Abstract: In the representative leachate treatment system disclosed in the specification, leachate is supplied to a submerged combustion gas evaporator having a downwardly-directed central burner supplying combustion gases through a downcomer to a combustion gas distributor in an evaporation zone. A conical baffle beneath the gas distributor separates the evaporation zone from a quiescent settling zone in a conical bottom of the distributor from which leachate concentrate and sludge are removed. The leachate supplied to the evaporator is preheated by exhaust gases from the evaporator and combustion air supplied to the burner is preheated by leachate concentrate and sludge removed from the evaporator. Landfill gases may be used to fuel the burner and the sludge may be further concentrated and liquid from the concentrator returned to the evaporator.

Abstract: A highly energy efficient process for removing hydrocarbons from polymer slurries is disclosed. The process includes feeding a hydrocarbon-containing polymer slurry to a flash tank to flash a portion of the hydrocarbon from the slurry. Thereafter, the resulting slurry is fed to a fluid bed dryer wherein additional hydrocarbon is stripped from the polymer. Subsequently, the resulting polymer powder is transferred to a powder silo wherein further hydrocarbon is removed from the polymer utilizing a heated purge gas flowing countercurrent to the polymer powder. The polymer output preferably has a low hydrocarbon content, on the order of 100 ppm or less.

Abstract: A vertical tube evaporation process for the concentration of saline water and other liquids, including the addition of an anionic mono-molecular dispersant thereto which interacts with materials precipitated during concentration and inhibits the formation of scale or fouling depositions on evaporator surfaces, and wherein the additive is incorporated into the precipitated materials and improves their removal during the descaling or defouling of evaporator surfaces by rendering such precipitates redispersable in fresh water or in a non-saturated liquid used for descaling or defouling of evaporator surfaces.

Abstract: The spray drying process and the apparatus therefor, of the present invention use a spray drying chamber formed by a heat-resistant porous membrane. Said porous membrane enables rapid separation of a discharge gas and a produced powder and accordingly total recovery of the produced powder from the spray drying chamber. Therefore, there occurs no nonuniformity in product composition; cleaning and blowing-off of adhered fine powder can be conducted rapidly and easily even in frequent product changes inevitable with a less grade larger quantity production system; as a result, a fine powder of higher quality and higher purity can be produced.

Abstract: A brine concentrator utilizing two separate concentrating devices in combination wherein a first concentrating device comprises a plurality of serpentine pipes interposed within a concentrator tank containing a dilute brine solution and a second concentrating device, including a venturi, is attached to the upper end of the concentrator tank and connected to receive exhaust gases from an exterior source. The brine solution which has been concentrated by the first concentrating device exit the tank through an output opening and is introduced into the venturi via a plurality of nozzles where it is mixed with the exhaust gases.A venting stack is also attached to the upper end of the tank for venting the exhaust gases emitted from the venturi and pre-heating dilute brine solution, which is introduced into the tank through the venting stack. As the solution travels down the stack and into the tank, it comes into contact with the exhaust gases exiting the tank from the venturi.

Abstract: Liquid is evaporated from a particulate solid material by passing the material through a row of upwardly open, elongated interconnected cells and introducing superheated steam into the cells at their lower ends in a manner so as to impart to the particles a whirling movement. Dried particles are lifted out of the cells and into a common transfer zone and from said zone down into a discharge cell which has no steam supplied thereto. The dried material thus introduced into the discharge cell is discharged together with material which has passed the row of cells.The invention eliminates the need for effecting an initial disintegration of the solid particulate material.

Abstract: An atmospheric evaporator for reducing the water content of various chemical solutions, more particularly useful in the electroplating industry, wherein the evaporator includes a solution-secure molded tank in which a removable blower sleeve is mounted having a blower inlet duct and support strut members formed at the opposite end thereof to support a multiplicity of finned evaporator members over which the solution is sprayed. When a large-volume, low RPM blower is mounted to the inlet duct, a straight-line downdraft of both air and solution is created, allowing the air and evaporated water to exhaust through an up-facing outlet duct, thus defining a substantially "U" shaped duct arrangement from the inlet side to the exhaust side of the tank with the heavy chemical particles returning to the process tank from the bottom of the evaporator tank.

Abstract: A spray dryer consisting of a tower-like drying container with spraying elements for introducing therein the material to be dried, pipelines and heater for injecting a heated drying gas, and a separator for separating dry fine material and gas. The dry fine material is agglomerated inside the drying tower. The separator consists of porous filter tubes, on which a dust-laden gas stream impinges, which covers the entire flow cross-section of the drying tower. Fine product material deposited on the filter tubes is shaken off by surges of compressed air and drops into a drying zone, a spraying zone, and finally, into a collecting hopper.

Abstract: A finely atomized liquid is projected in a stream and dried by contact with drying gas. The drying gas is projected in turbulent flow from opposite sides of the stream such flow being distributed along the length of the stream. The material may be atomized and projected by a jet of gas issuing from a nozzle, and the drying gas may be projected around the jet so that the drying gas meets the entrainment demand of the jet, thereby preventing recirculation of gases outside the jet.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the separation of materials obtained by means of high pressure extraction from an extraction agent, wherein extraction agent loaded with extracted material is passed from below into a separator comprising a head (2), a bottom (3), a runback pipe (4) and a heat exchanger (1) in the form of one or more pipes and extract recycled in a forced circulation via the head (2) and the runback pipe (4) to the bottom (3) and there either discharged and/or returned to the heat exchanger (1), the extraction agent evaporated in the heat exchanger being removed via a filter (11) on the head (2).

