Abstract:
An improvement in comminuting particulate inorganic oxides is achieved by vaporizing the oxides in an electric arc column in the presence of a reducing agent and thereafter contacting the vapors with an oxygen containing quench gas. The process is particularly useful in preparing submicron silica powder.
Abstract:
A STEAM CRACKING FEED MIXTURE CONTAINING STEAM AND HYDROCARBON IS CONVENTIONALLY CRACKED IN THE TUBES OF A STEAM CRACKING FURNACE. THE CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBON TO CRACKED PRODUCT CAN BE INCREASED BY INJECTING A HIGH TEMPERATURE GASEOUS STREAM SUCH AS CAN BE PRODUCED BY ELECTRICAL HEATING, INTO THE MIXTURE IN THE CRACKING FURNACE OR INTO THE MIXTURE AS IT EMERGES FROM THE CRACKING FURNACE, THUS SUBJECTING THE FURNACE EFFLUENT TO SHORT RESIDENCE TIME, HIGH TEMPERATURE CRACKING CONDITIONS. IN ONE METHOD, METHANE IS ELECTRICALLY HEATED AND CRACKED TO A MIXTURE COMPRISING ACETYLENE AND HYDROGEN, WHICH IS THEN INJECTED INTO THE PRODUCT FROM THE STEAM CRACKER, THEREBY CAUSING ADDITIONAL CRACKING OF THE STEAM CRACKER FEED AND QUENCHING OF THE ELECTRICALLY CRACKED PRODUCT TO PRESERVE THE ACETYLENE CONTENT THEREOF. THE LECTRICALLY HEATED STREAM MAY, HOWEVER, CONTAIN HYDROGEN, STEAM, HYDROCARBONS, E.G. ACETYLENE, OR MIXTURES THEREOF AS THE COMPONENTS OF GREATEST CONCENTRATION.