An entirely water-based, energy self-sufficient, integrated in-line waste management system is provided for comprehensive conversion of all organic fractions of municipal and wider community waste to fuels suitable for use in transportation, with all solid residues converted to high nutrition compost. The system is based on a combination of pre-treatment, involving alkaline hydrolysis and saponification; three-way separation of the pre-treated waste into different streams that are each directed to suitable further processing including fuel production; which includes biodiesel generation in a continuous-flow catalytic esterification unit, and anaerobic digestion to produce methane or other small molecule biofuel. Remaining solids are converted to compost in a quasi-continuous process.

A method of at least partially breaking down a material or product item or combination of material or product items. The method includes the steps of introducing said material or product item or combination of material or product items into a treatment vessel, introducing at least one working fluid into the treatment vessel, repeatedly increasing pressure on the material or product item or combination of material or product items in said treatment vessel to above atmospheric pressure and then subsequently depressurising the material or product item or combination of material or product items in the treatment vessel to achieve a pressure reduction in the vessel to effect at least partial breakdown of said material or product item or combination of material or product items.

An autoclave system comprises an autoclave vessel 210, for performing a leaching operation on sacrificial ceramic cores (not shown) and a storage vessel 220 for containing caustic leaching fluid 230. Interposed in a fluid flow path between the vessel 210 and the tank 220 is a heat exchange unit 240, comprising a body 250 containing a thermal exchange medium, in the form of water 260, and first and second thermal exchange conduits represented at 270 and 280. A thermal exchange medium inlet pipe 290a and a thermal exchange medium outlet pipe 290b are provided to the body so that the medium 260 can be replenished, preferably substantially continuously, to optimize thermal transfer efficiency.

A thermal process system includes a retort assembly, a heating assembly, and a vessel housing. The retort assembly includes a retort chamber and is configured to substantially form a containment boundary to contain one or more gases in the retort chamber during a thermal process. The heating assembly includes one or more heating elements and is configured to heat the retort chamber. The vessel housing is positioned around the retort chamber and the one or more heating elements and configured to form a pressure boundary to maintain a pressure within the retort chamber and reduce a pressure across the retort chamber.

An apparatus to effect at least partial breakdown of a discrete material or product item or a combination of discrete material or product items. The apparatus includes a treatment vessel in which the discrete material or product item or combination of discrete material or product items are located for treatment. There is at least one entry for introduction of at least one working fluid, at least one pressurisation arrangement to increase pressure on the material or product item or combination of material or product items within the treatment vessel. At least one decompression arrangement to rapidly reduce the pressure on the material or product item or combination of material or product items within the treatment vessel may also be provided. The at least one pressurisation arrangement and the at least one decompression arrangement are operable to cause repeated pressurisation and rapid decompression on the material or product item or combination of material or product items within the treatment vessel.

An apparatus for large batch chemical reactions using microwave energy includes a chamber defined by an outer wall, and a vessel disposed inside the chamber, the vessel defined by an inner wall, the inner wall being separated from the outer wall by a gap. The vessel is configured to receive and hold a load. The apparatus further includes a first applicator and a second applicator configured to emit the microwave energy at the load, wherein points at which microwave energy emitted by the first applicator and the second applicator enter the load are spaced at a distance from each other that is longer than a penetration depth of the microwave energy into the load such that no electromagnetic intercoupling occurs between the first applicator and the second applicator upon emission of the microwave energy.

A device for compensating short-term pressure or volume fluctuations of a medium in a continuously managed biopharmaceutical process including a receiving space in fluid communication with a process line through which a medium flows, an equalizing space, which is separated from the receiving space by a deflectable element, and a counter-pressure mechanism in the equalizing space for applying a counter-pressure to the deflectable element towards the receiving space. A method of compensating short-term pressure or volume fluctuations of a medium in a continuously managed biopharmaceutical process including providing a receiving space in fluid communication with a process line through which a medium flows, receiving an excess amount of the medium flowing into the receiving space, charging an energy storage device by the medium flowing into the receiving space, and expelling at least part of the excess amount if the pressure or flow rate falls below a set amount.

The invention relates to a method of performing a chemical reaction under elevated pressure. It is suggested that the method comprises the steps of pressurizing a first vessel (3) and a second vessel (5) with reactant-containing liquid and gas to a predetermined pressure, providing reaction conditions in one of the vessels (3, 5) such that the chemical reaction is effected and a product-containing liquid is obtained, withdrawing liquid from the respective vessel (3, 5) as reaction product when a predetermined amount of reaction product has formed, preferably after the chemical reaction in the respective vessel (3, 5) has concluded, and synchronously supplying reactant-containing liquid to the respective other vessel (3, 5), wherein the first and second vessels (3, 5) are in fluid communication by way of a gas communication passage (27). The invention also relates to an apparatus and use thereof for performing said chemical reaction.

A high pressure polymerization to form an ethylene-based polymer, the process comprising the following: polymerizing a reaction mixture comprising ethylene, using a reactor system comprising at least three ethylene-based feed streams and a reactor configuration that comprises at least four reaction zones.

A high pressure polymerization, as described herein, to form an ethylene-based polymer, comprising the following steps: polymerizing a reaction mixture comprising ethylene, using a reactor system comprising at least three ethylene-based feed streams and a reactor configuration that comprises at least four reaction zones, and at least one of the following a) through c), is met: (a) up to 100 wt % of the ethylene stream to the first zone comes from a high pressure recycle, and/or up to 100 wt % of the last ethylene stream to a zone comes from the output from a Primary compressor system; and/or (b) up to 100 wt % of the ethylene stream to first zone comes from the output from a Primary compressor system, and/or up to 100 wt % of the last ethylene stream to a zone comes from a high pressure recycle; and/or (c) the ethylene stream to the first zone, and/or the last ethylene stream to a zone, each comprises a controlled composition; and wherein each ethylene stream to a zone receives an output from two or more cylinders of the last compressor stage of a Hyper compressor system.