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A New Catalyst for Oxidation of Propylene with Air
Staff-lndustry Collaborative Report
Several catalysts composed of compounds of copper were studied on a qualitative basis to determine their suitability for catalyzing reac tions between propylene and air. One material, which has not been reported previously in the literature as being active in the oxidation of propylene, was investigated in considerable detail at a pressure of 2 atm. and temperatures in the neighborhood of 500° F. A flow-type reactor was employed. Recognized analytical proce dures were adapted with some modification for the isolation, identi fication, and quantitative estimation of the carbonyl compounds ob tained in the study of this catalyst. The product distribution as a func tion of the operating conditions and the proposed stoichiometry for the reactions are presented.
Developing Solid Propellants The search for higher and higher specific impulses to propel missiles and rockets requires special facilities. The highly sensitive nature of the materials used in the processing of the solid propellents warrants special attention. Of prime interest aside from the materials them selves is the equipment that frequently must be designed to do a spe cific job in the compounding stage, curing, and trimming operations And, due to the extreme sensitivity of the materials during processing, extensive safety precautions must be taken to protect personnel as well as equipment. Barricading and isolation of processing areas chiefly are discussed here.
J. F. W O O D H A M and C. D. HOLLAND Department of Chemical Engineering, A. and M . College of Texas, College Station, Tex.
BRUCE F. GREEK, CHARLES F. DOUGHERTY, and WALTER J . MUNDY Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 974-80 (1960)
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Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 985-88 (1960j
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Digital Computers and Regression Analyses in Evaluating Plant Operating Data Radiochemical Tracing of Fluid Catalyst Flow
The advent of digital computers has made possible the use of the powerful techniques of regression and correlation analysis in the evaluation of plant operating data. Because of the wide range of error present in operating data, specific computing procedures are necessary to obtain results in a minimum of time. Simple linear correlations and an expanded binomial relation are valuable in selecting terms for the initial regression equation. The regression study should begin with a linear relationship, unless the form of the equation is known. Nonlinear terms may then be added until a significant equa tion is obtained. The real value in using regression analysis to study operating data is to obtain a relationship to aid plant personnel in process control or, if a relationship cannot be obtained, to point this out so corrective meas ures may be taken to improve the data-gathering procsdures.
A knowledge of the behavior of catalyst in a pilot fluid catalytic cracking unit as a function of reactor structure and operating variables would be useful in the design and operation of larger units. A catalyst velocity of 11 feet per second in a pilot unit transfer line has been determined by injection of catalyst tagged with zirconiumniobium-95. Similar injections have illustrated mixing patterns in the reactor proper. The examples presented of the types of data which may be obtained demonstrate the unique ability of the tracer technique to provide vital information concerning the effects of operating conditions and struc tural designs on solids-mixing patterns in fluidized systems. R. L. HULL and A. E. VON RDSEN3ER3 Humble Oil & Refining Co., Baytown, Tex.
F. P. FISHER International Business Machines Corp., 3424 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles 5, Calif. Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 981-84 (1960)
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Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 989-92 (19.0)
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GUIDE FOR AUTHORS, published in December I960 issue, page 1057, gives copy requirements to be observed in preparing manuscripts for consideration. Manuscript (2 copies) should be sub mitted to the Editor, 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington 6, D. C. The American Chemical Society assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors to its publications. Views expressed in the editorials arc those of the editors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the American Chemical Society
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numbers will not be allowed if received more than 60 days from date of mailing plus time nor mally required for postal delivery of journal and claim. No claims allowed because of failure to notify the Circulation Department of a change of address, or because copy is "missing from files." Published monthly by the American Chemical Society, from 20th and Northampton Sts., Easton, Pa. Executive offices, Editorial Headquarters, and Circulation Department, 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington 6, D. C. Advertising Office: 430 Park Ave., New York 22, Ν. Υ. Branch Editorial Offices: 36 South Wabash Ave., Chicago 3, 111.; 718 Melrose Bldg., Houston 2, Tex.; 2 Park Ave., New York 16, N. Y.; 703 Mechanics' Institute Bldg., 57 Post St., San Francisco 4, Calif.; Bush House, Aldwych, London. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Notify Circulation Department, American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W., Washington 6, D. C. Such notification should include both old and new addresses and postal zone number, if any. The American Chemical Society also publishes Analyt ical Chemistry' Cbtmical and Engineering News, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal of the Amirican Chemical Society, The Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, The Journal of Organic Chemistry, and Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data. Rates on request.
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Make Your Own Tracers by Radioactive Parent-Daughter Separations
Mass and Heat Transfer in Flow of Gases Through Spherical Packings
Numerous plant applications for indicator radioisotopes exist espe cially in quality control and testing programs. Problems of contami nation and product inventory time dictate that isotopes used for these applications be short-lived. Reactor-scheduling difficulties preclude the direct use of reactor produced short half-life radioactivity. One way to circumvent these problems is to separate a short half-life daughter isotope from a long-lived parent isotope. An experimental laboratory milker to produce indium-113m (1.7 hours, 0.393 m.e.v. gamma activity) from tin-113 (112 days) has been investigated. The indium113m is separated from tin-113 by Dowex 1 resin on an ion exchange column. Preliminary results indicate that indium-113m can be sepa rated from the parent by approximately one part per thousand to five parts in ten thousand. To augment the use of the indicator isotope indium-113m, it was necessary to convert it to an organic soluble form. It was found that indium-113m could be extracted from the eluate of the ion exchange column with thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) in benzene.
