Abstract: An improved process and apparatus for producing concentrated kaolin slurries and spray dried kaolin particulates through the use of an arrangement where an evaporation system for producing concentrated slurries is coupled with a spray dryer such that off gases from the spray dryer are used to supply heat energy to the spray dryer and to the evaporation system.

Abstract: An improved process and apparatus for producing concentrated kaolin slurries and spray dried kaolin particulates through the use of an arrangement where a system for producing concentrated slurries is coupled with a spray dryer such that off gases from the spray dryer are used to supply heat energy to the spray dryer and to the slurry concentrating system.

Abstract: When regenerating gas treating chemicals such as diethanolamine solution, the usual practice is to subject the chemicals to steam stripping. Ultimately such action is ineffective, and it is necessary to discard the chemicals. The waste chemical can be reclaimed by preheating the chemical in a countercurrent heat exchanger, in which heat is recovered from an already processed product; using a still to separate the preheated, partially vaporized chemical from the remainder of the chemicals; i.e. impurities or still bottoms; heating the still bottoms and recycling such bottoms for mixing with partially vaporized chemical immediately upstream of the still; returning the separated vapor product from the still to the heat exchanger for heating feed chemical; and separating the thus partially condensed product in a separator to yield reclaimed gas treating chemical.

Abstract: A method of drying black liquor to a dry solids content of about 100% in which water is evaporated from the black liquor by direct heat exchange contact with hot smelt from a recovery furnace in which the dried black liquor is burned.

Abstract: An evaporation system and process including an enclosed housing containing a plurality of shallow trays stacked vertically, one above another above a bottom-most heated reservoir with each tray serving as an evaporator and with the bottom of each tray serving as a condenser for the next lower tray and with the bottom of each tray sloping from the center outward to an outer collection trough and having a controlled supply of heat and feed liquid providing a substantially continuous supply of a regulated amount of feed liquid, with water being the primary example.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for recovering clean water and solids from aqueous solids are disclosed. Aqueous solids are mixed with a low viscosity, relatively volatile, water-immiscible light fluidizing oil to obtain a mixture which will remain fluid and pumpable after removal of essentially its entire water content. The mixture of solids, water and fluidizing oil is subjected to a dehydration step by means of a plurality of mechanical vapor recompression evaporators operating in staged array whereby substantially all of the water and at least part of the light oil are evaporated and subsequently recovered. The light fluidizing oil is then largely separated from the solids. Residual fluidizing oil may be removed from the solids by direct contact with a hot blowing gas such as blowing steam. The invention is characterized by the conservation of energy through the use of heat exchangers whereby condensate gives up its heat to the feed.

Abstract: A preheater-potable water condenser for sap concentrating boiler-evaporators. A housing which contains a dual manifolded multitubular heat exchanger is fixed to, but removable from, the vertical vent stack of a hooded syrup concentrator-boiler. The preheater-condenser is an improvement over the state of the art because its vertical positioning, in conjunction with an inclined, ganged and multitubular heat exchanging array, presents a greater heat exchanger surface area to be exposed directly to the boiler exhaust, thus enhancing heat exchange efficiency. In addition to preheating the liquid which is to be concentrated to syrup, positioning above the hood (and away from the boiling and spattering base fluid) facilitates the use of the tubular array as a condenser by which to accumulate distilled water. An oblique (inclined) disposition of the tubular array aids the condensation and accumulation process, the latter being acquired in specially compartmented areas of the housing.

Abstract: A liquid mixture is separated by pervaporation in an apparatus formed by a unitary stack of upright rectangular plates, diaphragms, and seals held together by tie rods. Each of the plates is formed with two upper and two lower corners formed with respective holes and each plate is formed inward of the respective holes with a corrugated central portion and the holes of the plates are aligned horizontally. Each diaphragm is sandwiched between two plates to form a cell having a pair of compartments separated by the respective diaphragm. The seals are arranged in the upstream region of the stack such that the liquid mixture enters one of the lower holes, passes downstream along the upstream portion into one of the compartments of each cell, and its lighter fraction passes as vapor through the diaphragms into the other compartments of these cells while its heavier fraction passes back upstream and exits the apparatus from one of the upper holes.

Abstract: The efficiency of falling strand devolatilizers is related to a number of factors incluidng the foaming of the polymer melt and the time the melt in both foam and strand form is held in the devolatilizer. The level of residual material including monomers, dimers, trimers, and diluents, in a polymer melt may be reduced by passing the melt sequentially through a preheater operated at relatively low pressure then through a horizontal melt distributor at the top of a devolatilizer chamber.

