Method and apparatus for purifying blister furnace effluent

Abstract

A purifier for handling the high temperature effluent from a blister copper furnace, which includes solid particles in the range from 600 microns, or greater, down to a few microns, which contains oxidizable material, and which is at a high temperature, in the range of 2100.degree. to 2400.degree. F. The effluent from the blister furnace goes first to a settling chamber where the very large particles are caused to settle out by reducing the velocity of the effluent gas. The effluent then goes to a precooler tower which is an adiabatic humidifier, where the temperature is reduced to the neighborhood of 1200.degree. F. by injecting an air-driven water atomizer spray. The effluent then goes to an oxidation tower where the combustibles are oxidized, at lower than flame temperature, by injecting air and recycled gas. The effluent then goes to a conditioning tower which is a second adiabatic humidifier to further cool the gases to the neighborhood of 450.degree. F. From here they may go to a waste heat boiler or to a baghouse or other solid particle collector, and then to the stack.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.