Abstract: A process is provided for the recovery of one or more useful products including fertilizer, animal feed supplements, iron oxide, magnesia, salt, purified brine, and purified water from brines. The source of the brines can be oil and gas field wastes, seawater or effluent from a seawater desalination plant, or other inland brine sources. Iron and magnesium are initially precipitated from the brine. Then phosphoric acid is added to the brine followed by an alkaline agent to produce precipitates useful as fertilizer and animal feed supplements. The remaining salt in the brine may then be removed and recovered along with purified water.

Abstract: Filter apparatus having a traveling belt for extraction of a filtrate from a slurry which includes an elongated trough having a bottom and side walls for receiving the slurry to be filtered, an endless transversely ridged belt with the upper portion thereof disposed on the base of the trough and movable relative thereto, the edges of the belt being spaced from the side walls, a filter cloth overlying the belt and a portion of the side walls and movable with the belt and vacuum ports extending lengthwise of the trough and opening into the bottom of the trough between the edges of the belt and the side walls.

Abstract: Driving means for agitators and other devices having vertically disposed driven shafts which includes an intermediate shaft carried by bearings capable of withstanding thrust and radial loads, a coupling connecting the driven shaft to the lower end of said intermediate shaft, a coupling on the upper end of the intermediate shaft and a drive motor having a downwardly extending driven shaft engaging the coupling on the upper end of the intermediate shaft and a mounting for said motor to permit displacement thereof in a plane normal to said intermediate shaft.

Abstract: A wet phosphoric acid process involving operation of two streams, substantially equivalent, one producing phosphoric acid of a particular level of concentration, and gypsum as a by-product, and the other phosphoric acid of a different concentration, producing calcium sulfate hemihydrate as a by-product, with means for interconnecting and coordinately operating the processes so as to produce a single acid product stream of a higher concentration than the sum of the individual streams. The method consists of employing acid from one process as a wash in the second and balancing the flow streams to produce the combined product acid of enhanced final concentration and the plants involved in carrying into effect this method of operation.

Abstract: The invention consists of a device called a feed, or wash box for use where it is necessary to feed a relatively large volume of slurry or liquor on to a moving surface uniformly and without excessive local velocity or turbulence, the device being characterized by the fact that it takes advantage of the moving slurry or liquor to receive it on an inclined plane, causing it to develop some velocity as it passes down the plane and spreads out, and at the end of the incline, causes it suddenly to change direction of flow by about 90.degree. and again by impact on another guide surface to change direction of flow by about 180.degree., to be fed on to a final surface, which may be a filter belt or other receiving surface.