Abstract: A column construction or boiling space in a distilling apparatus, having a pure vapor input connector, an input connector for water to be distilled, numerous heat exchange tubes within the column construction, a pure vapor removal connector, a condensate removal connector, and a connector for removing water to be distilled that has not vaporized. Pure steam is disposed to flow through heat exchange tubes, while impure water to be distilled is disposed to flow through an intermediate space between the heat exchange tubes. The heat exchange tubes are, at both ends, joined to flanges.

Abstract: A citrus juice concentrate processor homogenizes a mixture of citrus juice and pulp within or after a multi-effect, multi-stage evaporator. The homogenizer employs a positive displacement pump for pumping the citrus juice mixture through an orifice with a high pressure differential across the orifice. The homogenizer reduces viscosity of the citrus juice mixture. Inter-stage placement of the homogenizer further enables final citrus juice concentrate Brix levels of 65.degree.Brix and greater to be achieved.

Abstract: A high efficiency open-cycle absorptive approach to compressing steam or other vapor is disclosed, especially useful for industrial evaportion via recompression. Referring to FIG. 1, low pressure steam from evaporator 1 is absorbed in an aqueous absorbent solution so as to release heat in both absorber 7 and GAX exchanger 8. External heat is applied to generator 12. Steam at higher pressure is desorbed from both gnerator 12 and GAX exchanger 8, and used to heat evaporator 1. Absorber 7 heat is also used to heat and evaporate the mixture undergoing evaporation.

Abstract: Deodorizing and/or physical refining of relatively small, varying charges of high-boiling liquids, viz. fatty acids, edible oils, fats, glycerides and other high-boilding esters, is conducted continuously in a single-stage or multi-stage falling-film column (20) through the trickle passages (23) of which stripping steam is passed in counter-current flow. In the supply conduit (15, 15', 15", 15'") leading to the falling-film column and in the discharge conduit (30, 30', 30", 30'") leading away from the bottom (26) of the falling-film column a plug-flow of the liquid is maintained. Upon a change of charge the fresh liquid to be treated is normally introduced into the supply conduit--without any blank charge--directly following the liquid of the preceding charge. Charging of the liquid onto the deflector (22) in the head (21) of the falling-film column is interrupted for a short period of time when the front of the liquid of the fresh charge has reached a check valve (16) disposed adjacent said deflector.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for the controlled concentration of oil well brine which is adapted to be situated at a well site where oil well brine is produced and which evaporates water from the brine to cause precipitable salt to precipitate out of solution and to be recovered and to cause the remaining liquid to become concentrated with brine constituents which also are recovered.

Abstract: A process for the continuous production of boiler feed water from process waters in the oil extraction industry during which salts and hydrocarbons are removed from the water, without Fe.sup.++ precipitating. The heavy hydrocarbons are mechanically separated, the volatile hydrocarbons are separated from the water, by means of a thermal degassing, and the low boiling and the non-condensable hydrocarbons are separated in a shower evaporation step with downstream vapor compression, wherein the low boiling non-condensable hydrocarbons are evaporated with the waste water within the shower evaporator and the non-condensable hydrocarbons then are drawn off from a downstream separator. A salt-free oxygen-free pure water is removed from a separator.

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: Polluted industrial waste water having a high chemical demand for oxygen and fine particles in suspension is purified using the following steps: directly heating and evaporating the polluted water without subjecting it to the usual prior steps of mechanical separation such as sieving or decanting; separating sludges from the evaporated water; condensing the evaporated water; subjecting the condensed evaporated water to a physico-chemical purifying process of the coagulation-flocculation type; and filtering the purified condensed evaporated water. The purified water is pure enough to be recycled through a dyeing works. The installation includes an evaporator (10) which is preferably built in several stages with the vapor from each stage other than the first being used to evaporate the polluted water in the next stage.

Abstract: A solar crystallizer and a process for producing solar salt adaptable for use in climates heretofore believed unfavorable for solar salt production. The invention employs a solar crystallizer defining a shallow pond of salt solution the level of which is carefully monitored and controlled by withdrawing unsaturated solution from the upper stratum of the pond such as produced from rainfall and introducing substantially saturated brine into the pond at a lower stratum overlying the salt crop on the bottom thereof providing a continuous protective saturated brine layer and enhancing the efficiency of water evaporation by a comparatively shallow depth.

Abstract: Distillation apparatus is disclosed which operates according to the so-called thermocompressor principle and which incorporates tubular means disposed within the apparatus to define an inner conduit and an outer annular flow duct, means for dividing the outer annular flow duct into an upper portion and a lower portion, and aperture means provided in one of these portions of the divided annular flow duct. Energy imparting means, preferably blower means, is disposed within the housing of the apparatus such that after a fluid stream, composed of at least one of liquid to be distilled and vapor, flows through at least one heat exchange tube within the apparatus and through the inner conduit, vapor flows through the energy imparting means which conveys the same into one of the two portions of the divided annular flow duct, whereby the vapor discharges from the annular flow duct to be condensed.