Direct measurements of temperature and rates of evaporation of water from the surface of catalyst carriers have been used to establish the simultaneous mass- and heat-transfer factors for fixed beds of spherical particles. The resulting transfer factors are a continuous function of the modified Reynolds number. Results of this investigation differ from those of Gamson, Thodos, and Hougen, who assumed that temperature of the evaporating surface was the same as the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering the bed. The present study indicates that this condition is approached only at high air velocities. Packed fixed beds and expanded fixed beds were used in this study. The expanded fixed beds were produced by randomly mixing the wet catalyst carriers with solid plastic spheres. The results obtained were similar for both types of packing. JAMES DE ACETIS and GEORGE THODOS The Technological Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, III.
W I L L I A M J. MAYER and ROBERT L. ANDERSON Research Laboratories, General Motors Corp., Warren, Mich. Intl. Eng. Chem. 52, 993-94 (1960)
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Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 1003-1006 (1960)
The Otto Cycle Engine. Model for Combustion Interested in Uniform Powder?
RAYMOND H. COMYN, IRA R. MARCUS, and ROBERT E. M c l N T Y R E Diamond Fuze Laboratories, Ordnance Corps, Washington 25, D. C. I/EC3
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A method is described for rapidly calculating the thermodynamic property history of the unburned mixture in an engine. The model consists of a sequence of repetitive, time-stepped, iterative computa tional procedures to calculate the equilibrium conditions in a small segment of the gaseous system, and in the unburned and previously burned fractions before and after the passage of a flame front through the small segment. Variations in the thermodynamic properties of the working fluid resulting from changes in chemical dissociation are taken into account. The model provides a means for computing and studying the condi tions prevailing during a combustion process. It may be used to test any postulated relation put forth to describe the sequential burning of the unburned mass in the Otto cycle engine as well as other com bustion devices.
Try Agglomerate Mixing
An agglomerate method has been developed for blending fine powders into a homogeneous mixture. This method depends on forming very small agglomerates of the particles in a liquid suspension. The composition of the agglomerates remains constant in subsequent mixing and handling operations. The performances of a number of agglomerate mixtures are dis cussed, including compositions intended for use as time delays, delay igniters, and heat powders in ordnance devices.
Ind. Eng. Chem. 52. 995-98 (1960)
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M . H . EDSON Esso Research & Engineering Co., Linden, N. J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 1007-1010 (1960)
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How Does Nitric Oxide Affect Reactions of Aqueous Nitrogen Dioxide? The effect of nitric oxide on the production rate of nitric and nitrous acid was studied to obtain information on the kinetics and mechanisms involved in the absorption of nitrogen oxides into water. The important reactions are presented, the stoichiometry is estab lished, and a mechanism is proposed which indicates lhat the rate of removal of N02 and N204 is controlled by the liquid-phase reaction of N20i with water, reaction of N20:i with water, and the decomposition of HN02 into NO, N02, and H20. The addition of NO affects the rate of removal of N02 and N20j to only a minor degree but affects markedly the acid product. The mechanism explains the important role of HN02, NO, and Ν203 in the reaction process. Experimental data are used to verify the proposed mechanism, and the resultant rate expression is compared to simpler rate expressions.
Residual Dust Profiles in Air Filtration Regardless of the cleaning technique, no amount of cleaning ever removes all of the collected dust from a fabric filter medium; that which remains following the cleaning period is the "residual" cake. In bag-type air filters, significant differences in the residual cake are inherent over the surface of the filter. These differences are discussed and analyzed, and the reasons for variations in residual cake properties as well as practical implications to be gained from a knowledge of them are treated. DAVID G. STEPHAN and GEORGE W I L L I A M WALSH Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center, Cincinnati, Ohio Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 999-1002 (I960)
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E. J . KOVAL and M . S. PETERS Chemical Engineering Division, University of Illinois, Urbana, III. Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 1011-1014 (1960)
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Structural Bonding of Polyolefins A method had been developed for forming structurally strong re producible bonds between certain polyolefins and high copper alloys (Cu > 85%) in a simple molding procedure using no intermediate adhesive layer. The method depends on chemical formation of a cupric oxide layer on the metal with subsequent bonding of the polyolefin in a short-time, high-temperature molding operation. Bonds formed by this method range in peel strength from approximately 16 to 40 pounds per inch of sample width. Bond strengths of less than 5 pounds per inch are obtained if only cuprous oxide is present on the metal surface. The mechanism of bond formation can be explained through oxida tion of the polyolefin by cupric oxide. The resulting polar oxygenated polyolefin adheres tenaciously to the oxides on the copper surface through interactions at the developed polar sites. R. G. BAKER and Α. Τ. SPENCER Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., Murrary Hill, N . J . Ind. Eng. Chem. 52, 1016-1017 (1960)
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