Abstract: In the inventive method and apparatus for the continuous discharge of water and fine particles from a suspension, particularly fibrous pulp, the pulp or suspension is thickened without forcing the removal of water through a relatively thick, uncontrollably gathered fiber mat. In the method, the suspension to be thickened is fed into a filtering chamber, the suspension is continuously mixed for equalizing consistency differences, the liquid is continuously removed from the suspension through a filter and the thickness of a fiber mat which forms on the filter surface is controlled by subjecting the mat to shear stresses. In a thickening apparatus for practicing this method, at least one of co-operating surfaces--i.e. the filtering surface (8) and its counter-surface (10)--is provided with loosening members (12) for non-mechanically limiting the thickness of a fiber mat forming on the filtering surface and thereby preventing the uncontrolled formation of such a mat on the filtering surface (8).

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a pulp suspension in a screening plant of a pulp mill wherein impurities are separated from defibered pulp by screening and/or cleaning, the cleaned pulp is thickened, the impurities are further treated in the screening plant by screening and defibering the accept fiber material for further screening and thickening and further impurities are removed from the screening plant after various screening stages, the apparatus including means for effecting one or both of the pulp screening and cleaning stages in a closed, pressurized space in the screening plant and preventing the access of air to the pulp treated by effecting the thickening stages in a pressurized state and at the initial pressure of one or both of the preceding screening and cleaning stages.

Abstract: A method of treating a pulp suspension in a screening plant of a pulp mill wherein reject impurities are separated from defibered pulp by screening and/or cleaning, the cleaned pulp is thickened to a consistency of from about 10 to about 20%, the impurities are further treated in the screening plant by screening and defibering the accept fiber material for further screening and thickening and further reject impurities are removed from the screening plant after various screening stages, the method including effecting one or both of the pulp screening and cleaning stages in a closed, pressurized space in the screening plant and preventing the access of air to the pulp treated by effecting the thickening stages in a pressurized state and at the initial pressure of one or both of the preceding screening and cleaning stages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of intensifying the washing of a fiber suspension. In particular, the present invention relates to decreasing the lignin content of a fiber suspension by extracting. Lignin removal is usually carried out at a consistency of less than 3% whereby heating consumes much energy. The method of the invention allows a considerable increase in the consistency of the suspension which results in that the energy consumption is decreased to a fraction of the one required by prior art methods. A characteristic feature of the method of the invention is that dry substance and chemicals contained in the fibers are extracted at a raised pressure and temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for evaporating waste liquor produced when cooking fibrous material containing cellulose in a continuous pulp digester. In the continuous cooking process, fibrous material is heated to the process temperature by direct or indirect vapor heating in the digester at an increased pressure. The invention especially relates to digesters, in which fibrous material is heated directly with vapor.