Abstract: Energy-efficient processes for spray drying aqueous liquids in a spray dryer supplied with furnace-heated drying gas which processes comprise withdrawing the spent drying gas from the spray dryer, spraying the spent drying gas with water adiabatically to cool the gas and increase the water content thereof, and recycling a portion of the humidified gas to the furnace, the recycled portion being from about 40 percent to about 70 percent of the total humidified gas, together with apparatus for carrying out the processes.

Abstract: A forced-circulation evaporator plant for concentrating products such as liquid distillation residues and caustic soda has a circulating pump for circulating a product to be concentrated to a battery of heat exchangers interconnected in series. The last exchanger in the series is directly heated with steam. All of the other exchangers are heated by water vapors generated by the evaporation of the product to be concentrated in a battery of flash drums traversed in series by the product and by steam from hot condensate liquids coming from the same exchangers.

Abstract: A liquid solution is passed through a multi-stage evaporation plant while using recirculated vapor, fed through a mechanical compressor in order to increase the pressure and temperature of the vapor.The plant comprises a number of evaporators connected in series and split up into a plurality of groups, which comprise a decreasing number of evaporators; as seen in the flow direction--the vapor being fed in parallel, streams through said groups.

Abstract: Distillation apparatus is disclosed which operates according to the so-called thermocompressor principle and comprises a housing in which a boiling chamber is situated to accommodate the liquid to be distilled, a heating device for heating the liquid to be distilled in the boiling chamber, a feed line for conducting the liquid to be distilled into the boiling chamber, an output line for removing the distillate from the distillation apparatus, and apparatus for imparting additional energy to the vapor that is produced from the liquid to be distilled in the boiling chamber such that the temperature of the vapor on the output side of the energy imparting apparatus is increased. According to the invention, at least one heat exchange tube is provided within the distillation apparatus through which a mixture composed of the liquid to be distilled and of the vapor produced therefrom is adapted to flow.

Abstract: The energy requirements of a solution rubber process are significantly improved by employing solvent which has been removed in subsequent process steps.The invention concerns the separation treatment of the solvents and the polymer solutions produced by solution polymerization. In one embodiment a polymer solution is flashed to remove solvent vapor overhead and a concentrated polymer solution is removed as bottoms. The flashed solvent vapor is divided into at least two streams. A first stream is used as a stripping vapor medium in a zone for stripping a wet solvent to recover a wet solvent vapor overhead from the stripping zone and a dry solvent liquid as bottoms; the second flashed solvent vapor stream is used to preheat the wet solvent feed to the stripping zone by indirect contact heat exchange; a third portion of said solvent vapor can be combined with the second portion downstream of the heat exchange step, and the combined stream can be condensed.

Abstract: In the regeneration of aqueous waste sulfuric acid by distilling off water often foam is formed which severely interferes with the work-up of the acid. This formation of foam is suppressed by adding alkylsulfonic and/or alkylarylsulfonic acids.

Abstract: A fluid medium is conveyed along a conduit. During its passage through the conduit, the fluid medium undergoes temperature change. The change in temperature of the fluid medium is performed in a step-wise manner by indirect heat-exchange with a fluid flowing countercurrent to the fluid medium, that is, by means of a plurality of heat-exchangers arranged along the conduit. The fluid medium forms incrustations and the rate at which incrustations form is different at different temperatures. This is taken into account by providing for the ratio between the lengths of any two heat-exchangers to approximate the ratio between the rates at which incrustations form at the temperatures of the respective heat-exchangers. Of particular interest is the extraction of bauxite with sodium aluminate lye.

Abstract: A fluid medium is conveyed along a conduit. During its passage through the conduit, the fluid medium undergoes temperature change. The change in temperature of the fluid medium is performed in a step-wise manner by indirect heat-exchange with a fluid flowing countercurrent to the fluid medium, that is, by means of a plurality of heat-exchangers arranged along the conduit. The fluid medium forms incrustations and the rate at which incrustations form is different at different temperatures. This is taken into account by providing for the ratio between the lengths of any two heat-exchangers to approximate the ratio between the rates at which incrustations form at the temperatures of the respective heat-exchangers. Of particular interest is the extraction of bauxite with sodium aluminate lye.

Abstract: Improvements in the concentration of solutions in processes involving heating the solution to be concentrated; Processes of solution concentrating where the solution to be concentrated is heated prior to concentration by either direct or indirect heat exchange, including particular concentrating processes where the heating means and media include: (1) high pressure steam; (2) low-pressure steam and (3) submerged combustion; Improved methods of producing and utilizing vapor-liquid phase separation(s) in solution concentrating processes with the vapor phase(s) utilized as a supplemental heating medium applied to the solution to be concentrated; Incorporation of a plurality of counterflow gas-liquid contact stages (cooling towers) as two phases in processes of concentrating heated solution; Utilization in coordination of a plurality of cooling towers and at least one water heater in processes of concentrating heated solutions.

