The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, wherein the monomer solution comprises partly neutralized acrylic acid formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid and an aqueous solution of a base, the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a vessel (B), and the vessel (B) has a cylindrical shape and a torispherical bottom.

The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, wherein the monomer solution comprises partly neutralized acrylic acid formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid and an aqueous solution of a base, the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a vessel (B), and the feed line to vessel (B) ends inside vessel (B) below the liquid Level of the partly neutralized acrylic acid.

A device for processing a flow of particulate material by contact with a gas flow includes a housing defining a processing chamber. This chamber includes a gas distribution plate having openings. The gas distribution plate separates a lower gas plenum from a solid-gas contact zone. The contact zone has at least one cylindrical partition upstanding from the gas distribution plate dividing an inner section from an adjacent annular outer section. The at least one partition is provided with a transfer opening for the particulate material. The housing is also provided with an inlet for supplying particulate material to the inner section and an outlet for discharging processed particulate material from the annular outer section.

A device for processing a flow of particulate material by contact with a gas flow includes a housing defining a processing chamber. This chamber includes a gas distribution plate having openings. The gas distribution plate separates a lower gas plenum from a solid-gas contact zone. The contact zone has at least one cylindrical partition upstanding from the gas distribution plate dividing an inner section from an adjacent annular outer section. The at least one partition is provided with a transfer opening for the particulate material. The housing is also provided with an inlet for supplying particulate material to the inner section and an outlet for discharging processed particulate material from the annular outer section.

Provided herein are high throughput continuous or semi-continuous reactors and processes for manufacturing graphenic materials, such as graphene oxide. Such processes are suitable for manufacturing graphenic materials at rates that are up to hundreds of times faster than conventional techniques, have little batch-to-batch variation, have a high degree of tunability, and have excellent performance characteristics.

Provided herein are high throughput continuous or semi-continuous reactors and processes for manufacturing graphenic materials, such as graphene oxide. Such processes are suitable for manufacturing graphenic materials at rates that are up to hundreds of times faster than conventional techniques, have little batch-to-batch variation, have a high degree of tunability, and have excellent performance characteristics.

Implementations set forth herein relate to a system for manipulating mass. The system can include one or more radiation emitting apparatuses and a material chamber that includes a material. The material can be caused to experience a centrifugal force according to a motion of the material chamber. While the material is experiencing the centrifugal force, the one or more radiation emitting apparatuses can cause the material to increase in temperature and experience an electromagnetic force. The combination of forces can affect properties of the material and/or any other materials that can be in direct and/or indirect contact with the material.

The present invention presents a system for and method of processing a particulate material, for example carbonaceous materials, food products or minerals, to produce a processed material having more desirable properties. The method comprises the steps of: introducing the particulate material into a chamber; providing a flow of fluid into said chamber for entraining the particulate material via inlets at a lower end of the chamber; and providing an exhaust of fluid out of the chamber via an outlet at an upper end of the chamber. The chamber comprises a processing zone having a substantially circular transverse cross-section, the fluid flow being introduced into the processing zone at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a tangent of the substantially circular transverse cross-section of the processing zone to establish a fluid flow following a substantially helical path in the processing chamber. Said processing zone is provided in a central region of said chamber. Individual particulate material during processing in the processing zone is entrained by the fluid flow exceeding the terminal velocity of the particulate material, exits the processing zone in a radially outward direction, circulates to a base of the chamber and then returns to the processing zone in a repeated cycle. Individual particulate material can increase in mass or aggregate to form a mass of particulate material with larger mass during processing until its terminal velocity exceeds the fluid flow and thereby exits the processing zone by descending through an opening at the base of the chamber under gravity. A toroidal bed reactor is also provided.

The present invention provides an apparatus for the processing of a particulate material, the apparatus comprising: a processing chamber having one or more inlets for admitting particulate material to be processed and one or more outlets for processed particulate material; the processing chamber comprising an annular treatment zone and a plurality of processing fluid inlets arranged in a base of said annular treatment zone and configured so that, in use, jets of processing fluid pass into the annular treatment zone through the plurality of processing fluid inlets to establish a spiral flow of particulate material in the annular processing zone; wherein said one or more outlets for processed particulate material are located in the base of said annular treatment zone and surrounded by said plurality of processing fluid inlets so that the spiral flow of particulate material circulates around said one or more outlets; the processing chamber further comprising means for deflecting a portion of the spiral flow of particulate material in the annular processing zone radially inwards from said spiral flow so that said particulate material leaves the processing chamber through said one or more outlets for processed particulate material.

Systems and methods are disclosed for synthesizing one or more simple alcohols from mixtures including organic acids, water, and a superparamagnetic catalyst exposed to fluctuating magnetic fields under ambient conditions.