Apparatus for the releasing of materials from voluminous precipitates or suspensions

Apparatus for removing solvent soluble material from a voluminous suspension of solid material by countercurrent flow comprising

• a vertical column having a vertical cylindrical upper wide portion, a vertical cylindrical lower narrow portion, and a frustoconical portion interconnecting said upper and lower portions, the cross-sectional area of said upper portion being approximately twice that of the lower portion,
• first conduit means for introducing said suspension into said column extending from above and through said upper portion and terminating near the bottom of said frustoconical portion,
• dispersing means comprising a horizontal spray diffuser for providing a uniform distribution of the suspension over the entire cross-sectional area of said column lower portion, terminating said first conduit means at the beginning of said lower column portion,
• second conduit means disposed near the bottom of said column for introducing said solvent,
• means for evenly distributing said solvent introduced near said column bottom over the entire cross-sectional area of said column lower portion, said means including a horizontally disposed perforate member having a top portion thereof and located above said second conduit,
• means for discharging purified suspension from said column, said means including a single discharge conduit extending from slightly above the top of said horizontally disposed member through said member to below the second conduit, and
• means for removing solvent containing solubles released from the voluminous suspension, said means including a discharge device disposed in the top of said column upper portion and above the bottom termination of said first conduit means.