Abstract: Improvements in the concentration of solutions in processes involving heating the solution to be concentrated; processes of solution concentrating where the solution to be concentrated is heated prior to concentration by either direct or indirect heat exchange, including particular concentrating processes where the heating means and media include: (1) high pressure steam; (2) low-pressure steam and (3) submerged combustion; Improved methods of vapor-liquid phase separation in solution concentrating processes with the vapor phase utilized as supplemental heating medium to the solution to be concentrated; incorporation of a counterflow gas-liquid contact stage (cooling tower) as one phase in processes of concentrating heated solutions.

Abstract: In the processing of a corrosive liquid mixture, such as 50 to 80% aqueous sulfuric acid, by its passage over one surface of a wall of inert heat resistant material, and heating the other surface of said wall, thereby to evaporate from said corrosive liquid mixture the more volatile component thereof, the improvement which comprises heating said wall by contact with an inert liquid material, and heating said inert liquid material indirectly through heat exchange with a normally solid molten material. Desirably the wall of inert material is a pipe surrounded by a molten metal in a first annular jacket and a molten salt in a second annular jacket.

Abstract: Improved process and apparatus for drying oxygen-containing streams, particularly wet air streams, are provided wherein these streams are contacted with glycols. The regeneration of glycols and in particular the removal of oxygen from the glycols is effected in a first step at a temperature below the oxidation temperature of the glycols, and then the removal of water from the glycols is effected in a second step, preferably by heating the wet glycols.

Abstract: Method of concentrating sodium or potassium hydroxide liquids by means of a heated evaporator whereby for a preliminary pre-evaporation of the liquid to be concentrated the liquid is first of all heated by direct contact with the superheated evaporation vapors issuing from the evaporator; a suitable apparatus for this method is disclosed which comprises an evaporator and a pre-evaporator this arranged at the upstream side of the evaporator and heated by direct contact with the evaporation vapors issuing from the evaporator.

Abstract: There is disclosed a multiple-effect evaporation system wherein the last effect of the system in the direction of miscella flow is provided with a stripping tower in which vapor effluent from that effect countercurrently contacts feed to that effect. In application to the recovery of solvent from miscella obtained by the extraction of defatted seed material with an aqueous organic carbohydrate-selective solvent, pressure in the evaporation zone of one of the effects is maintained at atmospheric. Additionally, at least one of the effects other than said last effect may be provided with a rectification column.

Abstract: Improvements in the concentration of solutions in processes involving heating the solution to be concentrated; Processes of solution concentrating where the solution to be concentrated is heated prior to concentration by either direct or indirect heat exchange, including particular concentrating processes where the heating means and media include: (1) high pressure steam; (2) low-pressure steam and (3) submerged combustion; Improved methods of producing and utilizing vapor-liquid phase separation(s) in solution concentrating processes with the vapor phase(s) utilized as a supplemental heating medium applied to the solution to be concentrated; Incorporation of a plurality of counterflow gas-liquid contact stages (cooling towers) as two phases in processes of concentrating heated solution; Utilization in coordination of a plurality of cooling towers and at least one water heater in processes of concentrating heated solutions.

Abstract: A multiple effect evaporator in which the feed is progressively preheated in an indirect falling film preheater by vapors from the lower temperature effects and then further preheated by direct contact with vapors from higher temperature effects, said preheated feed being degassed during said direct contact preheating, prior to evaporation.

Abstract: In the manufacture of alumina by the Bayer process, a method comprising the steps of bringing the overflow from a multistage red mud thickener into counterflow contact with the steam generated in consequence of the flashing of bauxite-dissolved slurry so as to effect exchange of heat therebetween, separating and removing sand from the slurry by regulating the rate at which the slurry is discharged from the bottom of the column, and circulating the heated overflow and using it as the wash water in the former stage of the said thickener, all the said operations performed in one and the same column; and a device provided with inlet and outlet pipes for the overflow, an overflow type condenser, inlet and outlet pipes for the slurry, and a pipe for the removal of sand so as to effect the operations of the said method wholly in one and the same column.

Abstract: Improvements in the concentration of solutions in processes involving heating the solution to be concentrated; Processes of solution concentrating where the solution to be concentrated is heated prior to concentration by either direct or indirect heat exchange, including particular concentrating processes where the heating means and media include: (1) high pressure steam; (2) low-pressure steam and (3) submerged combustion; Improved methods of vapor-liquid phase separation in solution concentrating processes with the vapor phase utilized as supplemental heating medium to the solution to be concentrated; Incorporation of a counterflow gas-liquid contact stage (cooling tower) as one phase in processes of concentrating heated solutions.