Abstract: A vacuum distillation system uses a tower having an open bottom submerged within a tank of solution exposed to atmospheric pressure. The solution within the tower is elevated to barometric level by a high vacuum or low absolute pressure on the tower top. As solution flows through the open bottom and upward, the solution is heated and then cooled to cause degasification and precipitation, and then withdrawn from the tower top. The treated solution is flowed to a vaporization chamber that is subjected to a low absolute pressure. A heater maintains the solution at a selected chamber temperature above the boiling point of water at the selected chamber pressure. The chamber pressure and temperature may be selected as desired to yield the purest water distillate for almost any solution of water and impurities. Water vapor is pumped from the vaporization chamber by a vapor pump to a condenser, where condensation results from increased pressure and decreased temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting a long tube vertical evaporator to a falling film evaporator in a manner which permits salvaging most of the long tube vertical evaporator structure. The bottom chamber of the existing evaporator is extended to define a flash chamber intermediate the existing heat exchanger chamber and the bottom chamber. A vapor riser conduit is provided for directing vapor from the flash chamber to the vapor separation chamber positioned above the heat exchanger chamber. A recirculation conduit is provided for directing liquid from the bottom chamber therethrough into a distribution chamber which is provided above and in communication with the upper ends of the heat exchange tubes positioned in the heat exchanger chamber. The distribution chamber is preferably provided with a plurality of spray nozzles which communicate with the recirculation conduit to evenly distribute a film of liquid downwardly through the heat exchange tubes.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing volatile components from a liquid includes three distinct sections of a confined passageway for the liquid. The first section is for heating the liquid to a predetermined temperature at a preselected pressure such that vaporization of the volatile components is prevented. The second section of the confined passageway is a restrictive orifice forming flow path. The third section is a volatile component evaporation section. The volatile component evaporation section and the restrictive orifice forming flow path are dimensioned relative to one another and in respect of the preselected pressure and temperature of the liquid product such that the volatile components of the liquid substantially instantaneously vaporize in a flashing action as the liquid passes from the restrictive orifice forming flow path to the volatile component evaporization section.

Abstract: An apparatus for concentrating aqueous solutions of hygroscopic organic liquid having boiling points higher than the normal boiling point of water is disclosed. The apparatus includes an airtight evacuated chamber, means for injecting a preheated temperature adjusted solution into the chamber to vaporize water from the solution and produce a concentrated aerosol of organic liquid, and means for coalescing the concentrated aerosol. Also included is a system for recovery of organic vapor leaving the chamber along with the vaporized water.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vaporization and condensation process for the fractionation of mixtures by continuously heating, in a circulation circuit, a clean heat transfer gas which is subsequently injected into a mixture to be fractionated (16), of which at least one liquid fraction, which has separated off by vaporization, is condensed and collected while the heat transfer gas returns to the circulation circuit.

Abstract: Liquid material is heated within a first predetermined portion of a confined passageway under pressure and temperature conditions whereby the volatile components of the liquid material are maintained below the boiling point for said volatile components. The heated liquid material is continuously passed from said first predetermined portion into and through a second predetermined portion of the confined passageway which is arranged to form a partial restriction to fluid flow. The liquid material is immediately passed from the partial restriction into a third predetermined portion of the confined passageway which is arranged and configured to provide a relatively elongated, narrow passage having a high ratio of surface area to volume of fluid flow and a predetermined configuration to impart a turbulent flow to the liquid material.

Abstract: The invention, which is useful in the chemical industry, relates to an automatic and continuous vaporization and condensation process for the fractionation of mixtures by continuously heating, in a circulation circuit, a clean heat transfer gas which is subsequently injected into a mixture to be fractionated (16), of which at least one liquid fraction, which has separated off by vaporization, is condensed and collected while the heat transfer gas returns to the circulation circuit.The process is preferentially applied to the recovery of solvents from paint, ink and varnish residues.

Abstract: An improved evaporation process for accomplishing the separation of a solution into its volatile and non-volatile components. The improvement over conventional evaporation, according to which the solution is fed to a calandria where it is heated and partially vaporized and the resulting calandria vapor stream is subjected to vapor-liquid separation for the removal of entrainment, relates to the practice of an additional and intermediate step in which the calandria vapor is contacted with the feed solution.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for removing radionuclides from a radioactively contaminated liquid, especially water from the sump of a nuclear electric-power generating plant, in which the waste water is evaporated to produce a vapor phase containing radionuclides in the form of liquid or solid aerosol-dispersed particles which are collected by passing the vapor through an electric field. Preferably a plurality of such fields are traversed in succession by the aerosol.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for purifying industrial waste gases, and during the process of purifying the waste gases, a solution of polluted water is obtained which is subsequently passed through additional associated apparatus in order to recover comparatively pure water. The apparatus includes an in-line condenser for reducing the temperature of the industrial waste gases prior to being conducted to a waste gas purifier. The solid particulate matter of the industrial waste gases are collected in suitable disposal containers, while the liquid waste from the gas purifier is conducted to a liquid collection means from which the liquid waste is passed through a thermal energy generator for producing super-heated steam that is subsequently conducted to a condensing box for recovering comparatively pure water.