(ZA9410063-A)      Reforming organics into shorter chain unsatd. cpds. comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can cause homolytic cleavage of an organic component of the feed; b) directing the feed into the molten metal bath at a rate which causes partial homolytic cleavage of the organic component of the feed; c) establishing and maintaining partial homolytic cleavage conditions in the reactor, to produce unsatd. organic cpds. which are discharged from the bath.    Also claimed are: 1) the above process, wherein step b) comprises: b) directing the feed into the molten metal bath at a rate which causes the concn. of carbon in the bath to be lower than the satn. limit for carbon; 2) the above process, wherein step a) comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can dissolve carbon; 3) the above process, wherein step a) comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can dissolve hydrogen.    USE -   The process is useful for prodn. of olefins; partic. ethylene, used as industrial raw materials for plastic and fibres in the packaging, transportation and construction industries. Uses for ethylene include the mfr. of polyethylene, and substd. alkenes, e.g. ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride; and for prodn. of ethylene oxide, ethyl benzene, ethylene-propylene elastomers and vinyl acetate. Methane, ethane and propane can also be produced in the process.    ADVANTAGE -   Ethylene is in short supply world-wide and prior prodn. methods are facing increasing environmental regulatory pressure, or are uneconomical. This process provides good control over prodn. of organics, esp. alkenes; gives high yields (e.g. 35%); is a recycling process employing soln. equilibria to synthesise commercial prods. from a wide variety of feeds, including hazardous industrial wastes, `dirty' crude, bottoms refinery oil and oil shales; can sustain high prod. quality, irrespective of feed heterogeneity; provides flexibility to engineer the properties and compsn. of a ceramic phase generated in the method; and has the ability to recover and recycle volatile and non-volatile materials.    (JP9507067-W)      Reforming organics into shorter chain unsatd. cpds. comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can cause homolytic cleavage of an organic component of the feed; b) directing the feed into the molten metal bath at a rate which causes partial homolytic cleavage of the organic component of the feed; c) establishing and maintaining partial homolytic cleavage conditions in the reactor, to produce unsatd. organic cpds. which are discharged from the bath.    Also claimed are: 1) the above process, wherein step b) comprises: b) directing the feed into the molten metal bath at a rate which causes the concn. of carbon in the bath to be lower than the satn. limit for carbon; 2) the above process, wherein step a) comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can dissolve carbon; 3) the above process, wherein step a) comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can dissolve hydrogen.    USE -   The process is useful for prodn. of olefins; partic. ethylene, used as industrial raw materials for plastic and fibres in the packaging, transportation and construction industries. Uses for ethylene include the mfr. of polyethylene, and substd. alkenes, e.g. ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride; and for prodn. of ethylene oxide, ethyl benzene, ethylene-propylene elastomers and vinyl acetate. Methane, ethane and propane can also be produced in the process.    ADVANTAGE -   Ethylene is in short supply world-wide and prior prodn. methods are facing increasing environmental regulatory pressure, or are uneconomical. This process provides good control over prodn. of organics, esp. alkenes; gives high yields (e.g. 35%); is a recycling process employing soln. equilibria to synthesise commercial prods. from a wide variety of feeds, including hazardous industrial wastes, `dirty' crude, bottoms refinery oil and oil shales; can sustain high prod. quality, irrespective of feed heterogeneity; provides flexibility to engineer the properties and compsn. of a ceramic phase generated in the method; and has the ability to recover and recycle volatile and non-volatile materials.    (US6258988-B1)      Reforming organics into shorter chain unsatd. cpds. comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can cause homolytic cleavage of an organic component of the feed; b) directing the feed into the molten metal bath at a rate which causes partial homolytic cleavage of the organic component of the feed; c) establishing and maintaining partial homolytic cleavage conditions in the reactor, to produce unsatd. organic cpds. which are discharged from the bath.    Also claimed are: 1) the above process, wherein step b) comprises: b) directing the feed into the molten metal bath at a rate which causes the concn. of carbon in the bath to be lower than the satn. limit for carbon; 2) the above process, wherein step a) comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can dissolve carbon; 3) the above process, wherein step a) comprises: a) providing a molten metal bath which can dissolve hydrogen.    USE -   The process is useful for prodn. of olefins; partic. ethylene, used as industrial raw materials for plastic and fibres in the packaging, transportation and construction industries. Uses for ethylene include the mfr. of polyethylene, and substd. alkenes, e.g. ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride; and for prodn. of ethylene oxide, ethyl benzene, ethylene-propylene elastomers and vinyl acetate. Methane, ethane and propane can also be produced in the process.    ADVANTAGE -   Ethylene is in short supply world-wide and prior prodn. methods are facing increasing environmental regulatory pressure, or are uneconomical. This process provides good control over prodn. of organics, esp. alkenes; gives high yields (e.g. 35%); is a recycling process employing soln. equilibria to synthesise commercial prods. from a wide variety of feeds, including hazardous industrial wastes, `dirty' crude, bottoms refinery oil and oil shales; can sustain high prod. quality, irrespective of feed heterogeneity; provides flexibility to engineer the properties and compsn. of a ceramic phase generated in the method; and has the ability to recover and recycle volatile and non-volatile materials.