Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for recovering a sterilizing gas, in particular ethylene oxide, materials to be sterilized are sterilized with the sterilizing gas in a sterilizing chamber; the sterilizing gas/air mixture withdrawn from the sterilizing chamber is predried in a precooler; the predried sterilizing gas/air mixture is freed from residual moisture in a drier, the sterilizing gas liquefied in a low-temperature condenser and stored in a storage container until reuse in the sterilizing chamber. The sterilizing and the entire recovery of the sterilizing gas takes place at pressures beneath the atmospheric pressure surrounding the apparatus.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for recovering a sterilizing gas, in particular ethylene oxide (ETO), materials to be sterilized are sterilized in a sterilizing chamber with a sterilizing gas and a gas flow is withdrawn from the sterilizing chamber. At least part of the sterilizing gas contained in said gas flow is liquefied and separated. The gas flow freed from liquefied sterilizing gas is returned to the sterilizing chamber whilst at the same time at least a part of the separated sterilizing gas is replaced by addition of inert-rendering gas, reducing the concentration of the sterilizing gas in the sterilizing chamber.

Abstract: A solvent recovery apparatus, in particular, for manufacturing apparatus of web-like materials, preferably sound tapes and video tapes, is equipped with a heat exchanger which returns a preferably larger portion of a gas prepurified of solvents downstream of a solvent separator via a line and heats it against the flow of the solvent-charged gas from the drier in order to return the preheated larger portion into the drier; a preferably smaller portion of the prepurified gas is freed from remaining solvent residues downstream of the solvent separator in a cryogenic apparatus, supplemented with a thereby vaporized part of inert gas in order to subsequently be supplied to transfer chambers of the drier to produce there a positive gas flow directed both into the drier and to the outside. The proposed method can be carried out on the apparatus describe.

Abstract: A solvent condenser for an apparatus for recovering solvent from a carrier gas/solvent mixture is formed by at least one flooded evaporator.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for avoiding or reducing trouble-induced time delays in solvent recovery from production processes, apart from the solvent circuit and apart from the supplying of the locks with carrier gas, when necessary via at least one separate supply conduit a metered amount of pure carrier gas is supplied to the production plant and at the same time via at least one separate discharge conduit a substantially corresponding amount of mixture of carrier gas and solvent is withdrawn.

Abstract: A solvent condenser arrangement for a solvent recovery apparatus comprises at least two solvent condensers of which one is in operation at a time, while the other is defrosted; the at least two solvent condensers are supplied via a pump from a refrigerant container under vaporization pressure.