question nubmer 1: you can use these cd:s to burn psx games, but you should not try to burn a copy in more than 1 x speed, because your cd reader in the psx will have a hard time reading the copy, if you use a faster speed( at least when it gets older, ive already gamed out 2 consols so....psx 2 here i come!)
and another thing, ive used kodak gold cd:s, and think that they are the best, but it is up to you, have in mind that the silver blue cd:s are harder to read for you consol when it géts older, and dont put stickers on the cd:s, they get out of balance and the same thing happens, your console whill not load the game! the cd:s with the black bottom might work, but dont stick any stickers to them..

question 2: when you patch a game with the ppf patcher, i use the old method and go to an dos window! have the cd image and the ppf file and the ppf engine in the same folder! then go to the folder in the dos window. when you have arrived you simply write as it says in the help.. applyppf.exe yourcdimage.bin thepatchname.ppf and press enter.( you will have to use cdrwin to do the cd image, and it becomes a .bin file for example tony2.bin)
if the ppf files name is thps2.ppf and your file is tony2.bin and you use the applyppf.exe engine you write:
applyppf.exe tony2.bin thps.ppf and press enter.
you will get a messedge if you done this correctly.
remeber to mark ignore in the jitter correction place in cdrwin.

question 3: when you have patched the game and burned it to a cd and it works, you can do cd images of it and burn it without patching.

question 4: there are often patches for every record avalible, try www.psxcopyworld.com

question 5: use cdrwin

extraction mode : disc image
reading options : raw
jitter correction: ignore
data and audio speed 1x
read retry count:15

dont forget to name you file..

use these settings and it should work.
you can get cdrwin at : www.goldenhawk.com

i hope you understand what im trying to write here! good luck.