Tetronics Research and Development Company Ltd.

British Titan Limited

The Rugby Portland Cement Company Limited

Jozef K Tylko

Charles P Heanley

Material for the production of hydraulic cements or for pozzolanic materials which develop cementatious characteristics after blending with an activator, is treated in an expanded precessive plasma in a plasma reactor of the type in which at least one plasma gun orbits about a vertical axis and is directed obliquely to said axis towards a counter electrode. The material preferably includes at least a proportion of a naturally occurring carbonaceous material of low calorific value, such as colliery spoil, oil shale or oil sand. In such case, as the material emerges from the plasma it is preferably contacted with air to effect combustion of the combustible material. The thermal energy thus released is recovered by suitable instrumentalities and is preferably converted to electrical energy to power the plasma reactor.

Production of hydraulic cements and cement-forming materials

In a process for the carbothermal reduction of alumina, carbon and alumina are supplied to a molten reaction bed in a hearth in the floor of a reactor. The reaction bed is supplied with energy by contact with plasma or with plasma effluents. For this purpose the reaction bed itself may form the counter-electrode for a plasma gun orbiting about the vertical axis of the reactor or there may be an intermediate counter-electrode. In either case the hearth is preferably electroconductive to provide a current path from the material in the reaction bed. Some or all of the feed material entering the reaction bed may enter the upper end of the reactor and descend through the plasma. At least part of the carbon may be in the form of coarse lumps which are fed to the reactor via an entry duct in counter-current relation to evolved carbon monoxide which preheats and partially scrubs it.

Reduction of stable oxides

In a plasma reactor for reducing stable oxides, particularly alumina, oxide and carbon in particle form are allowed to descend through an upper plasma zone in which there is a precessive plasma column, into a lower collection zone, which has one or more gas outlets leading from a central region of its floor and a peripheral collection trough. The precessive plasma column imparts a rotational movement to descending particles so that solid or liquid droplets are separated from evolved carbon monoxide in the collection zone in the manner of a cyclone separator. High tension electrodes and/or liquid metal sprays may be provided to assist coalescence of fine droplets in the collection zone.

Apparatus and procedure for reduction of metal oxides

Apparatus and method are described for preparing a narrow trace of physiological fluid on a substrate from a discrete fluid pool. The trace so produced is substantially identical to traces manually prepared in that they are characterized by distinct macroscopic and microscopic zones. Automatic trace staining apparatus also is provided.

Serial preparation of narrow traces of cellular biological fluids

Reduction of iron-containing titaniferous particles by coating the particles with a reductant to provide a free-flowing coated particulate material with an average particle size not in excess of 500.mu. and thereafter passing the coated particles through a hot gaseous plasma of an inert or reducing gas and thereafter recovering from the reduced product a material containing an increased proportion of titanium.

Process for the production of iron-containing titaniferous particles

A continuous electrical discharge arc column is moved bodily through a closed arcuate path. Particulate material is fed into the moving column at an angle such that the particles of the material travel through the column in substantially spiral paths. After emerging from the column, the arc treated particles are collected at a point of deposit spaced vertically below the column. During its movement, which is at a controlled rate, the arc column is expanded.

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Faringdon, United Kingdom

Jozef K Tylko