JOHN E AIKEN
Engineers in Monroeville, PA

8022236, Sep 20, 2011

Oct 14, 2008

12/287779

John E. Aiken - Monroeville PA, US

C11C 3/00

554167

A process is described for producing fatty acid alkyl esters for both diesel fuel and non-fuel uses. The feed material includes whole oleaginous seeds slurried in a liquid triglyceride oil containing at least two weight percent free fatty acid, wherein oil from inside the seeds is first extracted with concurrent esterification of free fatty acids from all sources in an acidic environment. Following sufficient free fatty acid reaction, the intermediate product is subjected to base-catalyzed concurrent extraction and transesterification. Decanting of the byproduct glycerin is followed by water washing. Subsequently, the fatty acid ester product is concurrently purified and fractionated into a biodiesel fuel stream and a non-fuel fraction, each of which undergoes post treatment as needed. The process is optionally integrated with glycerin purification and/or methanol recovery.

2007026, Nov 15, 2007

May 10, 2006

11/431287

John Aiken - Monroeville PA, US

C10L 1/00

044307000

Biodiesel fuels are produced efficiently and at low cost from waste oil feeds containing high concentrations of fatty acids. By first producing an ester of a water immiscible alcohol, water of reaction from the esterification can be easily stripped out with and separated from the alcohol, which is recycled to the esterification reaction. Subsequent transesterification with glycerin produces a feed with a sufficiently low acid value to allow methanolysis using a basic catalyst to proceed rapidly without consumption of large quantities of catalyst or organic acid salt formation.

7049474, May 23, 2006

Sep 12, 2000

09/660099

Keith E. Henry - Allison Park PA, US
John E. Aiken - Monroeville PA, US

Sunoco, Inc. (R&M) - Philadelphia PA

C07C 409/10

568568, 568576

The present invention provides for the use of water, rather than cumene, as a more environmentally acceptable diluent for purified cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) solutions. From 1 to about 6 weight percent water can be used to dilute purified CHP solutions, thus reducing or eliminating the use of a hazardous compound, cumene, as a diluent. The method and CHP-water solutions of the present invention should significantly reduce or eliminate the hazardous emissions problems encountered with the use of cumene as a diluent and make CHP solutions more environmentally acceptable to produce, transport and use. Water as a diluent also depresses the freezing point of the resultant solution, thereby permitting year-round use of higher concentration CHP solutions. Water diluted CHP solutions will also reduce cumene-related impurities in finished products made therefrom.

4238460, Dec 9, 1980

Feb 2, 1979

6/008678

John E. Aiken - Monroeville PA
William J. Didycz - Whitehall PA

United States Steel Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

B01D 5336

423210

Systems and methods for directing waste gases to a by-pass conduit from a conduit to a waste gas purifier in response to signals indicating predetermined conditions which are harmful to the waste gas purifier to which the waste gases are normally directed while at the same time maintaining a substantially uniform pressure at the source of the waste gases. Preferably, the source of the waste gases is a scrubber unit for a maleic anhydride production unit. The waste gas purifier is preferably a catalytic oxidation unit for oxidizing hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the waste gases.

2010000, Jan 14, 2010

Jul 10, 2009

12/500636

JOHN E. AIKEN - Monroeville PA, US

A01G 17/14, A01G 17/04

47 47, 47 44

An apparatus for supporting plants growing from the ground includes an elongated rigid pole with a plurality of axially-spaced apertures along much of the pole. Flexible cord ties are threaded in a spiral fashion through at least three apertures in the long wall of the elongated pole, and knots at the ends are tied around plant stems or branches thereby preventing disengagement from the holes and simultaneously supporting the plant. One end of the elongated pole is cut at an angle to the axis to form a point.

7126032, Oct 24, 2006

Mar 23, 2006

11/387654

John E. Aiken - Monroeville PA, US

Sunoco, Inc. (R&M) - Philadelphia PA

C07C 29/80, C07C 29/82, C07C 29/88

568869, 568868

A process for purifying glycerin recovered as a byproduct of biodiesel production comprises heating a glycerin effluent stream containing a low molecular weight alcohol, water and fatty acid esters of the low molecular weight alcohol to cause transesterification of the fatty acid esters to glycerides and additional low molecular weight alcohol. The reaction mixture is sparged with nitrogen to help remove water and low molecular weight alcohol, which drives the transesterification reaction towards glyceride formation. A wash water stream may also be added to the recovered glycerin stream from biodiesel production. Either before or following the transesterification reaction, an oil layer can be separated from the recovered glycerin stream by reducing the pH of the stream to below 7. Following separation of the oil layer and transesterification the glycerin stream is flash distilled to separate glycerin from water, salts, and glycerides.

5300702, Apr 5, 1994

Mar 1, 1993

8/024122

David A. Perkins - Monroeville PA
John E. Aiken - Monroeville PA

Aristech Chemical Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

C07C 3774

568724

In the production of bisphenol-A from the reaction of phenol and acetone, values are recovered from a "heavy ends" fraction by passing the fraction through a thin-film evaporator, making a light fraction which is fractionally distilled into three portions, two of which have recoverable proportions of bisphenol-A, and recovering bisphenol-A from at least one of them.

2011003, Feb 17, 2011

Aug 11, 2010

12/854440

John E. Aiken - Monroeville PA, US
Edward Scott Carlson - Delmont PA, US

A01G 9/12

47 70

A string trellis apparatus for attachment to elevated substantially horizontal portions of a structure at one end and an elongated planter box at the other, includes at least two elongated hanger members of a first predetermined length each having at least one aperture disposed at a first end and a hook portion disposed at a second end and engageable with at least one of a rain gutter and a fence top; at least two substantially flexible strings having proximal and distal ends; and a planter-box connecting means disposed one of in or on the planter box for removably attaching the proximal ends of the strings to the planter box adjacent a soil surface in the planter box.

2004013, Jul 15, 2004

Nov 19, 2003

10/716920

Kurt Kramarz - Murrysville PA, US
Richard Ingram - McDonald PA, US
John Aiken - Monroeville PA, US
George Gallaher - Oakmont PA, US

C07C035/22

568/881000

The present invention relates to the co-production of unsaturated aldehydes via a crossed-aldol condensation reaction catalyzed by recyclable water-soluble phase-transfer catalysts or the hydroxides thereof. The aldehydes are then hydrogenated to the desired alcohol products or saturated aldehyde feed stocks. Specifically, methods in which 2,4-diethyloctanol is co-produced with 2-ethylhexanol in batch and continuous processes are described. Recovery of the phase-transfer catalyst through water washing followed by “salting out” from the washings is also demonstrated.