adjusting the flow rate of stripping gas SG1 accordingly in the event of a measured actual value of this concentration which is outside a window of >98% to <102% of the target value.

The present invention relates to a process for purifying a wastewater stream WW1 contaminated with nitrobenzene, comprising (I) stripping of the wastewater stream WW1 with a stripping gas SG1 in a continuously operated stripping column to obtain a wastewater stream WW2 which contains nitrobenzene in a concentration reduced relative to WW1 (c.sub.NB,WW2), (II) further purification of the wastewater stream WW2 in a wastewater treatment plant, wherein a target value (c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET) is specified for the concentration of nitrobenzene in the wastewater stream WW2, which is greater than zero but takes into account the requirements of the wastewater treatment plant for the maximum content of nitrobenzene in the wastewater streams supplied thereto, wherein, for at least one combination of specified boundary conditions of (a) nitrobenzene concentration in WW1, (b) the temperature of WW1, and (c) the temperature of SG1, a set of linear mathematical relationships of the type m.sub.SG1=x.Math.m.sub.WW1 is stored in a database, which linear mathematical relationships define a range of concentrations of nitrobenzene in WW2, wherein the set comprises, in addition to a mathematical relationship (0) which corresponds to the target value c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET, at least a first mathematical relationship (1) for a first value of c.sub.NB,WW2, which corresponds to 98% of the target value c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET, and a second linear mathematical relationship (2) for a second value of c.sub.NB,WW2, which corresponds to 102% of the target value c.sub.NB,WW2,TARGET, and wherein the flow rate of the stripping gas is adapted to the flow rate of the wastewater WW1 such that the flow rate of WW1 is within a range of values (AB) that is generated by the first mathematical relationship (1) and the second mathematical relationship (2) at the respective flow rate of WW1, and controlling the concentration of nitrobenzene in WW2 (c.sub.NB,WW2) by adjusting the flow rate of stripping gas SG1 accordingly in the event of a measured actual value of this concentration which is outside a window of >98% to <102% of the target value.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of removing volatile compounds from a lignin-containing material, the method comprising: providing a material comprising lignin and volatile compounds; treating the material by a distillation method in order to vaporize at least a part of the volatile compounds.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of removing volatile compounds from a lignin-containing material, the method comprising: providing a material comprising lignin and volatile compounds; treating the material by a distillation method in order to vaporize at least a part of the volatile compounds.

The present invention includes a method for creating a portable and quickly dissolving tea or other tea-like botanical tablet that can be used to prepare a flavorful, visually appealing, and clear cup of tea. The novel process may include the steps of: (1) extraction/infusion, (2) clarification, (3) concentrate preparation, (4) degassing the concentrate, and (5) chunkification. A spinning cone column may be used during the extraction/infusion step to preserve the aromatics and nutrients from the tea leaves, leading to better taste and improved retention of compounds thought to be beneficial to human health. A centrifuge may be used to remove suspended solids during the clarification step and a pressure chamber or sonication device may be used during the degassing step. Chunkification may involve the freezing of the concentrate followed by the removal of water from the concentrate to create a solid tablet of easily portable shape and size. The tea tablet quickly dissolves when added to hot or warm water, and it dissolves in cold water with some additional agitation.

The present invention includes a method for creating a portable and quickly dissolving tea or other tea-like botanical tablet that can be used to prepare a flavorful, visually appealing, and clear cup of tea. The novel process may include the steps of: (1) extraction/infusion, (2) clarification, (3) concentrate preparation, (4) degassing the concentrate, and (5) chunkification. A spinning cone column may be used during the extraction/infusion step to preserve the aromatics and nutrients from the tea leaves, leading to better taste and improved retention of compounds thought to be beneficial to human health. A centrifuge may be used to remove suspended solids during the clarification step and a pressure chamber or sonication device may be used during the degassing step. Chunkification may involve the freezing of the concentrate followed by the removal of water from the concentrate to create a solid tablet of easily portable shape and size. The tea tablet quickly dissolves when added to hot or warm water, and it dissolves in cold water with some additional agitation.