Abstract: A drier, especially for viscous materials, comprises a double-wall cylindrical vessel which is heated and to which the material to be dried is fed at one end with the dried material being removed at the opposite end. A drying gas inlet is connected to the drying chamber to pass the drying gas in counterflow or uniflow with the material and a shaft is rotatable along the axis of the chamber and carries adjustable disks with alternately inner and outer openings so that the material path through the vessel is deflected toward and away from the axis as the material passes successively through adjustable-length cells between these disks. All of the disks carry blades which scrape the material from the heated wall from the vessel and at least some of the disks carry rollers of predetermined spacing from this wall to adjust the particle size of the dried product.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for treating a downwardly moving, compact bed of solid particles by contact with a flooding liquid, e.g., corn solids are treated with an aqueous solution of lime. Means are provided to obtain relatively uniform, gravity flow of the compact solids through the bed to provide for relatively uniform treatment of the solids with the liquid.

Abstract: A turbine mixer for a polyethylene reactor of the stirred autoclave type in which a turbine rotor is mounted on a rotating stirrer shaft extending along the longitudinal axis of the reactor and a turbine stator is mounted adjacent to and upstream of the rotor. The turbine mixer is positioned in the final stage of a three-stage, stirred autoclave reactor, and a baffle plate is positioned so as to extend across the reactor at the inlet to the final zone. The mixer produces intense stirring of the reactor materials within the final stage, but does not cause significant backmixing into the reactor zone immediately upstream thereof. The turbine mixer may also be utilized in other zones of the reactor wherein intense axial mixing of the reactor materials is required, in which case the baffle plate would be omitted so as to produce intensive axial mixing of the reactor materials within that zone.

Abstract: Polyester granules are crystallized and dried by passing hot gases of 120.degree. to 190.degree. C. in upward direction through the stationary layer of loose polyester granules resting in a cylindrical container on a plane or conical perforated tray slowly rotating about its vertical axis. The hot gas is passed through the material in an amount such that no fluidization is brought about. Under the action of the hot gas the granules agglomerate and the agglomerate is alternately slightly lifted and lowered again by stripping edges on the perforated tray whereby the agglomerate portion resting on the tray is disintegrated and the crystallized granules are discharged through slots behind the stripping edges in the tray.

Abstract: A disc-like impeller for dispersing solids within liquids is formed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene with a plurality of radially extending grooves on each planar face to provide a long wearing product with excellent mixing results.