A self-contained system which converts nitrous oxide to a breathable gas mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable system is disclosed wherein liquefied nitrous oxide is converted to a breathable gas mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. The decomposition occurs over a catalyst bed which is all contained in a small reactor. The invention is useful for underwater, fire fighting and outer space applications.

Formaldehyde is synthesized by continuously passing a gaseous mixture of methanol and nitrous oxide over a metallic silver-containing catalyst bed at a temperature of about 475 to about 675.degree. C.

The invention relates to a catalyst for decomposing nitrous oxide, which is [1] a catalyst comprising a support having supported thereon aluminum, magnesium and rhodium, [2] a catalyst comprising an alumina support having supported thereon magnesium and rhodium, [3] a catalyst comprising a support having supported thereon rhodium, the support comprising a spinel crystalline composite oxide formed by magnesium and at least a part of aluminum, [4] a catalyst comprising a support having supported t...

The disclosure relates to a process for controlling diazotization reactions. To this end, a reaction batch containing an aromatic amine and nitrous acid is vigorously agitated so as to continuously renew the surface area of the batch. The air above said surface area is exhausted at a constant rate and tested for its content of nitrous gases originating from partially decomposed nitrous acid. Nitrous acid or dissolved matter forming it under the reaction conditions is supplied to the feed amine i...

This invention provides a process for treating polyester materials employing a treatment solution containing a synergistic combination of hydrogen peroxide values and nitrites (or nitrous acid) whereby the cotton-like hand of the polyester is improved and the polyester is made cationocally dyeable.

A process is presented for the reduction of nitrogen oxides in the effluent from the combustion of a carbonaceous fuel while reducing the generation of nitrous oxide. The process comprises introducing a treatment agent comprising ammonium carbamate into the effluent in an amount effective to substantially avoid the presence of nitrous oxide.

A system and apparatus is disclosed for delivering fuel to a furnace using an inert gas medium which has acquired moisture from the application of the furnace stack gas for drying the incoming fuel material during the reduction of the fuel to a desired size for combustion in the furnace. The use of an oxygen deficient inert gases medium as a propellant to deliver the fuel to the furnace is augmented by supplying air to the furnace to establish a staged combustion environment in the furnace to av...

A method for determining the proper fueling of an internal combustion engine when nitrous oxide is being injected into the air intake of the engine determines an equivalent air per cycle (APC.sub.equiv) by calculating the effect of both the air and the nitrous oxide on the oxygen content of the gas stream flowing into the cylinders of the engine. After calculating the equivalent air per cylinder magnitude, the fuel per cylinder (FPC) is calculated as a function of the stoichiometric air fuel rat...

A method of minimizing nitrous oxide emissions in a gas turbine engine includes a step of monitoring pressure fluctuations within a gas turbine engine combustor and a step of adjusting fuel flow to the combustor if the pressure fluctuations therein exceed a preestablished threshold. The combustor can be operated at the lowest levels of nitrous oxide emissions since the onset of a combustor instability and/or blowout is identified early to allow for corrective action so that such undesirable even...

The N.sub.2 O values in gaseous effluents, notably those produced in various organic syntheses entailing nitric acid oxidation (for example the industrial scale production of adipic acid, of glyoxal and of glyoxylic acid), are catalytically decomposed at elevated temperatures over H-mordenite and ammonium mordenite catalysts, preferably the ammonium mordenites that have been exchanged with iron, cobalt or bismuth.