Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

The University of British Columbia

Highbury Biofuel Technologies Inc.

Alan Paul Watkinson

Colin W Oloman

J Keith Brimacombe

Khay C Teo

Yong Hua Li

Cef Haligva

Igor A Wilkomirsky

A tar destruction unit for a biomass gasifier is described, comprising a catalyst and/or heating means situated within the free-board section of the gasifier. Also described is a biomass gasifier having such a tar destruction unit.

Freeboard tar destruction unit

A pumpable slurry for recovering fuel value from lignin by mixing the lignin with water, fuel oil and a dispersing agent to form a stable thixotropic or near Newtonian portable slurry by coordinating the amounts of lignin, water and fuel oil to produce a substantially slurry suitable for use as a liquid fuel having a viscosity after stirring of 100 to 1,000 mPa.s.

Pumpable lignin fuel

A novel electrolytic cell is described for carrying out electrochemical reactions in which a gas and a liquid electrolyte flow co-currently through a fluid permeable conductive mass which acts as an electrode. The cell has an anode and cathode in spaced apart relationship, with one electrode being in the form of a fluid permeable conductive mass e.g. a porous matrix or a packed bed of graphite particles, separated from the counter electrode by a barrier wall. This barrier wall can be either anion specific membrane dividing the cell into separate cathode and anode chambers or a porous insulating wall permitting flow of electrolyte between the cathode and anode. A liquid electrolyte and a gas are passed co-currently through the electrode bed perpendicular to the current flow and the reaction product is generated in the solution within the electrode bed.

Apparatus for electrochemical reactions

A novel electrolytic cell and process are described for producing alkaline peroxide solutions. The cell has an anode and cathode in spaced apart relationship, with the cathode being in the form of a fluid permeable conductive mass e.g. a packed bed of graphite particles, separated from the anode by a barrier wall. This barrier wall can be either a cation specific membrane dividing the cell into separate cathode and anode chambers or an insulating mesh permitting free flow of electrolyte between the cathode and anode. An aqueous alkaline electrolyte and oxygen are passed through the cathode bed and the peroxide is generated in the solution within the cathode bed. The alkaline peroxide obtained is directly usable in wood pulp bleaching operations.

Electrolytic production of alkaline peroxide solutions

Molybdenite or MoS.sub.2 materials, particularly finely divided flotation concentrates, are oxidized (roasted) to form molybdenum trioxide in a continuous composite fluidized bed containing non-elutriated refractory solids. A relatively high recycle ratio of oxidized calcine to feed is maintained for best results. The temperature of the circulated oxidized solids is maintained high to avoid sticking and deposition problems. High throughputs and high conversions have been achieved, with the product having a low sulfur content.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Alan Paul Watkinson