Ionic liquid solvents of perhalide type for metals for extraction radioactive metals from mineral ores.

The invention relates to a process for dissolving metals (e.g., Al, Cu, Fe, Cr, Sb, Ti, and W) in perhalide contg. ionic liqs. having the formula (I), and to the extn. of metals from mineral ores; the remediation of materials contaminated with heavy, toxic, or radioactive metals; and to the removal of heavy and toxic metals from hydrocarbon streams. In the formula (I), [X] comprises at least one perhalide anion selected from [I3]-, [BrI2]-, [Br2I]-, [ClI2]-, [ClBr2]-, [BrCl2]-, or [ICl2]-, [ClI3]-. The (Cat+) is a cationic species selected from: ammonium, azaannulenium, azathiazolium, benzimidazolium, benzofuranium, benzotriazolium, borolium, cinnolinium, diazabicyclodecenium, diazabicyclononenium, diazabicyclo- undecenium, dithiazolium, furanium, guanidinium, imidazolium, indazolium, indolinium, indolium, morpholinium, oxaborolium, oxaphospholium, oxazinium, oxazolium, iso-oxazolium, oxathiazolium, pentazolium, phospholium, phosphonium, phthalazinium, piperazinium, piperidinium, pyranium, pyrazinium, pyrazolium, pyridazinium, pyridinium, pyrimidinium, pyrrolidinium, pyrrolium, quinazolinium, quinolinium, isoquinolinium, quinoxalinium, selenozolium, sulfonium, tetrazolium, iso-thiadiazolium, thiazinium, thiazolium, thiophenium, thiuronium, triazadecenium, triazinium, triazolium, iso-triazolium, and uronium. [on SciFinder(R)]

Process for removing metals from hydrocarbons.

This invention relates to a process for removing metals, particularly mercury, from hydrocarbon streams by use of an ionic liq., where in the metal-contg. hydrocarbon stream is contacted with an ionic liq. to produce a product hydrocarbon stream having reduced mercury content. [on SciFinder(R)]

Design of an automated solar concentrator for the pyrolysis of scrap rubber

An automated solar reactor system was designed and built to carry out catalytic pyrolysis of scrap rubber tires at 550°C. To maximize solar energy concentration, a two degrees-of-freedom automated sun tracking system was developed and implemented. Both the azimuth and zenith angles were controlled via feedback from six photo-resistors positioned on a Fresnel lens. The pyrolysis of rubber tires was tested with the presence of two types of acidic catalysts, H-beta and H-USY. Additionally, a photoactive TiO<inf>2</inf> catalyst was used and the products were compared in terms of gas yields and composition. The catalysts were characterized by BET analysis and the pyrolysis gases and liquids were analyzed using GC-MS. The oil and gas yields were relatively high with the highest gas yield reaching 32.8% with H-beta catalyst while TiO<inf>2</inf> gave the same results as thermal pyrolysis without any catalyst. In the presence of zeolites, the dominant gasoline-like components in the gas were propene and cyclobutene. The TiO<inf>2</inf> and non-catalytic experiments produced a gas containing gasoline-like products of mainly isoprene (76.4% and 88.4% respectively). As for the liquids they were composed of numerous components spread over a wide distribution of C<inf>10</inf> to C<inf>29</inf> hydrocarbons of naphthalene and cyclohexane/ene derivatives.

Do ectomycorrhizal fungi exhibit adaptive tolerance to potentially toxic metals in the environment?

The effects of potentially toxic metals on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and their higher plant hosts are examined in this review. Investigations at a species and community level have revealed wide inter- and intraspecific variation in sensitivity to metals. Adaptive and constitutive mechanisms of ECM tolerance are proposed and discussed in relation to proven tolerance mechanisms in bacteria, yeasts and plants. Problems with methodology and research priorities are highlighted. These include the need for a detailed understanding of the genetic basis of tolerance in the ECM symbiosis, and for studies of ECM community dynamics in polluted sites.

Heavy metals as markers for assessing environmental pollution from chemical warehouse and plastics fires

Case histories of large, accidental fires are presented to illustrate that heavy metals may be used as markers to assess the extent of localized environmental contamination resulting from fires. Due to the complexity of fire chemistry with respect to organic pollutants, determination of organic pollutants in the environment following a fire would be time consuming and expensive. Using heavy metals as markers on the other hand is much cheaper and can be done very rapidly. © 1995.