Evaporating apparatus

Apparatus for disposing of contaminated slurries comprising liquid bearing solids materials therein, including

• auger conveyor means including a cylindrical chamber and a rotating auger screw with flights therealong for advancing a slurry of contaminated liquid bearing solids materials therein,
• means for passing said slurry to said auger conveyor means,
• heating means in thermal contact with said auger conveyor means to provide a heated interior surface in said chamber for heating said surface to a temperature sufficient to vaporize at least a portion of the liquid from the slurry,
• means operatively connected to said auger conveyor means for applying the slurry to said heated surface thereby evaporating a portion of the liquid and forming a residue of slurry on said surface, and removing the residue so formed from said surface,
• means for increasing the solids materials in a zone along a portion of the auger screw and chamber between the ends thereof comprising substantially reduced diameter portions of the peripheries of the auger flights with respect to the diameters of the auger flights immediately upstream and downstream thereof, for forming a partial obstruction in said zone composed of said residue of slurry for impending the flow of said liquid slurry material, while allowing passage of the vapors created in the vaporization process, and
• means for withdrawing said residue so formed from said apparatus.