A method of hydrating a dry powdered viscosifier such as a powdered polymer is disclosed. The method includes mixing the powdered viscosifier with a solvent such as water to form a mixture; moving the mixture through a cavitation zone; inducing energetic shock waves and pressure fluctuations in the mixture by mechanically inducing cavitation events within the mixture, the shock waves and pressure fluctuations untangling, separating, and straightening polymer molecule chains and distributing the chains throughout the mixture, and extracting the resulting hydrated viscosifier from the cavitation zone.

A method for monitoring and controlling the polymerization in a polymerization vessel by using a camera viewing unit to (a) detect features of the polymer particles, or the particles' environment, (b) compare the features to pre-defined acceptable values of these features or the environment, and (c) if a variation from the pre-defined values is detected, act on process parameters to reduce or eliminate the variation.

A method for monitoring and controlling the polymerization in a polymerization vessel by using a camera viewing unit to (a) detect features of the polymer particles, or the particles' environment, (b) compare the features to pre-defined acceptable values of these features or the environment, and (c) if a variation from the pre-defined values is detected, act on process parameters to reduce or eliminate the variation.

A method of hydrating a dry powdered viscosifier such as a powdered polymer is disclosed. The method includes mixing the powdered viscosifier with a solvent such as water to form a mixture; moving the mixture through a cavitation zone; inducing energetic shock waves and pressure fluctuations in the mixture by mechanically inducing cavitation events within the mixture, the shock waves and pressure fluctuations untangling, separating, and straightening polymer molecule chains and distributing the chains throughout the mixture, and extracting the resulting hydrated viscosifier from the cavitation zone.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for withdrawing polymer agglomerates from a fluidised bed polymerisation reactor, the polymerisation reactor comprising a bottom zone having a generally conical shape and no fluidisation grid. The agglomerates are withdrawn by using an agglomerate trap below the bottom zone. A value of a process variable indicative of the content of agglomerates in the agglomerate trap is measured and the opening time of the valves transferring polymer to and from the agglomerate trap is adjusted based on the measured value.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for withdrawing polymer agglomerates from a fluidised bed polymerisation reactor, the polymerisation reactor comprising a bottom zone having a generally conical shape and no fluidisation grid. The agglomerates are withdrawn by using an agglomerate trap below the bottom zone. A value of a process variable indicative of the content of agglomerates in the agglomerate trap is measured and the opening time of the valves transferring polymer to and from the agglomerate trap is adjusted based on the measured value.

Suggested is a carbon black composition showing a narrow Aggregate Size Distribution (ASD) characterized by a D.sub.50/D.sub.mode value of about 0.58 to about 0.65 and a Relative Span (D.sub.90D.sub.10)/D.sub.50 of about 0.5 to about 0.8, which is obtainable by means of a modified furnace reactor. The composition shows superior additive performance and allows producing e.g. bus or truck tires with improved wear resistance and reinforcement.

The present disclosure relates to fluidized-bed boilers and methods for controlling bed agglomeration that can occur when biomass containing high amounts of phosphorus is used as fuel. Iron-containing compounds, such as iron oxide, are added to the fluidized bed to tie up the phosphorus in a form that will not react under typical operating conditions for fluidized-bed boilers.

A hopper including a buffer compartment defined by side walls, a top end including an opening for receiving solid particles, and a bottom end including an opening for dispensing the solid particles from the buffer compartment. The buffer compartment includes a plurality of essentially vertically positioned cooling plate-like elements for cooling the solid particles in the buffer compartment. A system including hopper, methods of operating the hopper or system, and production of solid particles.

This disclosure relates to a fluidized bed reaction system and method for continuous production of titanium tetrachloride from titanium-bearing materials containing high concentrations of alkaline earth metal impurities. Agglomerated heavy particles in a reaction are taken out continuously from a chlorination reactor without clogging and stopping. The reactors and related methods disclosed apply to the chlorination of titanium slag containing high content of alkaline earth metal oxides of up to 15% by weight.